LLAMA LESSONS
Did you know that llamas are useful animals that have proven to be a good defense in the sheep ranching industry by standing up to coyotes? “When they see something, they put their head up and walk straight toward it” (Barry McGee, Denver Post). A coyote on the prowl, looking to attack a vulnerable sheep considers that behavior to be aggressive and will turn away from the attack. Is there a lesson to be learned from the llama in how we are to resist our enemy, Satan?
Have you ever felt fiercely attacked by Satan? The Bible is clear in 1 Peter 5: 8, that the enemy prowls around like a lion seeking who he can destroy. But God in his infinite wisdom and love has not left us to be defenseless against the attacks of the devil. No, He has given us everything we need to put our heads up and walk straight toward the enemy, ready to battle sin, temptation, fears, illnesses and conflict.
We must use the battle armor He has given us that we have access to every single day: the sword of the Spirit which is His Word, the breastplate of Righteousness which protects our hearts, the Truth and the Gospel of Christ, which is clad in power, the shield of Faith which protects us from the onslaught of every fiery dart hurled at us and finally prayer which gives us wisdom, strength, and perseverance.
Ephesians 6:13-19
Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance
and supplication for all the saints—
Arming ourselves spiritually for battle is key and then the directive is clear.
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Submission is a military term that simply means that we are subordinate to our commanding officer, God. I have found that when I study God’s Word, when I know His commandments, when I am walking with Him daily, I am armed with His authoritative Word. This needs to be part of our regular routine lest we be left vulnerable as a little sheep with no defense. This is how I know what God requires of me in submission to Him. This means when the Bible says to love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, you and I will submit to that authority and know that it battles and resists the enemy in this area of my life.
Resisting requires standing firm and being steadfast in your faith. That is where the power and the truth of the Gospel comes into play. The Bible is plain that as we resist and oppose, the enemy has no choice but to run away because he cannot have victory over one who is prepared for battle.
Being like the llama, holding our heads up and, facing the attacker boldly, with resistance is a great example of how we are to face our adversary, the devil. Resist the attack and he will turn away.
Prayer
I am a child of the most High God and I will be faithful in submission and
in my pledge to Him by faith. I resist you Satan in Jesus’s mighty name.
No tactic of warfare will work to destroy me. I am fixed in my position in Christ.
I am firm in my faith. No weapon formed against me will harm me
eternally or separate me from the love of Christ. I am completely armed for battle,
and I belong to the army of the Lord. Amen.
How’s your faith right now? Do you need to accept God’s will? Are you questioning what His will is for your life? We urge you to peruse our website further, read our other blogs, or investigate the steps we recommend for getting closer to God. If you need more encouragement, please request our FREE e-Book, Encounters With God Interviews to read more about how people, like you, reached out to Him in prayer and changed their lives forever! The above reflection on living a Christian Life was submitted by Ginger Carruth Cooper who resides in Gatlinburg, TN and attends Roaring Fork Baptist Church.
We hope you are ready to begin a new day with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Bible References are taken from the
New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise stated.
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