Don't get blindsided by the enemy!

God doesn't want you to be blindsided by the enemy, so tell the devil to get out of your pea patch, in the name of Jesus! May this word encourage you: I want to tell you a story of a man in 2nd Samuel, chapter 23 (verses 11-12), who dared to take a stand against overwhelming odds, to protect his pea patch from his enemies. His name was Shammah, one of David’s personal bodyguards. The Philistines had attacked the people of God, chasing them all away except for one man — Shammah. It must have been harvest time when those soldiers showed up because the Bible says the field was full of people, busy about getting their crops in. They were working and unprepared for a fight. Shammah decided, “not this time!” and positioned himself in the middle of the lentil field (aka a pea patch), stood his ground and fought for what rightfully belonged to him and his people. I think harvest time is the enemy’s favorite time to attack. For it is then that we can be caught off guard and easily defeated because our attention is focused on everything but the enemy and his antics. It’s a time when we are happy and content with that all-is-well-in-my- world mentality going on.
Folks, God does not want us to be blindsided by the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “be sober minded, vigilant and cautious at all times, because your adversary, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.” The Philistines knew if they could wound the Israelites and bring them to a place of hunger, they would be easily defeated. So, the Philistine soldiers would march through the lentil fields, trampling down the crops and slaughtering all who were in their way. Laughing all the while, no doubt. Let me tell you, the devil wants to maim and weaken us so we will be subject to his will. I believe we are in the last days. We are in the valley of decision with little time left on the clock. Do we not have the courage to stand up against the enemy, look him straight in the eye and tell him “Get out of my pea patch! You will not take that which God has given me ...?” The Bible tells us Shammah “stood.” He proposed in his heart to fight for his pea patch. He would not run away this time, but he would fight for what God had given him and defend the rights of his people. He decided his pea patch was well worth fighting for, even if it meant his life. So, for us it is church. We can just sit back and watch the enemy trample and destroy our pea patch, we can run away and hide, or we can make up our mind to stand firm in the middle of our lentil field and fight. The good news is Shammah defeated the enemy and saved his pea patch. Because he made the decision to fight, he enjoyed a great victory. Because he fought he prevailed. It was God who won that victory, the battle belonged to Him (verse 12). He just gave Shammah the strength and courage to stand — the power to fight, the skill to win — and the victory over his enemies. Shammah may have held the sword, but it was God who fought the battle. Because God had one man who was willing to stand and fight, the fields were protected and the people were saved from starvation and slavery. Who or what in your life is worth fighting for? If we do not fight today, people will starve tomorrow. If the field is not protected, there will be no harvest. Don’t abandon your harvest, my friends. Don’t flee the battle. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The fields in your life are well worth the fight. “The battle is mine,” says the Lord!