We have this cat named Grayce, I may have mentioned her before. She’s a stray that showed up about a year ago. We were looking for a barn cat so it turned out to be a good fit. She’s super sweet and affectionate, which is a little unusual for an outdoor cat, or any cat for that matter – cats are just cats. She hangs around the house and wants to be where we are. She walks with the Worst/Best and I each morning often jumping out of the weeds to announce herself. She rubs on the Worst/Best, she rubs on my legs, she rubs on the leash, a stump, a piece of grass, all with equal affection. She likes to be carried except when she doesn’t. Again, she’s a cat. She’s a beautiful multi-gray colored cat, hence the name. Her hair is longer and her eyes are green. She’s wonderful, we really enjoy having her around. We have recently discovered though that the name doesn’t quite fit. Oh sure, the color is right, but…She is a he. Yep. Who knew? Anyway, Grayce is now Grayhe.
Grayhe is a little different than any cat we’ve had before. Barn cats have a job – scare away mice by any means. Just as a note, I think mice are super cute and I never want to intentionally hurt any animal except maybe snakes. But, mice are super destructive in a barn or anywhere inside for that matter. Grayhe actually excels at his job, he’s quite the hunter. He’s constantly on the prowl and proudly delivers quite an assortment at our feet. Again, he’s a cat.
One particular day Grayhe bounded out of the tall grass, meowing loudly, running straight at me excitedly. I turn as he’s running toward me, thinking it was hug time. Not! He had his latest acquisition in his mouth. Ewww, gross. It’s nature, it’s what he does. The predator had caught the prey. As I stood there trying not to completely yuck out, I started thinking, isn’t that so like life. I mean I don’t run around showing off my conquests or calling attention to them proudly. Or do I? Ouch.
Anyway, my thoughts were actually on Satan. I hate to compare my cat to all that is evil, but the action is so the same. Satan is a predator and God’s Children are his prey. When we succumb to his allure, we are just like that poor mouse in Grayhe’s mouth, dangling in the jaws of evil. Grayhe was super proud of that conquest. Satan is also super proud when he snatches one of us up – we can almost envision his side-eyed smirk.
Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for victims to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
1 Peter 5:8-9
How do we avoid being the snatchee? We have to be on guard at all times. We have to be prepared. We have to educate ourselves. First of all, we need to know the enemy. We need not sell the enemy short. He is wily, he is cunning, he is deceptive, he is super powerful (not all powerful mind you), he is evil. Second of all, we need to be prepared for that enemy. As children of God, we are Satan’s target. If we are not Children of God, Satan has no time for us because we are already his. If we do not feel like we constantly need to check our backs we may need to check our hearts. He is not going to spend time on securing what he has already secured.
But, most importantly, we need to know the Lord deeply. We need to know who He is, His attributes, His characteristics and we can only know these things if we have a relationship with Him through His Word, prayer and His Spirit. We need to know and understand that the battle belongs to the Lord. Although we are to be on guard as the Apostle Paul tells us very often, we must know the One that can help us avoid being snatched up into Satan’s jaws. If we do not have a vibrant, active, close relationship with the One, our daily lives are in peril. That sounds dramatic, but if anything, it is way understated. One wrong decision, one miscue, one selfish moment, one little half-truth, one little glance, one little sneak can be catastrophic to us and to those around us. Peril is being lured away from the Lord because our relationship is not strong enough to withstand the destructive forces of evil.
Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power.
Ephesians 6:10
There is a ton of evil in this world today. Satan has set traps at every twist and turn. Satan is hungry for Children of God. He waits until we are weak, until we are vulnerable, until we let our guard down, until we feel comfortable, until we are complacent, until we take our eyes off Jesus and then he pounces brutally and savagely and parades around with us in his mouth.
So, what do we do? Cling to the Lord. We need to be so close to Him that if we were any closer we’d be on the other side of Him. He promises to uphold us with His right hand if we seek Him and He will lift us up, higher and higher, giving us strength to fight in the battle that is His to win.