I saw the Enemy yesterday...

Tom had a great message last night, a message that really hit me hard and kind of brushed away the anxieties and worries of my future years, turning them into eager expectations and passionate seeking for a God who is BIG. Tom is right - so many of us put God in a box, and then we complain and gripe when our ministries stumble, when we just can't seem to overcome that sin, when our small groups dissipate and house churches vanish. I am sure this is the sowing seed of the Enemy; the last thing he wants is for us to believe our God is big. So he convinces us to put God in a box, and then he hounds us over and over and rips at us. Well last night Tom's message, and I'm sure he knows this, was a direct blow to the Enemy. Spitting in the Enemy's face. Working to remove the veil that Satan has placed over our eyes.

Satan messed a lot with Tom to discourage him, I think it was, to pull him away from what he did last night. Tom, knowing the Enemy was assailing him, didn't back down. I am sure the Enemy kept at it, but when it became clear Tom was not giving in, the Enemy turned elsewhere: to those Tom was speaking to. To me, my friends, those in the seats. Satan tore us away from the truth by distractions, by turning our ears and thoughts away from the message. Several times I felt my mind wandering, almost beyond my control, and I pulled it back (and his message was very interesting!); a friend of mine complained over and over that it was too long.

The Evil One tried to turn our ears from the message, tried to get us to focus on different things, anything he could to get us away from listening to the truth. Many of my friends who don't really believe the Enemy is that big, friends who don't believe we are at war, left complaining and disinterested.

Satan's work had won in a few. But I noticed, and it angers me. I want to fight back. I want to run back to these people and say, "Look at what happened in there!" Tom, dude, your message was undeniably from God; the level of the Enemy's activity shows that in itself.

I don't remember who it was, but someone said that two mistakes regarding the belief of demons/Satan is to ignore them, and to pay too much attention to them. I agree with the first one; but if we close our eyes and just do well to 'acknowledge' that yes, there is a little war, then we've already fallen into the Enemy's plan. I wonder if the Enemy convinced this guy that to pay too much attention is a bad idea, and so then the Enemy duped hundreds into skirting away from the idea of spiritual warfare? To me, to close our eyes - to not stare into the battle without ceasing - is to shut your eyes and throw down your gun on the beaches of Normandy.