8 Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
1 Peter 5:8-9 HCSB
Sharks are always on the lookout for any sign of blood—smelling it from miles and miles away, which will take the shark to its victim. In Job 1:6-7, God asked Satan his whereabouts on the earth and Satan replied “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered Him, “and walking around on it.” Just like a shark, he travels looking for a victim to devour. Satan wants to kill people—for a Christian, he wants to kill his faith in Christ and for an unbeliever to make sure he doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ and get saved.
The unbeliever has no chance to fight against the devil unless he surrenders his life to Jesus. But for a believer, he has to think twice about how to go about in his attacks against him. Christians have weapons to fight off the devil, which is called: The Full Armor of God. With it, we can protect ourselves and strike back.
Imagine a boat out at sea and a great white shark starts ramming itself into that boat. The people in the boat will be very scared because they know the moment they fall into the water, they are dead meat. Now, imagine a different boat this time, equipped with harpoons. Not only does the boat carry harpoons, but each person on board has a long stick with a sharp end that carries electricity to stab the shark when it gets too close. Any shark that comes against that boat armed with weapons won’t last too long. I guarantee you, the shark will either be killed or it will flee.
The devil will cause pain in our lives. We have to realize that we are not the only ones going through tribulation. Many other believers are under attack by the enemy. Jesus commands us to persevere, trusting in the Lord to carry us through it. Never give in to despair.
Spiritual Minefield 