Stirring Up Ants

Not everything we do is completely thought through, is it?  Sometimes we do something just to see what will happen or "just because."  When I was a kid visiting my cousin's house in Ramona, large red ants were common.  At my house we only had small black ants, so the red ants were a novelty.  I remember pouring some silty dust on top of their nests and watching them scramble through the surface at a frantic pace.  More and more ants were agitated and mobilised to attack this phantom threat.  Pretty soon I would have to move back from the nest as thousands of ants emerged, jaws and antennae wagging.  I can't explain exactly why summoning those ants to the surface was fun, but it was an amusing pastime.  Perhaps there was a sense of toying with danger, imagining what those insects might be thinking, or maybe just "Let's see what happens when I try to fill the holes of this nest."

During our discipleship course we were speaking about how the mind of a Christian is a battleground which we must be prepared to fight.  Because we are in a spiritual battle, God has provided spiritual armour through the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  We must guard our heart with the breastplate of righteousness and our minds with the helmet of salvation.  The shield of faith is able to stop and extinguish those fiery darts he throws at us.  Our minds are always active like those nests of ants, and most of the activity is taking place underground.  While we were talking during the discipleship course, the picture came into my mind of Satan thinking to himself, "I wonder what happens if I do this?" and fires an immoral thought, a care or worry into our minds - like a child dropping dust on a nest of ants.  When he is able to influence our thoughts, our actions follow suit.  He plants the seed of a wicked thought, and when combined with desire in us it brings forth sin.  I think he enjoys seeing us scramble around in fear and worry as he watches at a safe distance, amused by our confusion.  This can become such a common event we assume this is how life is and don't recognise the spiritual attack.

Happy is the man whose God is the LORD, who discerns Satan's tactics and refuses to be distracted from labouring for the LORD when he drops a bit of sand down the hole.  Through faith in Christ we are enabled to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.  Our minds can often become a frenzied jumble of thoughts like ants because Satan is pestering us.  Instead of being preoccupied with Satan and his attacks, we are to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus as we continue to follow Him faithfully in obedience.  Lambs familiar with the voice of the Good Shepherd will not be tricked to follow strangers.  No matter how much dust Satan kicks in our direction, we can be strong in the LORD and the power of His might.  We can stand in our armour and pray without ceasing, fixing our minds of Christ rather than the distractions, worries, and cares of this life.