the fog of war

February 16, 2005

two sundays ago, fog settled over the gta. it blanketed the city, and did not lift until sometime on monday. i headed down to chapters that night, and did not anticipate how thick the fog really was. as any conscientious driver would, i adjusted my speed accordingly due to low visibility. if i were to be really smart about it, i would have stayed at home and gone at a later time. but i'm impulsive, so that just wasn't a possibility. as i drove through it, i was amazed by how interesting the fog was. i knew there was something more to it.

over the past few weeks, the prevailing thought in my mind has been about spiritual warfare. about how the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy (see john 10:10). remembering that we are his targets and that he's all about bringing us down. it's been very timely, considering the activities i've been engaged with: our social justice group met to cast vision, establish our purpose/objectives, our roles and responsibilities, i've finally got the go ahead from my dad to head to seminary next year, and the fact that i've been investigating the deep wounds and brokenness in my heart.

as i reflected more about the fog, it suddenly dawned on me what it all meant. 1 peter 5:8 [NIV] says, "be self controlled and alert. your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." the devil has led most of us to believe that he does not exist. this is one of the greatest lies he's pulled off against us. if we are led to believe that, we are on dangerous grounds. how do you prepare against an enemy that doesn't exist? how do you fight against an enemy that doesn't exist? you don't, you can't. here's the deal. if we aren't consciously aware that the devil is out there to devour us, we are that much more susceptible to his attacks and to be hurt along the way. all humans have the tendency to attribute negative events to external factors. it's called the self-serving bias. when the devil comes against us and we're not aware that he's the source, we are prone to blaming others and more seriously, God. and that would be another huge lie that the devil can come against us with.

that night, as i was driving home, i had reduced my speed tremendously. i tend to do that in residential areas, because you never know if there's a parked car or a kid running across the street or what have you. there's too many variables to drive through fast. since i already do that in normal circumstances, with this added layer of fog, i was driving really slow. and lo and behold, there was a parked car on the side. it almost threw me off a little, but since i was already anticipating for it, i could easily avoid it and continue on my way.

most of us drive through life normally. we drive as if the road conditions are perfect. only once in a while, in adverse conditions, do we take heed and drive more cautiously. we're more alert, more aware of potential dangers. maybe there's some truth to driving in fog that applies to our lives. we must realize that this is a perpetual fog around us, where the devil lurks, ready to pounce at any time. as such, we need to engage in adjustments to our speed. we need to slow down and be alert so that we are prepared for whatever may be out there. and when the time comes, when whatever is out there appears (i.e. a parked car), we're ready for it. we can move to avoid instead of getting hit.

what would happen if we were awakened to this reality? we'd live life a lot differently. we'd come to grips that we're in war, and we'd understand the necessity to cling to Christ with all we've got. we'd realize that the devil uses whatever he's got in his arsenal against us. rise up! stand up and fight. be prepared. be self controlled and alert. we've won the war, it's just a matter of claiming it.

"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." - ephesians 6:10-13 [NIV]

Posted by Leo Chan at February 16, 2005 2:59 PM