Articles
Keeping Our Defenses Up
Maybe you read or otherwise heard about a cybersecurity breech in the past couple of days that shut down one of, if not the largest (in terms of importance) petroleum pipeline in the United States. A Colonial pipeline that provides almost 1/2 of the fuel to the east coast, that stretches from Texas to New York was shut down by hackers. Just think of that, someone schemed, working countless hours probably, searching for and testing the weaknesses to this system and then used that opportunity to get in and do immeasurable damage.
Satan is working just as hard on you and me isn't he? He is constantly looking to find our weak spot, and then take full advantage to do what harm he can in the period of time he has to work. Think about all that for just a minute. This pipeline company, I feel confident, had the world's best security, the best money could buy. They had the best of the best people design it, and configure it, and yet somebody who was persistent found a way through the firewalls.
As Christians, we have the best of the best too, it is the Word of God, yet Satan who certainly is persistent, looks for that little crack in our faith, our weak spot or weak moment, and he comes at us fully loaded and ready to inflict pain and injury. (1 Peter 5:8) God's side of things is sufficient, it is our humanity that leaves the door open for Satan. But fortunately for us, God knew that from the very start, and He provides a way for us to survive and recover. (Eph 1:4-5)
God wants all of our hearts, souls, minds and energy, (Matt 22:37, Mark 12:30) but do we ever really, as weak humans, have the ability to give Him what he deserves and demands? Jesus' death on the cross paid for our sins, those up to the point we accepted and obeyed His commands (Acts 2:37), and for those missteps we have committed after (Eph 1:7-8), and those yet to be committed. (1 John 1:9) Jesus paid it all! It is only in this way, through the blood of Christ, that we can come to God with everything. (Rom 5:9)
It is unfortunate that we must live in a deceptive evil world, and it seems to me anyway, that the world gets worse with every tick on the clock. Why do people behave the way they do, some with intent to live evil lives, and others just wanting to live worldly, not necessarily evil. In their desire, they just want to live and function as 'ordinary common people' in the world, but they have no interest in Spiritual things related to God Almighty. Some go so far as to hate Christians and what we stand for. But Why? Why hate us so much for wanting to serve the Creator and live for something much larger than ourselves? Our message is love, yet it is seen as divisive and hateful by those who reject it. But Jesus warned us of this (Matt 10:22).
We will certainly not get all the answers to these questions this side of Heaven, but one thing we do know with certainty, God loves us, and He cares for us, and He has provided us a way to escape from the sin that is strangling those in the world who know not God. (John 14:6) He offers that freely to all who live on this earth (1 Peter 3:9) and we pray that God will strengthen those of us who have laid hold of it, and that He will make it known to those who have not.
Like the cyber terrorists, Satan will always be looking for a way to get past our protection so that he can do damage. Our job is to see to it that when he penetrates our defenses that he is met with a barrage of ammunition straight from our knowledge of, and devotion to, God. In that way, we will win this battle with sin.
