Who are you fighting?

I've never seen a bullfight. I don't know if I would go if I had the chance. Seems to me the entire "fight" is rigged. I mean think about it. There is this "beast" in the arena, that for whatever reason, (call it conditioning, genetics, poor education, prejudice, emotionalism, or whatever); thinks that his enemy is that little red cape that the matador keeps shaking at him.

The truth is the cape isn't the enemy.

The cape isn't even dangerous.

But the cape is the culprit that results in the bull getting it "in the end" (so to speak).

In the book Pivotal Prayer the author writes:

Ken, a friend of mine, saw a bullfight during a trip to Mexico. He shared later the powerful spiritual analogy he caught as he watched a small five-foot-four-inch matador handle a one-and-a-half-ton bull.

Most of the action centered around the little red cape, handled by the matador. Two of the bulls chased the cape back and forth until they became frustrated and gave up. Another bull died that day at the hands of the matador. Suddenly it all became clear: if those bulls knew that the little red cape was not their real enemy, and began to pursue the real enemy, that little matador wouldn't have stood a chance!

Now I have to tell you, that is a bullfight I would like to see!

This week as we pray together I want to ask that you would pray about "opposition". Sometimes I fear we are fighting the wrong thing.

Where is it in your life that you are "chasing" the red-capes, and letting the real adversary get away with it? Satan has a way of distracting us from the real fight. He can use exhaustion, frustration, irritation, pressure-yes, even people-to distract us from the fight. The fight is against him!

In Ephesians 6:12 Paul writes:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

We need to remember that we are in the "fight of our lives". But remember Satan is not really interested in defeating you. It's not about you. Satan is God's adversary. But he knows he can get at the heart of God when he opposes you, God's child. Today, let me challenge you not to become distracted by the "stuff" that Satan throws at you. Remember, there is an adversary behind the distractions. And remember there is an advocate who is on your side. And that is why we need to do as James suggests:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.