Preparing the Soil

            Grace drove up to the house hidden behind a stand of Eureka Palms, glad to see Randall sitting on the front porch. He was the one she intended to visit in the group home. When she got out of her car he frowned and hollered, “Where are the others?”

            Knowing his mood swings, she wasn’t surprised. “Randall, they won’t come until the end of the month. Remember, I told you the last time we met, I would come alone so we can go over the study I left with you last week.”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t get around to that,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

            She sat next to him and spent a little time discussing the weather and the wet spring. “If you’ll get your study book, we’ll go over it together,” she said finally, and while he was gone, she thought how she had dreaded this visit. She had prayed all the way over here for God’s help. Discipline was something she had never done before with anyone.

            Randall returned, book in hand. He hadn’t filled in one answer.

            “Let’s go through this together,” she sighed and opened her Bible, and the booklet, where she had marked the answers. Randall opened his copy and followed along.

            Grace took a deep breath and began. “According to 1 Peter 5:8, what does Satan want to do to you as a Christian?”

             Randall shrugged his shoulders.

She flipped the pages in her Bible, and read.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. “So Randall, you realize that Satan is a created being, he has a lot of titles: dragon, serpent, and lion; he is a predator. He is not like God, who is overall.” She paused discouraged; she noticed he was glancing at his newspaper. “But Satan has his fallen angels and his demons at his command. He is watching for our weaknesses so he can tempt us, and then accuse us before God. Picture this!” She made a circle with her hands. “There’s warfare between the bad and the good angels all around us in the unseen realm. Satan hates God, and God’s children, and that is why we need to be on guard at all times.”

            She watched Randall out of the corners of her eyes, hoping to elicit some interest and glad to see him relax, she read on.

            “To resist Satan, we must put on the armor of God.” She read the verses from Ephesians 6:10-18 slowly, painting a picture of a knight in medieval times, explaining the purpose for each piece of the armor in the spiritual sense. She emphasized verse 12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

            Grace finally had his full attention. He gawked at her with a dawning understanding of her illustration.  “Wow, you’re right,” he nodded as he looked about and up at the sky. She paused to let him absorb her words, and then assured him once again of his salvation.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God..

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