Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: temptation

when God gets in the way — October 7, 2026

when God gets in the way

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does God ever stand in our way?  Maybe!

Dean was still less than 20 years old, but she had accumulated a lifetime of bad habits.  About that time, she met Jesus and His sweet love transformed her.  The vise-like vices in her life began to release their grip.

Smoking, however, was a tough one.  She loved to light up a Marlboro light and was a pack-a-day kind of girl.  But she felt like the Lord would have her give that up too – and so she did.  She trashed a brand-new box of cigarettes that day.  It was a sacred commitment that she made to the Lord.

She managed okay without them, but stressful times intensified her desire to have a smoke.  One day life became too much, and she was desperate to light up.  But she knew that God would not approve, nor would her church friends in that small town.

So, she boarded a ship for Tarshish.  She drove her pickup truck in one direction for about three hours to a community where she had never been nor would she be known.  She walked into the convenience store and looked for the familiar red and white box.

But then a voice reached out and said, “Hey Dean, what are you doing here?”  No, it wasn’t God, it was a guy with whom Dean worked with back home.  Turns out his mother lived in that town and he visited her every weekend. 

So, Dean bought a soda instead and drove home.

Our God is quite amazing.  He has given us the freedom to make choices, be they good or evil.  He will not rescind that gift.  We are free to choose, but also responsible for the choices we make.  He does this because He is a just God. 

But because He is also full of grace, He does for us what He did for Dean.  The apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.”  He reminds us that we all experience temptation.  And there is no unique or exceptional temptation we are forced to endure. 

He continued, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”  God permits us to be tempted because an untested faith is no faith at all.   But, because God is committed to us, He vigilantly stands with us during those times we are tempted. He intervenes and limits the degree to which the evil one can entice us. 

And then Paul says, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Paul anticipated that we will be tempted in the future, but he tells us that God will assist us to resist it.  He will be there to help us succeed.  

Isn’t that what He did for Dean?  He sovereignly worked out the circumstances so that her quest to sin took her to a secret and remote destination which brought her to the same town her coworker would be. 

God also worked it out so that they would convene in the same convenience store at the same time.  Her devious heart was instantly exposed. She recognized that God was at work, and that was enough for her to say, “No this isn’t really what I want.” 

So be aware!   When you are about to click on that forbidden website and Windows freezes up – that’s God.  When you’re about to walk into that dive and you get a random text from your mother – that’s God.    When you are on the verge of losing your temper and your little girl comes into the room – that’s God.   You might want to pay attention – and make a better choice.

A PRAYER: Lord, we invite You to freely intervene if we should wander.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always. 

Scripture passages are from the New International Version

the preemergent — May 20, 2026

the preemergent

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I would occasionally tease my wife and tell her that our house was a hospice for plants – it’s where they come to die.  But we have vastly improved our gardening skills over time, at least until last year when a noxious weed invaded our flower beds. 

I took the offender to my local plant care expert, and he told me that the weed was a Chamberbitter (and bitter it was to deal with).  I asked what I could do, and he said “Nothing – once it has taken root, it just spreads like wildfire.” 

But he gave me hope.  He explained that the plant goes to seed each fall and then completely dies out.  In the spring the seeds emerge and start the process all over again. 

He told me I needed to use a preemergent the next spring.  A preemergent creates a chemical barrier in the topsoil which kills the weed seedlings as they germinate.  “Weed seedling!”  Try saying that five times fast.

So the next spring, I got out the spreader and did what I was told to do – and it worked really well.

This prompted me to think of the many spiritual weeds that can infest a soul.   

Sin often has its temporary reward.  It meets some superficial emotional, psychological or even physical need.  But once it takes root, it is notoriously difficult to eliminate. 

So wouldn’t it be great if there was a spiritual preemergent – something that would attack the temptation and keep it from germinating into full-fledged sin. 

Martin Luther was known to speak of temptation and say, “You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest there.

I am happy to report that God gave us such a preemergent.  This is how it works!

