Daniel 8:25: He will be a Master of deception, defeating many by catching them off guard as they bask in false security. Without warning he will destroy them. So great will he fancy himself to be that he will even take on the Prince of Princes in battle, but in so doing he will seal his own doom, for he shall be broken by the hand of God, though no human means could overpower him. 

Satan is a sly fox, cleverly concealing his intentions of destruction behind many facades. One of the Master Deceiver’s  plans is to keep our focus on the little things in our lives: mouse-sized things. When his scheme works, our attention stays focused on little things while there’s an elephant in the room!

Helping our children navigate today’s cultural messages is no easy assignment; the issues can seem as large as an elephant at times, challenging the truth.  But as parents, we cannot lose our focus on these  issues  by narrowing our vision.  We need God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s direction in choosing where to put our energy in the fight for our spiritual well-being and that of our families.

Even as adults, we can find ourselves caught up in small matters, using energy and time to argue the differing sides of an issue. This happens even  within the church walls. The sly fox is at work!

Consider the example of differing church denominations arguing over areas that do not pertain to salvation based on  God’s Word such as: belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, how many times each week to attend services, or whether women should serve in leadership roles within the church.  And all the while, morals within Christ’s church are on the decline. In 2003, a Barna Study revealed  that among born-again Christians 49% believed that co-habitation is morally acceptable, 28% believed that viewing explicit pictures and acts is acceptable, 45% were comfortable with gambling and 33% believed that abortion is morally acceptable. It seems that we are right where the sly fox wants us!

The war will be lost if we show up for the wrong battle. Satan deceives and destroys without warning. There is a war for the souls of the lost, and for our own precious families. We must be aware of the enemy’s schemes: including trading an elephant for a mouse! Only by God’s power will he be defeated.

Will you share a scripture that has helped you; what truth from  God’s Word has exposed the schemes of the sly fox in your life?

 **The Living Bible