When it is early in the morning; the sun just beginning to break the surface of the horizon, with the air calm, there is a uniquely fresh scent. It is a brief time when the air possesses this quality, for quickly, with the initial heat of the day it will vanish. This was one of my favorite times of experiencing nature, catching a whiff of that scent, while hunting. However, one particular morning the hunt ended before the dawning of the day.

We were headed to one of my favorite areas just a short distance from town. I sat in the passenger seat as my friend drove his Jeep down the canyon road. Though it was dark and chilly, we were filled with anticipation. Through the years I had seen a number of good deer in this particular location so we were optimistic. Rounding the bend in the road we crossed over the river heading down the dirt road for the final mile to our destination.

Motoring along in the dark suddenly the unexpected happened. Though we both saw it, yelling at each other, it was too late. The 1” wire cable strung across the road cleared the hood of the Jeep and came crashing into the windshield. Between braking and the tension on the cable, the Jeep came to a stop. The glass was shattered and the frame bent inward toward us as the cable then came to a rest on the hood of the Jeep. I had been able to shield myself and duck down but the driver could not. The electric wiper motor on top of the frame, being bent downward impacted his face. With blood flowing from the wounds I quickly made a makeshift wrap. Turning the Jeep around we headed for the hospital, the cold wind whipping around us with nothing to protect us from the elements.

The wire rope had been stretched across the road for no apparent reason, thus we were blindsided with this incident. Such is the scenario in our life sometimes when it comes to the attacks of Satan, it seems we are blindsided. In Ephesians 6:16 Paul writes, “In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Flaming arrows can not only have devastating results if they are not extinguished, they can catch us unawares. Arrows have a way of slicing through the air, being deadly in nature, but silent in its approach. Without any warning the arrow strikes and repercussions are felt. Such can be the attacks of Satan.

The wire rope not only did some major damage to the vehicle but it also inflicted a great deal of pain to my friend. Likewise, Satan wants to inflict pain upon us. Peter gives us an understanding regarding Satan’s intent, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Whatever Satan has in store for us will eventually lead to great disappointment and serious consequences.

Looking back, it would seem that there wasn’t anything we could have done to avoid running into the wire rope that morning. However, that is not the case with Satan, there is something we can do. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.” Eph. 6:10-13

We know that Satan will attack us. We know that we cannot resist him in our own strength. Yet we also know that Christ has the power and authority to rebuke Satan, to defeat Satan, and through Christ we can have the victory.