ROOTED RENEGADE

Have you ever played the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”? A great kids game that can teach us a lot about spiritual warfare.

If you haven’t, let me give a brief overview so you have a picture of what it looks like.

A poster of a donkey is posted up somewhere (where the butt of the donkey is sticking out or in the front – hence the name of the game). A player is blindfolded and turned in a circle 3-4 times so that they feel disoriented and not sure what way they are facing.

Then they have to walk around blindfolded with a fake donkey tail (usually paper) in their hand trying to find the place where they are supposed to pin it.

If you are really aware of your surroundings before you are blindfolded, you can find the right place. If not, then you will walk around in circles and pin the tail where it is not supposed to go.

Now think about this in terms of spiritual warfare. We are sometimes blindfolded with deception by the enemy so we can’t see clearly his schemes and tactics. He doesn’t want us to move in the right direction but continue to walk in circles confused about which way we are supposed to go.

If satan can get you comfortable in sin, like addiction or pornography, then he knows you won’t see the ways he is coming against you and your family. You will be blinded that what you are doing isn’t that big of a deal and it isn’t hurting anyone. Although that is not the truth, you will walk about in circles until the lie is exposed.

If satan can get you to gossip about your co-workers when you are upset at them, instead of going to that person and having a conversation, then he knows that you won’t see them as God’s child and you will curse them with your mouth.

There are of course many other ways that we get blindfolded with deception by the enemy. I believe we can ask some key questions to determine if we are being deceived and led around in circles.

1. Am I critical towards people I don’t even know?
2. Am I holding resentments or bitterness towards someone that is being disguised as justification?
3. Am I engaging in behaviors that are pulling me away from God?
4. Have I had a hard time seeing others the way God sees them? Even myself?
5. When I get upset, do I go talk to the person or do I gossip about them instead when someone brings them up?
6. Do I disguise gossip as prayer requests?
7. Am I ignoring God’s prompting to forgive someone(s) in my life?
8. Do I feel like I am right about everything and everyone else doesn’t understand or know what they are talking about?
9. Do I look down upon others easily, especially when they are different than me?
10. Am I hard on myself or do I condemn myself when I make mistakes?
11. Do I strive for perfectionism and thereby expect others to do the same as me?
12. Do I judge others because they don’t operate the same way I do?

Please feel free to add to this list as you think and pray about it.  We are all sinners in need of God’s grace.  And the enemy does not want us to get along with others, forgive, walk in peace, love others as God has loved us, etc.

But when we start to really seek God’s counsel and look at our own behaviors, we will be able to remove the blindfolds and see more clearly.

The process of unlearning is harder than the process of learning.  But it is important to unlearn the ways we have been taught that are not right or the ways we have walked in thinking we were right.

Just remember that you are not alone in your journey. Not only is Jesus always with you, His Spirit right there for you, there are others that are fighting similar battles.

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

When we reach out to others who we trust and confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us. We need community. 

I pray you find community if you aren’t a part of one. That you take time to listen to Holy Spirit and be honest with yourself about where you really are in your walk. 

The way to slay giants is to acknowledge you are fighting them. Keep slaying!

Faythe