After he became military editor of Encyclopedia Britannica, writer and British army officer B.H. Liddell Hart was forced to study 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 “throughout the ages, effective results in war have rarely been attained unless the approach has had such indirectness as to ensure the opponents’ unreadiness to meet it.” Hart found that victories were consistently 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 fail to realize that the devil is shrewd and deceptive. He, too, will disguise his true intentions, surprise us, and seek to catch us unprepared.

He will not announce that we are under attack, but rather 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 or approaching us head-on, he may lash out at our family members or friends, or attack our emotions, health, or finances.

Make sure that you are on guard against the attacks of your adversary. Like a lion, he is looking for someone to devour. As Paul warned, make sure you have the shield of a strong faith. Live a life of truth and have “a breastplate of righteousness,” saying and doing the right things. Be armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and fill your life with prayer (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Be careful! Be on the alert. And ask God to help you to be ready for the attacks. They will come.