Rings Picture: Conclusion - The Enemy's Strategy

This is a picture that was given to Mary Pat that has ministered to many Christians the past two years, so I asked her permission to include it on the blog.

The enemy's strategy is to try to craftily lure a person from one ring to the next (download spiral) with great trickery, deception, confusion, misunderstanding, etc. (a.k.a., lies). He also is determined to keep people from progressing to the next ring if there is an initial desire. His hope is to weaken the believer and keep him from threatening his (the enemy's) position. Since many people live somewhat comfortably in the second ring, but may experience a stirring to move toward the first ring, the enemy really tries to stop that from happening through increased warfare. He stirs up misunderstanding, conflict, confusion, increased distraction, among other things. If a person ends up finally soaring in the first ring, but starts moving away from it (towards the second ring), there will be initial distress (much internal conflict). However, once planted in the second ring, false contentment takes root. "Life becomes easier again." Intense hunger and passion diminish, and the enemy loves it as the person finds agreement from similar people. A person thinks "he's fine," unable to recognize the purposeful pull against him. The person begins listening to many voices during the luring process, which intensifies as he approaches the second ring. While possibly intrigued and somewhat interested in the first ring, he can't really get there (or get back there) easily due to the new blindness, which can only change with a yielding of his will to the Lord (a surrendered heart). Much religious activity (thinking and/or doing) takes place of the true intimacy. Visions/dreams can be more distorted with the enemy's increasing influence.

Moving from the second to the third ring is even less obvious to the person, but extremely destructive. The enemy's strategy to destroy a person's life increases in intensity, but he becomes oblivious to it and is no threat to the enemy anymore. Self has really taken root here. Fear has replaced real faith, and his life begins to show it. A person loses much hope and is marked for more/greater disaster. He may still declare a belief in God, but not knowing His heart/love in a tangible way during the intensified process against him. There may be a form of Godliness, but a hollowness of heart prevails. There may be sparks of interest in returning (at least to the second ring), but it takes some yielding of the heart to the Lord's ways.

Beyond the third ring is cold and darkness where hopelessness, loneliness, despair, defeat, ad delusion reign supreme, while the person tries to convince others he is fine. He is deeply hungering for "something," but doesn't know that that something is really someone - our powerful and loving Lord! He fills that need with everything but the true One.

While the best and safest place to be is the first ring, it must be carefully guarded lest one fails to recognize the enemy's ongoing attempts to help us choose a different path. The area between the first and second ring is highly volatile. The enemy is never stagnant....he's always moving. The road between the rings is hazardous since the enemy never wants us to move forward, but is always trying to take us backward. Sometimes we think that we live in the first ring, but reality might be that we are between rings (being pulled/lured away), or living in the second ring. The Spirit of Truth will lead us/guide us into all truth! Our God has to be much bigger to us than the enemy so he becomes a defeated foe in experience. The bigger our God becomes, the smaller and less influential the enemy becomes. The Lord is on the throne and wants every part of our hearts....and is standing at the door always knocking....always loving. Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see! 

Comments? Questions? Share what has hit your heart through the Rings picture.