(1 Pet 5:8-9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith . . .
"December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy". (President Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese submarines and aircraft carrier-based planes attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Eight American battleships and 13 other naval vessels were sunk or badly damaged, almost 200 American aircraft were destroyed, and approximately 3,000 naval and military personnel were killed or wounded, with additional civilian tolls. In comparison the Japanese suffered a loss of 29 aircraft, a large submarine, and 5 midget submarines in the attack. The attack marked the entrance of Japan into World War II (1939-1945) on the side of Germany and Italy, and the entrance of the United States on the Allied side.
What a vivid recollection I have of the time my family and I visited the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. They take you out in a boat to the site of the sunken vessel and the tour guide talks you through that day of the attacks. I'll never forget the lump in my throat as the boat was taking us back. The whole group of visitors was quiet and sobered. All I could think about was the bravery of these soldiers and for all who fought in that war (including my dad).
Satan attacks you at times when you least expect it. He is our enemy. He is no purring kitten to lick you. He's a roaring lion who seeks to devour you. He walks all around the earth in opposition to God's redemptive plan through Christ. He roams the earth to find a devoted follower of Jesus and have him or her for lunch. (Job 1:7) And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
What's a soldier of Christ to do? Be ready! Be watchful!! Don't be lulled into that vacation mentality. Life is a warzone for the believer. The war is the fiercest it's ever been because we're towards the end. Things are amping up! (1 Pet 4:7) But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. There's not much time left to gain ground for the Lord. (Rev 12:12) . . . Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Get out of bed and get dressed for the battle! (Rom 13:11-12) And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Daniel was in the lion's den for a night and the Lord protected him completely. (Dan 6) For the Christian, the whole world is a lion's den! And we will be in it until the battle is over and the Lord takes us home. Until then we must resist Satan steadfast in our faith. Don't be afraid of the devil. He's a defeated foe. The Lord has you covered! (Phil 1:28) and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
The enemy was defeated in WWII. But it took an attack for the U.S. to jump into the war and to fight until victory was secured. Stand up on your feet before you are defeated. (Rom 8:31) . . . If God is for us, who can be against us? Let this be a day of victory . . . not infamy!
Louie