Breathe:  As you start each day, exhale – confess any sin from the day before that you might have ignored.  Then inhale!  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again and guide you throughout the day (Colossians 1:9).

Browse the Word:  The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” – Ps 119:11.  A daily intake of the Scripture is super important.  Scripture defines sin but it also empowers us to resist it.  It is a living sword according to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Bridge with others: Our journey was designed to be traveled with fellow believers.   Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” We need to be in church, and part of a small group, and it would be extra wise to have an accountability partner.  It seems that pastors today are falling into sin at warp speed.  I am certain that few of them have any accountability to another.  

Beseech the Lord:  Jesus told His disciples, “Pray that you enter not into temptation” Luke 22:40.  I don’t think the Lord could be any more explicit.  And finally… 

Build Walls: We need to create barriers between us and the sin opportunities that pull at us.  Paul advised us to “Flee immorality” – 1 Corinthians 6:18. For instance – avoid the flirt at work and make sure someone else is in the room when you are using the computer.

Take your spiritual lawn spreader and sprinkle these things on your soul for nearly a weed free result.  

A Prayer: Lord, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” – Ps 19:14.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

who tempted the devil? — May 14, 2025

who tempted the devil?

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Lucifer was created as a beautiful holy angel, but he sinned and fell from his lofty position and became Satan the diabolical tempter.  But who was it that tempted Lucifer to sin? 

There was not an evil entity that preceded him – no one to poke and prod him to sin.  Evidently, it was his own independent self-will that set itself against the Lord.  The devil made the devil do it!

This caused me to wonder about Gethsemane.  There, Jesus asked God to remove the cup He was expected to drink.  The cup was a metaphor that represented the trauma that was to quickly come.

There would be the betrayal, the mockery of a trial, the whip lashing, the crown of thorns and the nails in his hands and feet.  On the cross He would suffer an insatiable thirst and find it extremely difficult to catch a breath.  Only then would He die.

Worst of all – the sins of the world, past, present, and future would be piled upon Him so that for the first time in eternity the Father would turn away from His Son causing Him to cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46.

Jesus knew it was coming, and he dreaded it. Three times He prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me!” – Matthew 26:39.

He was honestly struggling.  Should we call it temptation?  It seems like it, but is this the devil’s doing?   Maybe not?

In the Gospels, we find Satan and his crew showing up on many occasions.   He took center stage when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4).  Jesus often interacted with demons who opposed Him (Matthew 8:31-32; 9:32; 12:22).

When Peter defied the Lord, Jesus recognized the influence of the evil one and said, “Get behind me Satan” – Matthew 16:23.  And then in John 13:27, we find Satan actually entering Judas.

It surely seems that if Satan was responsible for the traumatic struggle at Gethsemane, it would have been apparent.  But the narrative mentions only Jesus.

What was going on?  Well, the beauteous mystery of Christ is His incarnation, where Almighty God took on human flesh while remaining 100% God.

Paul described it this way, Jesus “who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.  He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” – Phil 2:6-8.

This was an incredibly unselfish act and very necessary.  The holiness of God was needed to atone for man, but an eternal God could not die to provide it.  A man, however, could die, but had no holiness to offer.  So, God emptied Himself and took the form of a bondservant to redeem us.

Gethsemane then was the supreme test of His humanity.  He became flesh to redeem man, but when the time came, would He in His humanity choose to freely suffer to make it happen?

He didn’t need the devil to manipulate him, He had His own flesh to contend with.  Ironically it was during this test that He found His disciples sleeping instead of watching and He reminded them that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” – Matthew 26:41. Could Jesus have been speaking out of His own struggle?

How glad I am that His threefold plea to the Father was also underlined by His submission.  He prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will” – Matthew 26:39.

He defied His very human inclination for self-preservation and humbly submitted Himself to the severe will of the Father.  Shortly thereafter, He peacefully surrendered to those who would crucify Him.  How fortunate for us that He did!

A PRAYER: Lord – thank you for freely grasping that cup and drinking of it for us

This has been Jim Johnson and picklheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

manipulated! — January 19, 2024

manipulated!

