1 Peter 5:8-10
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
I’ve burned, overbaked, and overcooked supposedly great-tasting food because either I was multi-tasking or mentally absent to have set the timer right. I left my toddler unattended in a safe place for just a few minutes to use the bathroom and I came back to a mess that’s cost 3 hours of cleaning.
I gave him unattended screen time because I had a meeting to attend to and I saw gruesome, disturbing ads of games that popped up. The list could go on and I’m sure you have a handful too!
While these things often start of as physical battles, they extend to spiritual warfare if they are kept unattended and bottled up for too long. We have been warned by Peter that the enemy is lurking around, waiting to win in every instance that he can.
You see, when you’ve spent time, money, and effort in pre-cooking preparations, only to have them burnt or dry, it becomes the enemy’s ground for a stressful outburst (or worse, the blaming mouth) that could be projected to your loved ones.
When you’ve just finished cleaning the entire day only to have another mess that would consume your time, it becomes the enemy’s ground to destroy relationships.
In my case, had I frantically yelled at my son or hurt him verbally or physically, he’ll remember what I made him feel while easily forgetting what he did wrong. This goes for older children too, especially teenagers who are more emotionally responsive.
It is indeed a battle every time I constantly remind myself of how I want him to see and feel Jesus’ love through me because parents are the first models of His love, and the first bibles they read.
Today’s adults were once children of yesteryears and surely a lot of us are still healing from our childhood neglect, trauma, abuse, and abandonment.
By now, we’d know and understand how simple scenarios with wounds unattended became the enemy’s breeding ground for destructive resentment, self-blame, guilt, pain, and lies we’re made to believe.
In the same light, leaving children unattended or teenagers unsupervised when they use their gadgets, no matter how innocent a game or show is supposed to be, still has repercussions to their wellbeing because the enemy can use it as a stronghold to devour their purity and influence their behavior.
Meditating on His Word will make us watchful and vigilant, that’s why our time with the Lord is always a fight. When it is left unattended too, the enemy is quick to steal our peace and joy, and we become more vulnerable to the sins of our thoughts, words, and actions.
The good news is that His Word is unchanging, and that we are not alone in this spiritual battle of Christlikeness and leading more people to Christ.
Through His grace, He himself will restore and strengthen us, making us firm and steadfast in preparation of His coming. Wear the full armor of God, sister! Take heart, for He has overcome the world.
So stand your ground, dear warrior in Christ! It’s a new battle today but I’m praying for you, and with you!
