Dr. David Bouler of Global Faith Ministries, Chattanooga, Tennessee, contributes his column each week to the Journal Review. He can be reached by email at debouler@aol.com.
The devil is a real enemy. He makes plans to defeat Christians every day, but his war is with God. He can hurt God by hurting God’s people, thus we have become pawns in this war. So realizing this we wake up, and as instructed in Ephesians 6, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against all the schemes of the devil” (verses 10-11). We are to walk each day in the presence and power of the Lord, our God. The best protection is to get off the defense and to get on the offense.
I have a friend who played linebacker for the Auburn Tigers and later for the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula. They called him Captain Crunch. He was tough, big and fast, and he loved the Lord Jesus. I heard him talk about a conversation he had with on of his coaches. The coach asked him, “Mike, will you do some scouting for me?” And Mike responded, “Sure, coach, what kind of players you looking for?” The coach said, “Well, there is the player who gets knocked down and just stays there.” Mike said, “We don’t want him do we, coach?” The coach said, “No.” Then the coach said, “Then there’s the guy you knock down and he gets up. You knock him down again and he gets up. You knock him down and he just keeps getting up.” Mike said, “That’s the guy we want, isn’t it coach?” The coach said, “No, we don’t. I want you find the guy that’s knocking everybody down. Now that is the guy I want.”
I thank the Lord every time we get knocked down, He picks us up. But wouldn’t you rather stand for the Lord and make the devil flee? Look at James 4:7, “Submit therefore to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you.” So rely upon the Lord today and stand up for Jesus in the power of His might.
