Your Shrewd Enemy

The overconfident Romans were convinced they had subdued the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine River. But the Roman leader, Publius Varus, did not realize that he had been deceived. A German noble, known to us as Arminius, had become a Roman citizen and served on Varus’s staff. Varus had been warned not to trust Arminius but ignored the warning.

Then in 9 AD, Arminius led Varus and his army into a trap. The result was an embarrassing defeat for the Romans, who then abandoned their attempts to conquer Germania. Varus had all the advantages but failed to understand his enemy, allowing himself to be deceived.

Paul warned that many Christians make the same kinds of mistakes. Like Varus, they are overconfident and fail to take Satan seriously. They do not understand that we are engaged in a spiritual war that we must fight with spiritual weapons.

They lack discernment and are not on guard against attacks. They have not “put on the full armor of God” and don’t have “the shield of faith.” Nor have they taken “the helmet of salvation” or “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17). They don’t realize that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.

Don’t be a victim of Satan’s deception. Be alert and ready for his attacks. Seek to be prepared, on guard against deceit. He can employ subtle strategies and strike shrewdly.