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Oh Wow! I have been manipulated by a video game. The app is called Royal Match, but it is one of many apps that are similarly designed.

It begins with an enticing drop-down ad featuring lots of happy users.  The download is free and there are no ad interruptions, plus you can play offline.  It’s ideal.  It appears that there are no strings attached. 

So, I download and play. The developer made it so easy that even someone over age 12 can succeed. The gains are lavish. Scores of coins and bonuses are collecting, and the rush of success feels good. No downside, so I play on.

At certain points, they pit me against other players.  Peer pressure pervades.  At other times I’m forced to play against the clock.  The frantic pace keeps me engaged. 

I eventually reach a point where I’m stuck.  I need to spend some actual cash to get that extra boost to beat the next level.  This was not disclosed in the promo.   If I don’t buy, I’m warned that I’ll lose what I already have.  Pressure prompts my purchase. 

When I lose successive times, I’m forced into a 30-minute time-out.  Like a junkie, I keep checking the clock – is it time yet?

When I first picked it up, I could play and set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment I work the app.  Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and seek my device. 

I have to play – I must.  I’m in too deep to stop.

______________________

Honestly, it’s as if the app developer was the devil himself.  No, there is nothing evil about the game, but the way it manipulates me is so like the devil.

His essential work is to tempt us, by that which draws us away from God.  He is so identified with temptation that Scripture dubs him, “the tempter.”  (Matthew 4:3) 

Those of us that are planted on the rocky soil tend to fall away when tempted.  (Luke 8:13) Those planted in the good soil don’t always fare so well either.

Satan is relentless in his quest.  Consider his attack on Jesus, “When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time.”  (Luke 4:13)  Satan levied one unsuccessful attempt after another, until he punted and waited for a more opportune time.  

Honestly, it is uncanny how the manipulations of a video game, reflect the devil’s methods.

You have heard of William the Conqueror.  Time to meet William the Loser!   He also responded to a drop-down ad – one featuring an alluring young lady.   It wouldn’t hurt to click the image.  His wife didn’t know the password on his phone.  It’s ideal – no strings attached. 

He clicked and considered. She was lovely. He was stirred.  It made him feel good.   And it was so easy – no downside.   So, he chose to play on. 

But now they want money to see more.  If he doesn’t buy, he will lose the discount offer.  The pressure is on, so he makes his purchase. 

William’s wife enters the den.  He shutters the app.  It seems like an eternity as he waits on her exit.

When he saw that first image, he could look, and then set it aside.  But now every unscheduled moment he craves more.  Even at 3 a.m.  His life is unraveling, but he keeps on playing.  He’s in too deep to quit.

OK – with the gaming app, there really isn’t a terrible dark downside.  But with sin, the consequences are devastating. 

We may not struggle with William’s temptation, but the devil also knows our personal weaknesses and relentlessly seeks to exploit them.   So, here’s what we can do to counter his assaults.

1. “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  (Luke 22:40)

2. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

3. Be careful with gaming apps that train us to give into temptation. 

A PRAYER: Lord it often feels like we are in over our heads.  Deliver us from evil. 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Scripture references are from the NETBible

for the birds — July 27, 2021

for the birds

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There was chaos in the children’s church!  Was a pigtail pulled? A flannelgraph mishap? 

I was delivering a scintillating sermon when parents began to walk out on me to locate the chorus of sobbing preschoolers.

The kids had been making birdfeeders by dabbing peanut butter on a pinecone and then sprinkling it with birdseed. 

Aha!  A parent discovered that the seed was laced with cayenne pepper to repel squirrels. 

The little ones handled the seed and then rubbed their eyes – hence, the blood curdling screams. 

___________

I guess some things are harmless unless we touch them. 

Sin is a lot like that.  It burns, but only if we touch it.

Of course, temptation abounds today.   It shouts to us like a carnival barker who uses every trick to draw us in. 

