The T.V. was on and the sound of the William Tell Overture was playing. I had dozed for a minute on our old couch, but was immediately wide awake…the next episode of the Lone Ranger was starting. I was 9 years old and the flu had given me what every little boy longs for: A day off from school. 
In this episode of the Lone Ranger, I remember the sheriff had formed a posse to chase the bad guys. The posse had made camp for the night and set deputies to stay awake to guard their perimeter. They were alert to any sound—a creeping boot crunching dried leaves, the soft bluster of a bad guy’s horse—that signaled a sneak attack. With guns drawn, the deputies were ready to spring into action and defend the camp.

While you and I don’t face evil cowboys, we do face the attack of a spiritual enemy who is both ruthless and relentless. He actually does sneak up, ready to pounce the moment you awaken or as you’re trying to sleep, attacking with lies and fears that he hopes we’ll accept and upon which we’ll dwell. He succeeds when we take his lies and believe them. He’s thrilled when he can initiate fear, anxiety or lust in our minds and let his falsehood run laps around the track of our minds. The truth is: We have power to defeat him.

Like the deputies in the campsite, we need to be ready to immediately respond when the enemy attacks. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we’re told to fix our eyes on Jesus—whose power and character are the basis of our faith and who is the Sustainer of our faith. We don’t need to give the enemy and his demons any attention or time, but rather use their attack as the alarm clock that reminds us to immediately fix our eyes on Jesus by declaring and appropriating what he says is true. Don’t wait a second…don’t “consider” the enemy’s lies. Fix your eyes upon Jesus and resolve to only receive what he says is true. This is how we renew our minds and walk in the Spirit. 

On the adventure with you,
Kirk