By Lamont H. Fuchs, Ed.D.
This is an excerpt from the book, Preacher Spurs, Dr. Lamont H. Fuchs, 2022, Christian Faith Publishing. Used with permission from the author.
Read Ephesians 6:10-18.
As Christians living in this evil world, where we don’t belong, our lives are continually in immortal combat with the ruler of this world. We tend to forget that and therefore disarm ourselves. However, keeping perpetually vigilant is a daunting task; we may drop our guard and allow satan to attack.
Satan hates our success against him, and it is those times he attacks. If we are sedentary and not doing what we were called to do for Jesus, he will leave us alone. We should be blessed and thankful that satan works so hard against us. We should take that to mean we are doing what God has called us to do as servants to Him.
Throughout my live in service to my Lord, Jesus, I realized that it was beyond coincidence that troubles, accidents, and failures occurred in the middle of a Christian gathering or event glorifying God. After I realized there were no coincidences, I began to give sound warning to my fellow servants while planning for an event. I fervently asked them to bathe these times in prayer for God’s hedge of protection and be ready for war with the unseen spirits that were bound to defeat or lessen our efforts. Knowing up front that we were going into battle, mortal combat, our successes increased with less counterinsurgency from evil to defeat us. If you are thinking like this when planning an event to evangelize or bring glory to God, I suggest you begin now, for we are always in mortal combat against an adversary capable of defeating the unprepared and lacking in requested blessing in prayer.
It may sound like a play on the words Mortal Combat but be assured that there is no playing around about it. We are in a constant battle against an evil being who has set out to destroy everything we try to accomplish for our Lord.
Get prepared for battle. Pray that God provides a hedge of protection around your words and bless your efforts.
Job 1:10 “Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”
If you take your concordance and search for the word hedge, you will find many verses that use the word hedge, you will find many verses that use the word to protect or keep the enemy out or keep what needs to be protected. Use it in your prayers to spiritually shield your work in service to God.
Watch for and remove distractions. Calamity is one of the worst things that can happen to you. God uses calamity like wrath throughout the Old Testament Bible to destroy enemies, punish the wicked and disrupt the efforts of the unrighteous. But He is not the ruler of calamity, satan is. You can plan, you can prepare, you can finance, you can gather tens of friends to help, but if you are working against God’s will, He allows satan and calamity to knock you flat. But if you are working to glorify God, He will protect you form calamity and give you success.
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be watchful, your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”
Isaiah 65:23 “They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity: for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring wish them.”
Conversely, if you want Satan to leave you alone in peace, nothing is all you need to do. He will leave you alone because you are no longer any problem for him. You have lost your salt. Go and find some.
Pray: Lord, God, and Father, I ask for Your favor and countenance upon all I do to glorify You. I know, Lord, if You are not in it, there is nothing I can do to make it. I ask to know and do Your will and receive Your blessing. I’m not asking You to join me; I pray that I join You in what You want that glorifies You. Lord, I ask before I begin that You are in it, alongside, and I’m not alone. Protect me, Lord. Protect those around us in this work, grant us success and expand our territories. In Jesus’ holy and precious name, I pray. Amen.