WINNING THE BATTLE IN THESE TIMES OF ISOLATION
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.
1 Peter 5:8-9
The Apostle Peter compares the devil to a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. If you’ve ever watched a nature documentary, then you know how lions hunt. If lions are hunting a herd of wildebeests, the wildebeests are safe if they stay in the herd. They’re faster than the lion, stronger when they fight together and there are simply more of them.
A hunting lion will never charge directly into the middle of the herd. He doesn’t want to attack the herd. There’s too much strength in numbers. He’s looking for one. If he can find one wildebeest that strays from the group: the young, the old, the sick, or just one that isn’t paying attention; if he can isolate one wildebeest, then one-on-one the wildebeest doesn’t stand a chance.
That’s Satan’s strategy. When we view Christianity as an individual faith, that we’re supposed to live and fight on our own, we’re playing directly into his hands. Our enemy wants us on our own. If Satan can isolate us from community, he wins. If he can convince us to keep our addictions in the dark and a secret from those around us, he wins. He knows he’s not strong enough to take on the entire herd, to take on a church united. So he’ll try and pick us off one by one. That’s the first way Satan attacks us: he isolates us from the herd, from biblical community.
Lions have been hunting the same way for a thousand years. They don’t need to get creative. A lion will isolate one animal from the pack, sink its jaws around the animal’s throat, and hold on until the animal bleeds out. That’s it, every time.
Satan doesn’t have to get creative when he attacks you, because he knows what works. Satan is going to try and isolate you from community, get you on your own, find that one foothold, that one temptation, that one addiction, clamp his jaws around you and not let go until you spiritually bleed out. That’s the second way Satan attacks: he clamps his jaws around your throat with that one besetting sin and waits until you bleed out.
So when Christians walk away from church, when they refuse to live in community, when they can’t be bothered to join a small group and be transparent and actually do life together, they’re playing straight into the enemy’s hands. The reason that community is so vital to a church is because it fights against Satan’s main method of attack: isolation. If Satan can emotionally, mentally, spiritually isolate you from other believers and take you on one-on-one, he’ll win, every time.
So why do we need to do life together with other believers? Because on our own, we don’t stand a chance. But together, we will always be victorious.
Notice in Scripture that the Bible never says to flee the devil. The Bible says to flee temptation, but always commands the church to resist the devil. To fight back. Why? Because when we fight together, we are unstoppable. We are more than conquerors, and the enemy doesn’t stand a chance.
So how do you counter Satan’s main attacks against you?
Do life in community with other believers.
Cultivate transparency and get help from others.
Life is too short and you’re simply not strong enough to do life on your own. Do life together. Fight together. Be victorious together.
Pastor Barry Risto
Prayer Points
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8-9; Genesis 3:8-10; Mark 6:6-7; Ecclesiastes 4:12
Confess any known and unknown sins.
Father, I thank You that I am able to participate in today’s fasting program.
Commit the month of May into the Lord’s hands. Pray that you will end the month well in Jesus’ name.
Psalm 29:1-2 – Despite the coronavirus pandemic, “You are God”. Ascribe greatness to our God. (pray this seriously)
1 Pet 5:8 – In Jesus’ name, Lord I pray for a spirit of alertness during this time. (pray this seriously)
1 Pet 5:8 – Father, unleash the spirit of alertness upon my household and the church (including PPT).
1 Pet 5:9 – In Jesus’ name Jehovah Nissi help me to take a stand for You at all times.
1 Pet 5:9 – In Jesus’ name my household will take a stand for You at all times.
Gen 3:8 – Lord, remove from my life anything (mention them) that will adversely affect my relationship with You.
Gen 3:8 – In the lives of my household (mention them) and the church, Lord remove every weight and stain in Jesus’ name.
Mark 6:7 – With Your authority, Jesus’ help me to triumph over the devil and his agents. (pray this seriously)
Mark 6:7 – Like the disciples, my household and I, will triumph over the enemy in Jesus’ name.
Mark 6:7 – In Jesus’ name, let the church triumph over the enemy.
Eccl 4:12 – Father unite the church against our common enemy.
Eccl 4:12 – Lord, during this pandemic, unite the church to stand in the gap for the nations of the world.
Eccl 4:12 – As a local church help us to stand in the gap for the sick, vulnerable and the needy during these difficult times.
Jehovah Rapha heal the sick and comfort the bereaved among us in Jesus’ name.
Father deliver the world from this pandemic in Jesus’ name.
Psalms 91:10 – Elohim, protect our front-line workers from the COVID-19 plague. (pray this seriously)
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Prayer Conference Call at 5:30 am
Dial: 647-977-2648 (Canada) / 202-602-1295 (USA)
Code: 827-220-552#
Teaching & Prayer Live at 8:00 pm
ppt.church/live
OR
Dial: 647-977-2648 (Canada) / 202-602-1295 (USA)
Code: 827-220-552#