“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Roger Kint

Once upon a time battles were fought in open fields and the enemy was clear. The Blues and the Grays from the Civil War era, the red-coats from the revolutionary and colonial era. Planes with black crosses or white stars during World War Two. But now, the fog of war is no longer the exception it is the rule. The enemy hides in plain sight. He is everywhere and no-where. They live among civilians and urban warfare is the order of the day. The enemy of souls has from the beginning used this modus operandi to trick, and thwart and fight his way into our minds and our lives. He and his minions have gotten really good at it. Blowing out the fire of our faith and then throwing water on the embers without warning. Leaving our spiritual lives cold, limp and empty. Shells of our former selves. Whitened sepulchers enclosing dying flesh. Just as how it is important to diagnose cancer or any form of sickness early, we must recognize early how the devil uses people, things and circumstances to turn us away from a God that loves us, cares for us. Not a nefarious, sacrifice seeking, self serving deity. If the enemy had his way every human born on earth would believe that to their graves. We cannot let a few cells of sin grow into a malignant tumor. We have to recognize the war we now live in and live our lives accordingly. Sometimes the enemy is us. The choices we make and the paths we take. We allow darkness and not light to define our paths and we end up suffering for it and STILL ask God…why me. The enemy has no desire to reveal his true self and he never will. If we envision him to be a red devil with horns. hoofs and fork, you might as well believe in Santa Claus. We must recognize the traces he leaves behind and control our thought-lives because that is where he starts. One little thought to light a fuse and then, tick , tick…..boom. Abiding in His Word is the best and first defense. But the whole armor must not be forgotten. This phantom menace will take any form necessary to fulfill his desires to NOT just tempt you into sin…no that’s just act one. His ultimate desire is to destroy you, in this life and the one to come. This is the war, this is the battle…are you fit to fight. I ask you, by the grace of God…to stand.

Hold your ground! Hold your ground!
Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers,
I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship,

but it is not this day.

An hour of wolves and shattered shields,
when the age of men comes crashing down,

but it is not this day!

This day we fight!!
By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you stand, Men of the West!!!