Ready:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” —Ephesians 6:12
Set:
During a recent away game, I sat in the dugout with a softball team who was playing their neighboring county in what would become a pretty intense game. As it began, the girls were nonchalantly playing the game of softball, doing their job but not really with any sort of passion. They were laughing and joking in the dugout, distracted but still staying on the board. Right behind the field, a tobacco bus, with the top cut off, drove up and parked. As the game went on, more guys piled into the bus with their whistles, loud voices, and shirts swinging above their heads in support of the home team. As the home team’s fan base in the bus got louder, the more joyful that team got.
The away team’s dugout progressed from laughing because it was funny, to annoyed, and then eventually they got angry. That progression was also reflected in their performance. When they realized they had an “enemy” that was cheering against them and for the home team, they started playing differently. They were no longer distracted in the dugout; they were focused, on the fence, cheering on their teammates and fully engaged in the game. They approached the plate with determination and the field with grit.
The point here is that we live and play differently when we realize we have an enemy. In reality, the tobacco bus fan club wasn’t an enemy — they were just supporting their team. It was fun watching their energy spread across the field to their classmates and watching how that support changed the way all the girls played. Knowing who is supporting you and who is against you really does change how you play.
God chooses us to be on His team, and He cheers for us and supports us as we walk through life. Satan, the enemy, is against us and is the one yelling obscene things at us from the sidelines. When we know who our enemy is, we live and play differently.
Go:
In your Christian life, are you living as if God is your supporter and Satan is your enemy or are you nonchalantly going about life as the girls were in the beginning of their game?
How does this truth change the way you live?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Heavenly Father, thank You for making it clear Who is for me and who is against me. Thank You for giving me everything I need for life and godliness through Your knowledge. Help me to live as if you are my God and Satan is my enemy. I want to live on purpose and with grit. I pray You will use this truth to transform my nonchalant way of life to living on mission for Your purposes for my life. Amen.”