Harassed

Dear Lord,

The devil is alive and well and on the prowl. As I grow in You and follow Your will, he tries to shoot missiles of distraction my way. But I will not fear, because I place myself under Your protection and authority as I trust in You. I resist the enemy in the name of Jesus, and as I do, he flees!

How I love that I can come to You when he harasses me. Not only will You turn his harassments into blessings, but You will also protect me.

To paraphrase the words of Moses in Psalm 91:

I live under Your shelter and hide in Your shadow. I say to You, “You are my safe place and my fortress. You are the one I trust. You rescue me from the enemy’s traps and plagues. You cover me in Your feathers. I will find refuge beneath Your wing. Your truth is my shield and armor. Because of You, I do not fear terrors of the night, arrows that fly in the day, plagues that roam the dark, or epidemics that strike in the light of day. They will not come near me. Even if thousands fall around me, I will be safe. You punish the guilty, but I am counted innocent.”

I will not open the door to the enemy with wrongdoing. Instead, I will slam the door shut and follow You, Lord, with all my heart.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.

James 4:7 GW

Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High

will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD,

“You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps

and from deadly plagues.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge.

His truth is your shield and armor.

You do not need to fear

terrors of the night,

arrows that fly during the day,

plagues that roam the dark,

epidemics that strike at noon.

They will not come near you,

even though a thousand may fall dead beside you or ten thousand at your right side.

You only have to look with your eyes

to see the punishment of wicked people.

Psalm 91:1–8 GW

Don’t give the devil any opportunity to work.

Ephesians 4:27 GW