There’s little we can do to insulate ourselves from temptation.  In fact, James argued that the inclination to sin is already within us.  He said, “But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.”  (James 1:14)

My nature is to be a people pleaser – that’s my desire.  Which is why I am sometimes tempted to compromise to keep people happy.  I am a man – like any other man – who is tempted to browse in all the wrong places.  I like things and am occasionally tempted to twist my ethics to get what I want.

The devil’s mission is to identify these inclinations and to tease them out – to turn my thoughts into evil deeds.  James went on to say, “Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.” (1:15)

It is when we touch sin that we suffer.  It gives birth to death.  For the Christian this results in a profound deadness in our relationship with God – a relational black hole that persists until we face it and confess it as sin.  As always, He is faithful and just to forgive us.  (1 John 1:9) 

But unfortunately, we are unaware that there is heat in the seed.  Like the preschoolers we unknowingly touch and feel pain.   Therefore, James ended with the words, “Do not be led astray…” (1:16)

Temptation is beyond our control, but we can choose – we can choose – whether to touch it to not.  Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

So how do we do this?   Two words – NO and GO. 

Joseph was a virile young man whose ego had been crushed beneath the feet of his 10 vile brothers who had sold him into slavery.   Despite his anger and wounded self-esteem, he became a successful estate manager in the home of Potiphar. 

However, the man’s wife was drawn to him.   Genesis says, “His master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me.” (39:7)

His bruised ego must have surged.  The slave with little control over his life, was offered the driver’s seat.  How intoxicating it was to be wanted.   She may have been as purty as a toad, and bigger than a house, but I bet she looked appealing to Joseph. 

But he saidNO!  “How could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” (39:10)

Well she kept it up, day after day, until “NO” had to become “GO.” Genesis says, “One day he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants were there.  She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran outside.”  (39:11-12)

There was no one else in the house.  If he were to take the bait, this would be the right time.  The pressure was intense, so, he knew he had to run.

NO and GO.  It’s as simple as that. 

When temptation comes, “Just say NO.”  I often have said it out loud which chokes the temptation immediately.  And if it’s possible, GO.  Leave the situation.  The temptation will abate as soon as you get through the door.   

When Satan tempted Eve in the garden, she responded, “God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’”   She understood. Don’t even touch it – and yet she did.  May we be wiser.

A PRAYER: “Lord my prayer is the one that you taught me to pray, “Deliver me from evil.” 

Scripture passages are from the NET Bible ®

the horn of dilemma — February 3, 2021

the horn of dilemma

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The park was 430 acres of wild in Grand Prairie, TX.  Like all things Texas, this drive through park was over the top.  Yes, they had your standard zebras, gnus and giraffes – but there were also elephants and even lions who stalked the place – even lion cubs in the petting zoo.

We had never been to such a place and we had a 7 and a 5-year-old that needed to be wowed – so off we went.

With buckets of feed and the windows cranked down, we drove through the Jurassic Parkish gate.  We were in my old lumbering Chevy Impala (mindful that impalas were lion food back on the Savanna.) 

The car was quickly surrounded by a mob of animals with the craziest being the longhorn steer that tried to stick the span of his enormous head into our car to get to the feed. 

Then we encountered a lone rhinoceros.  I was stunned to see the behemoth trot up to my car.   I extended my wary hand and he clumsily swept the feed off and onto the ground. 

He lowered his head and vacuumed the pellets from the ground and then raised it up again, or at least he tried. His horn got caught on the under carriage of my car.   Oh boy!  There was an upset Rhino attached to my automobile. 

He tried to pull out – frantically jerking the car way up and then down as he did.  I think the kids may have been screaming.  OK I may have been screaming.  Was he going to flip the car?

He finally pulled away and we were left with nothing more than a dent.  (try explaining that to your insurance company?)

—————

As in all of life, I try to glean wisdom from my experiences.  What I learned was this, “I need to be careful about what I feed!”

Wait!  This principle is way more practical than you may first think.

