It is not an uncommon thing to underestimate our enemy. Many battles have been lost because smart men get overconfident, or arrogant, and underestimate their opponent. Sometimes it due to miscommunication, or just poor judgment. Other times bad planning, execution, weather, or general lack of skill or ability. Sometimes it is a major miscalculation or a smart unexpected move by the enemy. In physical warfare, many lives have been lost in this world, and in spiritual warfare, souls have been lost for all eternity.
On May 9, 1864, a Major General John Sedgwick, a highly decorated General in the Civil War, lost his life because his arrogance allowed him to underestimate his enemy. He had won the respect of all his superiors and subordinates because of his military know-how and precise leadership. He had been shot several times, but each time he recovered. Cheating death made him feel almost invincible. However, on May 9th he got careless. He was having a conversation with his young chief of staff. They were a safe distance, for firearms of that day, about 1,000 yards from the Confederate lines. During the conversation, several stray bullets fired through the camp from Rebel sharpshooters. During his conversation with his chief of staff, a young man passed directly in front of the general, at that same moment, a sharpshooter’s bullet passed very close. The young soldier heard a shrill whistle and dropped to the ground right in front of the general. The general touched him gently with his foot, and said, “Why, my man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way,” and made the remark, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” The man rose and saluted and said good-naturedly, “General, I dodged a shell once, and if I hadn’t, it would have taken my head off. I believe in dodging.” The general laughed and replied, “All right, my man, go to your place.”
For a third time the same shrill whistle, closing with a dull, heavy stroke, interrupted the chief of staff and the general. Now the general slowly turned back to his chief of staff. This time he had blood sputtering from his left cheek under his eye. His death was immediate. He was the highest-ranking Union casualty of the Civil War. If he had not gotten careless and made assumptions about his enemy, he probably would have lived to see the Union victory.
As Christians, we have a greater enemy than any army here on this earth. He is Satan. He is clever and tactical in his plan to gain us to his side. He cannot be everywhere as God can, but he has his own army of demons, fallen angels, to do his bidding for him. Each Christian that falls is a victory for him. He knows your lifestyle, and your weakness, better than you know yourself. You cannot outsmart him. You cannot allow him to get close to your Christian camp thinking like the general, he can’t defeat you. You will lose!
How can this happen if we are God’s child?
I Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
- Misinformation is a key factor in Satan’s ploy. When we don’t study scripture for ourselves, we leave ourselves wide open to wrong info. Don’t base your opinions on what others say. When someone tells you something, go to the word to prove it out. Study your scripture in context. I take notes, and have for years, on almost every message I hear. It helps me stay focused, but it also gives me important info I can go back and research for myself. Knowing the word is key to not sinning. Psalm 119:11. If you don’t know the M.O of a criminal you will not know what and who to look for.
- Making wrong assumptions is a killer! If you think for one second you can’t be deceived, you must think you are more perfect than Adam and Eve. The only perfect couple to exist made a wrong assumption about a serpent in the garden.
Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
- Stay on guard and be ready. Follow the manual on Defeating Satan, the Bible. In I Peter 5:8-9 Peter gives us instructions on be ready for his attacks. We are to be sober, or serious. Many joke saying, “the Devil made me do it.” That is nothing more than making lite of our sin, and the price paid for it. Be vigilant. This means to keep watch and observe all that is going on around you. Gain wisdom from the Word. Be discerning. Discernment comes from the Holy Spirit being able to direct your life. Ask Him to direct you in all your paths and listen when that little alarm goes off in your head. Why? Because he is like a roaring lion waiting patiently for the weak moment of his prey. A roaring lion doesn’t roar when he is on the prowl. No, he is so quiet and still, his enemy never knows he is near. Stand firm in the faith! If Satan can’t keep you from going to Heaven, his next best tool is to mar your testimony so you can’t take anyone with you! It is very helpful to know we are not in this alone. We not only have the Holy Spirit within us, we have Jesus at the right hand of the Father praying for us. We are not the only one in this army. Christians all over the world are fighting the same battles and some are even giving their lives rather than fall to Satan’s defeat.
God’s grace is always sufficient, and He will be with us through every attack, but we must be willing to stand and accept the grace provided. We must be willing to equip ourselves with the proper weapons. We can win the battle and the war if we will learn to be on guard and know how to fight the enemy.
