Smokescreen

Smokescreen

     When the enemy attacks he often uses tactics that disarm, or paralyze us, confuse and alarm our senses. One such tactic is the smokescreen. I have felt foggy lately, unable to concentrate, unable to rest, irritated and somewhat overwhelmed. I have not been able to see the forest through the trees. I feel as though as soon as I start focusing on the chaos I am done for. One well placed lie and I am walking through a wall of smoke, like a smokescreen, I walk around hurting myself and others because I can’t find my way out, and the more I run or struggle, the more I fight the worse it gets. Sometimes when you are lost it is best to just stay where you are and wait for your rescue, but what do you do when the quality of air around you is harming your health. I would refer to this place as the smokescreen of Hell. Satan knows that if he can keep you blind and choking on a poison that you yourself begin to create out of a negativity that he has won.

   What do we do, Once the cycle of negativity has begun? How do we get out? First we need new air. We need Joy and Peace. Philippians 4:4-9 (Here is our air quality test and purification plan) “Always be full of Joy in the Lord. I say it again- rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace. Which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

     First: “Always be full of Joy in the Lord. I say it again- rejoice!” Does your day start with a hallelujah and continue to build in praise to your king throughout the day? Be full… Meaning fill yourself until you can not contain it any longer and then continue to let it be so. Rejoice. How do we rejoice? Do we rejoice by turning inward and focusing upon ourselves or do we get filled with Joy as we ponder and praise the goodness of our God, of our maker of our king.?The smoke is created by kicking up a fire of selfishness. If we keep poking at all the problems then we get ourselves stuck in a smoky mess, instead shout out to God with a voice of triumph.

     Second: “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon.” In our attempt to free ourselves from this unhappy place we often fend for ourselves and end up hurting others in the process, we slander others and put expectations and demands on them to change, to be better, to do unto us what we would like, but Christ offered a different idea- to serve not based on who deserves it, but to lay it all down in complete love and sacrifice to the least of these. We often think “when we are in a better place, then…” No! stop putting conditions on your love. Be considerate in all you do.

     Third: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done . Then you will experience God’s peace. Which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The smokescreen visual is appropriate for worry because as we run around in fear we just get tired,lost and nothing is accomplished, but when we pray the focus shifts from the cloud of smoke to He who is greater, We thank him, not when something happens but we thank him before, knowing that he is in control. We trade our fear for faith and he gives us peace and that peace guards us and goes beyond our understanding. We don’t have to know how it is going to happen as long as we know who is in control.

     Fourth: ”And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Your attitude will dictate your actions and your attitude is controlled by your thoughts. If our thoughts are allowed to drift and wander into the dark smoke our actions will remain in that dark place too. If you want out of the mire and the smokescreen then you have to stop worrying... but then fill your mind with good, because your mind left empty will fill with what it sees and most of the time we are not looking at the right things. Think about what is true… The word of God is pure truth! Fill yourself with it’s truth. Stop reading the gossip about unimportant things and start thinking about things that are excellent and worthy of praise, read stories about people who have done great things for God and who focus on his plans. Stop watching useless garbage on TV about people with empty life goals and focus on things that are truly worthy of praise. You have been given people in your space that are Godly and filled whatever is pure and honorable and noble and right, Surround yourself with these people.

     Fifth: "Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” We have the word of God as our guide to walk us out of times when we feel as though we can not see. It is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path! We don't just get God's peace, we get "the God" of peace with us. We often seek out the gifts of God rather than the presence of God. 

     Of all the attacks that the enemy has planned against us we must remember that of all the armor we have to protect us we have one piece that is our weapon. We have the Word of Truth. The Sword of the Spirit.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
²He existed in the beginning with God.
³ God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,^[a]
    and his life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.^[b]

 

     This verse is thick and their is a lot of truth to take in but the core of this verse is about the Word, the word becoming man (Christ). Our weapon is Christ, he is the Word! every word of God is living and active and we should desire that encounter. verses 4 and 5 are about the smokescreen, this battle of light and dark. "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it." What an amazing and powerful truth we need to understand here. The enemies weapons are no match for the light that Christ's life have brought to us.

   So we are left with a choice as we find ourselves in the midst of a smokescreen. We can wander and be caught up in the dark or we can walk with the light and step out of the darkness.