You see there is a part of me and you that is just as untamed and dangerous.  The Bible calls it the “flesh.”   The apostle Paul put it this way, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.”  – Romans 7:18

This beastly nature was put to death at the cross for those of us who have been saved. (Galatians 2:20) and yet, it still lurks – waiting to be revived.  “For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.”  – Galatians 5:17  

This beastly nature will be with us ‘til we are with Jesus.  But it can’t rule us unless we feed it.  Paul put it this way, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.” – Romans 13:14.   In other words, “Don’t feed the animal!”

I was in seminary about the time a movie was released which centered on Amish life.  That sounded safe – right?  I wanted to do a date night with my wife to see it – but I needed to vet the movie first.

A friend had seen it and rated it 5 stars.  I asked about objectionable material.  He said – “Clean as a whistle – oh except one scene where the starlet was naked from the waist up.” 

Well I tried to rationalize the information away ‘cause I really wanted to see that movie.  But the Spirit of God began to needle me.  He reminded me about the beast. 

At the time I was laboring to learn Hebrew.  It seemed that whatever I learned on Monday was gone by Tuesday.  And yet if I were to see that movie, I knew that the image of the bare-chested woman would be forever imprinted on my mind.   I didn’t need it – so I threw the movie tickets away. 

There are just some places I don’t go because the beast is fed there.  There are some people I don’t hang with because the things they say and do, provoke me to do the same.  I’m very careful about what I read because it sparks the imagination of the beast.  I thoroughly review any movies or TV beforehand because I don’t want to awaken the beast.

One Rhino ride was more than enough for me.  I really do need to be careful about what I feed! 

A PRAYER: “May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight.” (Psalm 19:14) 

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®

too close — October 9, 2019

too close

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james ray johnson

My cousins and my siblings and I were playing hide and seek in the small basement of our home.   Hiding places for the slew of us were as scarce as hen’s teeth, but my little brother Doug improvised. 

He searched the back room and found that the furnace had a hood which extended downward to within 3 feet of the floor.  He was able to stand under it with his head in it.  A perfect fit.  Never mind that only his head and shoulders were hidden. 

Believe it or not, he was the first to be caught.  Game over.  In fact, we were done for the day.  Up the stairs and through the door and into the kitchen we went, where my aunt sat and nursed a cup of coffee. 

She sniffed the air and asked in a disgusted tone, “What is that horrible stench?” 

Well – it was my brother and the unmistakable scent of burning hair.  His crew cut had been scorched by the heat in the furnace hood.  His hair was reduced to ashy, crispy nubs.  Actually, he would look quite stylish today.

As I recall we all got a spanking for that.  Thanks Doug!

My brother did not incinerate – but he could have, because the person that gets too close to the flame often does.

That’s what happened to King David.  He was taking a stroll around his palatial penthouse, when he happened to look down upon another rooftop where a beauty was bathing.  Instead of moving away from the flame, he lingered and watched (and his hair began to smoke.)  Like my brother, he thought that he was hidden and could beat the game.

David used his kingly authority to make a royal mistake –adultery, which led to conspiracy, and then murder.  His example poisoned his children and his Kingdom was crippled.  It all began when he made the choice to stand too close to the flame. (2 Samuel 11)

Joseph on the other hand, was aggressively pursued by the wife of his boss.  He consistently resisted her and when she finally forced the issue, he left his toga in her hands and ran for cover. (Genesis 39)

Paul put it succinctly in 1 Cor 6:18, “Flee immorality.”  We just can’t stand in the flame or be anywhere near it.  We gotta run from it, fast, as soon as we sense the heat.  We need to put distance between ourselves and temptation.  

We were taught to pray about temptation in the Lord’s Prayer. Can we really ask Him to deliver us from evil if we are content to dabble in it?

So, what do we do about the flame?  How do we distance ourselves? 

We could get a filtering app for the phone to block the questionable stuff on the net.  And it would probably be wise to quit lingering at the Keurig with that hottie at work.  And if there really is power in suggestion, then maybe we should be a little more discerning about what streams onto our flat screens.

