Fall 2024

Daily Devotional: Thursday, September 23 - Spiritual Warfare

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” — Proverbs 30:5

Have you ever watched the movie “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock? The premise is that these previously docile animals turn and attack residents of a small town viciously and without fear. If you have seen any clips, you can see the birds attack a woman and get tangled in her hair as they try to peck and claw her.

OK, so maybe we aren’t being beset by attack crows and seagulls, but we are in a war where spiritual attacks are being thrust at us, sometimes as frantic and voracious as those birds. Remember the old adage: “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” Great advice, right? Many people don’t know that is a quote from Martin Luther, the great reformer.

During these times of COVID, the “birds” of difficult relationships, financial worries, illness and uncertainty about the future are swirling above our heads. But by keeping our thoughts and hearts in the knowledge and love of God, by praying with every moment we have, by reading and listening to His Word, we can rest assured those “birds” will not make nests in our hair.

God makes spiritual “hats” for us to protect our heads. Such “hats” are all of the encouraging verses in His Word. Here are just a few:

“’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” — Zechariah 4:6

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” — Ephesians 6:13

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” — Proverbs 30:5

What a great thing to know that God is with us in our fight — when things go wrong, when the ground turns to quicksand, when threats against our safety and beliefs come flying out of nowhere. Let us come together and defend our cause for Christ against the onslaught of spiritual forces. May we not forget what Psalm 34:18 says: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

— Mary Nuckols

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