I Peter 5:8-11 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
As a young fighter pilot at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, in addition to being an F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot I was the squadron’s Chief Snacko. It sounds like a glorious position for a new officer until you realize that Chief Snacko meant that I was the snack bar officer. Yes, I was responsible for ensuring that the squadron was well-stocked with coffee, snacks, and SWAG – stickers, t-shirts, hats, posters, and lithographs. I was also responsible for selling our goods at local airshows to raise money for our morale fund.
A neighboring base had a big airshow during that time, and we were excited to sell our wares. A local contractor who made the majority of our SWAG offered to help set up on the Thursday before the weekend-long event. Our assigned table was in a large hangar, but towards the back and we were worried about the lack of foot traffic that would hinder our sales.
Unbeknownst to anyone in the squadron, the contractor hatched a plan on his own. At the end of the setup day, he hid in the hangar and was locked inside for the night. During that time, he moved our table to a prime location at the front of the venue. When the hangar was opened the next morning, we discovered our new prime position, and we made a mint that weekend because of his unseen jockeying for advantage.
There is ongoing, unseen spiritual jockeying all around us. As a result, we must be sober, vigilant, and resistant in the faith. We must put on the whole armour of God while clinging to His grace and aligned with His providential positioning. It is the only way to avoid being devoured by our adversary.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO ASTUTELY UNDERSTAND THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE RAGING ALL AROUND US WHILE WISELY EMBRACING GOD’S WEAPONRY. In the midst of spiritual jockeying, we can either prevail or be consumed depending on our alignment with God’s positioning.
