October 30, 2024

Your Shrewd Enemy

Daily Devotional2 Minutes

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”—1 Peter 5:8 NASB

As a writer and a British army officer, B.H. Liddell Hart studied and wrote about the history of warfare. These studies revealed the importance of what he called the “indirect approach.”

Hart, who was born on this day in 1895, discovered that “effective results in war have rarely been attained unless the approach has had such indirectness as to ensure the opponents’ unreadiness to meet it.” Consistently, Hart found that victories were won by armies that disguised their true intentions, surprised their opponents, and caught them unprepared.

In the same way, many Christians are defeated in life because they are not prepared for spiritual warfare. They forget that the devil is shrewd and deceptive. He will not announce his attacks but will seek to confuse us with mixed messages, prey on our weaknesses, and sneak up on us when we are not ready. Instead of attacking us directly, he may lash out at our family members, friends, emotions, health, or finances.

Make sure that you are on guard against these attacks. Like a lion, your enemy looks for “someone to devour.” Make sure that you are shielded with a strong faith. Live a life of truth; have “a breastplate of righteousness,” and do the right things. Be armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word, and fill your life with prayer (Ephesians 6:10–17).

Be careful, always ready.

Reflection Question:Have you put on your spiritual armor yet today?

Prayer
Father, help me to be ready for spiritual warfare. Help me be strong in Your Spirit and armed with Your Word. Thank You for the victory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today's Bible Reading
1 Peter 5


Prayer
Father, help me to be ready for spiritual warfare. Help me be strong in Your Spirit and armed with Your Word. Thank You for the victory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today's Bible Reading
1 Peter 5