Good morning!

In my early years, I fought in many neighborhood play wars. Play-wars where the ammo we used ranged from pine cones, seashells, and rocks to mangos. I easily recall that pretty much all ammo hurt whenever it hit you.

I found out that my best defense was to move fast and pick some good cover to hide behind. If you were slow and easy to spot, you could count on getting hit hard and often.

Ephesians 6:16 warns us that Satan targets us with attacks. His attacks are described as fiery darts that target our minds. They hit us in various forms such as unbelief, temptations, unclean thoughts, painful memories, and more.

When they hit us, they can reduce or even stop our effectiveness in running our Christian race.

Fortunately, God equipped us with protection. Placing Himself in a position to act as our shield against these attacks.

2 Corinthians 10:4 – For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…

Since we obviously can’t avoid every dart that comes our way, God has given us strategies to respond when hit. Divine responses like; prayer, true repentance, and the ability to renew our mind (Romans 12:2).

The Bible advises us (As does neighborhood play-war experience) that it is better to block fiery darts before they hit than deal with the aftermath of being hit.

Remember, play fighting in a neighborhood war is voluntary, but as a Believer, spiritual warfare cannot be avoided. With that in mind, let’s be sure to be and stay prepared!

2 Samuel 22: 31 – As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

May the Lord shield and empower you through any spiritual warfare you may encounter this day!