You are living your life. Most of us don’t live looking for the devil’s bite lurking behind every bush. But the truth is – he can hide in plain sight. After that thought, let me ask you, what bait can the devil use to lure you? Have you ever even thought of that?

So many saved people go to church each week, read the Word of God and work as his faithful servants without being aware of areas in their lives where the devil stalks them. He is NOT concerned about your strengths. He wants the areas that YOU have struggled, where you may be a young warrior so-to-speak or simply are not strong enough yet to take multiple direct confrontations. You can’t ever release your guard on those areas in your life. The baits may change that he uses or even the method of delivery but it will always be his focus to step through a gap around or in you… in just a moment of weakness…despair, depression or even unknown spiritual territories.

Areas where you have been delivered and healed are special areas. They are testimony areas, areas of revelation and wisdom, and many times areas of anointing. I believe that God himself literally steps into these areas in our lives to work it for his glory, hence, the anointing. The danger to us is that we take for granted his covering and get into situations that we are unable to withstand, i.e., after years maybe… alcoholics going into a bar after a divorce for just one, overeaters allowing rejection to kick off binges, drug addicts making excuses to use a little something after a rough week at work, a man turning to porno after his wife had a headache one too many times, and a woman spending way more that she should just to feel better.

Spiritual warriors have the responsibility to keep their weapons at hand and ready – beginning in the mind first. A spear does you no good if you can’t find it beyond your hobbies. A shield does you no good if it is being used as a snow board for your kids. A helmet does you no good if it is in your pile of to-do’s one day. The sword of the spirit does you no good if you don’t turn off the television.

Like many of you I have learned the power of God. However, distraction is effective with tears, or fear, or pain, or loss of a job, or a diagnosis, or a wound…for everyone. Faking it till you make it only gets you so far. Walking out of church after a feel good message doesn’t help if you can’t fight the good fight on your own. The pastor doesn’t go home with us. And even he is just a man that God uses.

Jesus gave us what we need to live this life. And he keeps our tears through the parts that are hard. Like all warriors, if you stumble, fall or get wounded – get up, brush your knees off, get medical treatment, heal and get back on the battle field. And if your battlefield becomes a sickbed or something else challenging, God has flexible battle plans! The battle between good and evil will never stop. The battlefields may change because of age, location, or people…but destiny continues.

Jesus will always use us for his glory. That is what we were born for. He knows our seasons past and our seasons to come, but most importantly, he knows the season we are in.

I come to this awareness after spitting out a lure myself. God is good.

I believe our call each day is just to love and surrender to him…for his purpose in us and in others. That alone changes us and the world around us.

That makes the light of his face shine upon us.

Blessings always,
Patti Corbello Archer
Sept 7, 2013