Skeeters
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11
The mosquitos were terrible at our house last summer. We don’t call them mosquitos. We call them skeeters.
I don’t know why, but skeeters love me. I guess it is because I’m so sweet. Skeeters buzz, swarm, attack, and bite me. Anytime, I go outside it’s like they have a skeeter spotter flying around that says, “Hey guys, the all you can eat preacher buffet is open at the Collins house. Come on!”
When I work out in the yard, my wife, Amanda, likes to come out and supervise me. She supervises my work. She says things like, “You’re mowing the grass wrong.” She says things like, “You need to fertilize.” She says things like, “I know you worked all day putting in the flower bed, but I really don’t like it there. I want you to dig it up and move it over there.” She supervises me.
Last summer, I was working in the yard. Amanda was outside supervising me. Suddenly, “WHAP!” Something hit me across the back of the head. I saw stars.
I turned around and my wife was standing there with an open hand. She had hit me upside the back of my head. She hit me hard too. I thought I might lose consciousness. I thought I had a concussion. I couldn’t believe it.
I caught my breath and said, “What are you doing?”
“There was a skeeter on your head.” she said.
“Did you get it?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Amanda started yelling, “There he is! There he is!” The skeeter was buzzing around me. As she was screaming, Amanda started slapping me. She was about to beat me to death. I don’t know what was worse, getting stung by the skeeter or getting slapped around.
Despite Amanda’s assault, the skeeter kept on buzzing around me. He kept dive bombing me. Before long, he found some friends and they swarmed me. I had to go inside to escape their onslaught.
That was a silly story, but it is a picture of the demon dive bombers that come at us every day. Like those skeeters, the devil’s demons are dive bombing us. They are trying to tear your marriage and family apart. They are trying to stop you from raising your children with Christian values. They are trying to keep you from serving Jesus. They are trying to destroy your Christian walk. They are trying to keep you from going to church.
Fortunately, God has given us protection from the devil and his demons. We have the full armor of God. The full armor of God is found in Ephesians 6. It is the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, and the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, the Bible. When the demonic forces attack, you should use Scripture to slap back at them.
The point is: You need protection from the devil’s assault. Are you under attack? Are you being dive bombed? Are you in a situation that seems hopeless? God has made a way for you to deal with whatever the devil throws at you. Turn to the Father through Jesus, His Son.
The Lord Jesus Christ can squash your problems like a bug.
Pastor James Collins serves at Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. Find out more about his ministry or purchase his latest books at www.thepointis.net.