Whack-the-Devil
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
MANY years ago, yes I emphasize MANY because I have hit ripe old middle age, as a little girl, I joined my family at the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, boardwalk every summer where my brother and I played games like Whac-A-Mole. We had to whack the plastic thingies as quickly as they popped up from wherever they popped up faster than anyone else. I can’t recall, but my brother probably always won. It didn’t matter. The cool, drippy soft serve ice cream dipped in chocolate after the games on a hot, muggy, sea salty, night by the ocean beat all the games. So did shopping for pick-your-own decal t-shirts. Those were the days. Ignorant bliss when it came to life’s realities – especially compared with all these years later when the world is darkening by the minute and evil is rampant.
Whac-A-Mole reminds me of how God tells us to handle thoughts that go against God and His Word. But it’s not a game. It’s a war! The devil attacks our minds with ungodly thoughts from every direction in his mission to destroy us and lure us away from God, His Word and ways. The devil wants us, taunts us, tempts us, distracts us, attacks us, pummels us, clobbers us, devours us, strikes us, lures us, baits us, beats us up, does anything he can in his mission to draw believers away from God and keep non-believers from surrendering their lives to Him – unless we resist him in the strength of God! Our job is to whack unholy, ungodly, impure, irreverent, unloving thoughts and anything that tries to exalt itself higher than God and tempts us to dishonor God. We whack them with the sword of God’s Spirit – His Word (Eph. 6:17). Scriptures. We make ungodly thoughts bow down to the Truth of what God’s Word says!
The more determined I have been to cleave to the Lord and His Word, the faster and stronger those little pesky Whac-a-moles have popped up to try to distract me from God and tear me down and get me to leave hold of my ever-tightening grip on God. But rather than turn away from God, I’ve cleaved harder to Him, gone deeper into His Word, depended on Him more, and learned how to use God’s Word in His strength to whack down anything opposing God and His ways and to rejoice in the victory that is in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Be strong in God! Stay diligently and steadily in His Word! Use His Word! Be victorious in His strength! All for HIS glory!