Years ago, I discovered an effective way to douse the flame.   Temptation likes to hide.  It lurks in the recesses of the mind and is potent as long as it stays in the dark. In fact, it grows there like a black mold. 

To disarm it, temptation needs to be dragged from out of the dark and into the light.  So, when I am tempted, I interrupt it, by verbally saying, out loud, “No!”  Using my lips to say it, and my ears to hear it, exposes the threat.  It gives temptation a cold shower.

As a pastor/counselor I have passed this secret on to many, (mostly men) who have also found it to be really helpful.

Well my brother was a hard core hide and seek player!  He stood there in the heat while his head was being charred.   Believe it or not, he is still with us and enjoying his 6th decade and he has a good-looking head of hair with more color than I do.  But he also has somewhat of a nervous tic.  He jumps every time the furnace kicks on.

right field! — May 1, 2019

right field!

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Jim Johnson – 687 words

I have two grandsons who began little league this year.  Their mom equipped them with more gear than the Rangers on opening day.  Give me one reason why every kid needs his own batting helmet?  OK – besides head lice?

Unfortunately, both boys started the program late in the game (no pun intended).  Their peers have been playing for years.  (Some already have the scratch down).  My boys are seriously improving every day, but they started out being exiled to the bane of baseball players everywhere – right field.

For fun, I googled this question: “Why is right field so bad?”  Wikipedia weighed in.  “Right field has developed a reputation in Little League as being a position where less talented players can be “hidden” without damaging a team’s defense in any significant way.”  A lofty ambition!  “Hey coach I want to go in.  Hide me where I won’t damage the teams defense in any significant way.” 

The ball hardly ever makes it to right field and every right fielder knows it.  I chuckle as I watch the many right fielders bear their boredom in the uttermost part of the field.  One twists like a contortionist, another gazes into the sky and another lays down in the fields of clover.

I sheepishly admitted to my son-in-law that I am the carrier of the right field gene.  I earned the position in my kindergarten year.

I filled up the boredom by pretending my glove was an army helmet, or by spectating at the spectators, or by stomping on bees who were sipping from the clover.  Yes, I am the one who is singularly responsible for the decline of the bee population.  

When I heard the crack of the old ash bat, I would look for projectiles coming my way.  No worries!  T-ball had not been invented yet and it was kid pitch all the way.  The chances of a kid throwing a strike, and another getting a hit were about the same as me getting signed to the Phillies. 

One shimmery bright afternoon, the coach sent me in to stomp on bees.   The score was – me seven – the bees zero.  Then I heard the bat pop and the spectators scream.  I looked up to find every eye locked on me. I panicked as I scanned the field for the ball.   

I found it – or actually – it found me.  I looked up and it hit me right on the head.  When I came to, I was surrounded by my dad, the coaches, Babe Ruth and the rest of the 1932 Yankees.  It’s possible the hit addled my brain a little.  Maybe my dad wasn’t actually there.

A painful lesson learned:  You can’t play the game unless you pay attention.

I have graduated from little league, but I am still in the game.  The visiting team maybe dressed in red (and I am not talking about the Cardinals).  Paul the apostle tells me that the evil one sends flaming arrows my way (Eph. 6:16).  He referenced the weapon of the Roman legions – hollow cane arrow shafts, filled with flammables to devastate their enemies. 

Satan launches his arrows of temptation and deceit to defeat and trip us up.  When we bat, he pitches low and outside and suckers us into swinging.   When his arrows find their target, it puts him on the scoreboard. 

Paul told us to pay attention, “by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  (Eph. 6:16) NETBible®  He referred to the Roman scutum, a wooden shield the size of a door.  It was covered in layers of leather which were thoroughly wetted before battle.  It effectively intercepted and extinguished flaming arrows. 

We have a shield. Because of our faith in Christ, we have the wisdom to discern truth from error, and the power to resist Satan’s worst.

Someone, however, must hold up that shield, pay attention and be ready for battle.  Someone must take their eyes off the bees and keep them on the game.  The flaming arrows come even to those who play right field.