Intruder Alert
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Young Baby Carrots let me know that there were intruders in the trees. He was on high alert as you can see in this picture. What you can’t hear are the guttural squeaks made as he watched the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks taking turns at the feeders. This kitten is so young. How does he even know that birds are fair game in the cat world?
Perhaps anything that moves spikes his predatory interest. When I do not move in bed, he does not jump on me and attack with his sharp little claws. While my hands look like pin cushions, I also know he is practicing to be an awesome mouser someday.
If we, as Christians, are not moving forward, Satan has no interest in us. We are not even on his radar. However, the moment we begin to seek God, become mission minded, or start sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, we become targets. Yes, he takes sniper shots and tries to knock us off balance. It’s like we have a bull’s eye on our forehead. That is his attack preference—to make us doubt, fearful and anxious, and he causes strife.
Stay alert and don’t become spiritually lazy! But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36, ESV).
So how do we stay strong in this crazy world? For me, I know that meeting Him early in the morning gives me courage and power to face whatever the day brings. His will is top on my agenda.
While Baby Carrots has his animal instinct, we have the Holy Spirit to sound the intruder alert. He gives us that uneasy feeling in the pit of our belly that yells, “Danger ahead!” There are times when we simply must trust Him because there is no physical evidence of any invasion. Destruction can happen in the blink of an eye.
Carrots stealthily stalks his prey (toys). Our enemy does the same, but it is not done in a playful manner. He wants to destroy us and break up our relationship with Jesus.
When the Holy Spirit speaks, listen! Be aware and take heed to His intruder alert!
Gracious Lord, thank You for sounding the alarms through the Holy Spirit. Please teach us to pay attention and not to become spiritually deaf. Give us strength to fight! Amen.
Photo: Mo Johnston 7/31/24