Dodging Bullets Sent by the Enemy

Have you ever experienced a period of time at work where everything seemed to be going well? The ideas were flowing, our ability to influence others seemed vast, conflicts were resolved fairly simply, and wow, we were making a real difference! Sometimes this season can last for weeks or months, but inevitably Satan notices the impact we are having and sets his mind to derailing our efforts. The next thing we know, the tide has turned. One by one, Satan's fiery darts fly our way in multiple forms challenging us to give up for one reason or another. Perhaps, you get a physical ailment...a migraine, a simple cold, or worse; you receive anonymous negative feedback from a client or customer full of untruths about your work and attacks on your character; or maybe even an incident requires you to make a tough decision that you know will be unpopular. At that point, many of us are left asking ourselves, "What happened? Who ripped the rug out from under me?"

Satan specializes in sending specific barriers and trials our way that will take our breath away and are intended to stop our forward progress for God's Kingdom. How are we as Christians to respond when Satan's darts make direct contact? What can we do to keep proper perspective, pick ourselves up, and keep working to share what is good, right, and true?

First, turn your persecutors over to God. This is easier said than done, yet it is what we must do. Whether we know the identity of our attacker or not, we are to let God take care of him or her in His way. In Psalm 64, King David says, 1-2 "Lord, listen to my complaint: Oh, preserve my life from the conspiracy of these wicked men, these gangs of criminals. 3 They cut me down with sharpened tongues; they aim their bitter words like arrows straight at my heart. 4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent. Suddenly the deed is done, yet they are not afraid. 5 They encourage each other to do evil. They meet in secret to set their traps. “He will never notice them here,” they say. 6 They keep a sharp lookout for opportunities of crime. They spend long hours with all their endless evil thoughts and plans.[a]7 But God himself will shoot them down. Suddenly his arrow will pierce them. 8 They will stagger backward, destroyed by those they spoke against. All who see it happening will scoff at them. 9 Then everyone shall stand in awe and confess the greatness of the miracles of God; at last they will realize what amazing things he does. 10 And the godly shall rejoice in the Lord, and trust and praise him."


Second, stay prayerfully focused on doing God's will. In Romans 15:14-16, Paul emphasizes how important our work in sharing the gospel and connecting others to God is. He says, "Personally, I’ve been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don’t take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It’s not criticism. I’m simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God’s Holy Spirit."

There will always be people who say and do things that hurt. They may not even know at the time that they are in fact are the very vehicle that Satan is using to discourage us. Our best course of action is to be prayerful. Psalm 37:7 Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.



Psalm 46 TLB, we are reminded that...God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! Nothing in our world is stable or inherently safe. We can find shelter and rest in the Lord. Even when everything else is wobbly and unclear, our faith in God will never be.

The third action we should take is to be boldly confident in God's promises. Psalm 91:9-16 NIV states, "If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he[a] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” God gives us absolute assurance that He will rescue those who love Him. This gives us the promise that when people and circumstances turn against us, God is for us.

Furthermore, in Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV we are reminded to take full advantage of The Armor of God. Verse 10 says, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Whether you are comforted by singing your favorite Christian songs or by quietly reading passages that encourage you, run to God and fellow Christians for proper perspective.

Dear Almighty Father,

We place our lives and work before you. We pray that you bless our words, decisions, actions and use them to connect others to You. Protect us from the devil's darts. Help us to view setbacks and barriers properly knowing that trials often come in response to the good work we have done. Help us to pray for those who grieve us and give them over to You. Teach us to rely on your promises and stand fortified by You and Your word as we push forward. It is in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ we pray....Amen.