He Always Attacks Your Back

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour."

(1 Peter 5:8)

Several years ago, I read a story in the paper about a hunter who was hunting alone in the mountains near Elko, Nevada. A group of hunters found him, dead; his back half-eaten away. Apparently, a mountain lion had stalked and then killed him in a surprise attack. He never even had time to raise his rifle to defend himself.

He never saw the attack coming.

I regularly fish in a place known to be frequented by mountain lions. But I rarely, if ever, fish alone.

And for good reason...

I need someone to watch my back.

We must heed the warning from the writer of 1 Peter and be sober and vigilant because we have an adversary. And like the mountain lion in the picture above, he hides himself, lying in wait for those who carelessly stroll through life, trying to go it alone.

He always attacks your back.

Sheepherders lose wayward sheep who stray from the flock and wander away from the protection of the shepherd. The roaming lion seeks out the young, the sick, or the weakest members of the flock.

They never even see the attack coming.

No one was there to watch their back.

Honestly, I don't feel like going to church today.

Sometimes I get tired of hearing the same old stories. The same old songs can be boring. And at times, it all seems like a big 'show' to me.

But these thoughts are not from God—they are from our cunning and crafty adversary who seeks to deceive, separate, and destroy us.

Jesus said:

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10)

It is on days like today when I "just don't feel like going to church" that I truly need to be there the most.

Some people have forsaken gathering with the Body of Christ altogether, and they do so to their own hurt.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

When we stop gathering together with God's family, we are not being encouraged, or cheered on to love people, and do good for others who are in need. 

And we are not doing the same for our brothers and sisters. 

God made the Body of Christ—His family—to love one another, to watch out for each other, to care for one another, and to pray for each other. 

To watch each other's backs.

However, sometimes we unknowingly give ourselves over to our deceitful adversary who only comes to steal our joy, kill our fruitfulness, and destroy our relationships.

It's because we separated ourselves from the flock and fell to the back of the pack, where we made ourselves easy prey for the cunning lion who seeks to devour.

For these reasons, we must be sober—awake, alert and discerning. And we must be vigilant—watchful, on guard and attentive.

Our adversary Satan never boldly charges us head first.

—He always attacks your back.

God is Love and Love Never Fails.