2 Chronicles 32:18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. [NIV]
Know what the modus operandi of the enemy of our soul is, has been and always will be?
Fear and Deception.
Fear paralyzes us. It invades our mind like a boa constrictor, squeezing out rational thought, suffocating our faith. When a threating situation rises, we don’t know whether to run or hide from it. Stunned into immobility, we become easy prey.
When the Assyrian army invaded Israel and tried to capture Jerusalem, they counted on fear and deception to break down the resistance of the Israelites. The Assyrians tried to undermine the people’s trust in God, and in King Hezekiah. They accused Hezekiah of deception when he assured the people God would rescue them. They shouted their propaganda so everyone within listening distance could hear the lie that the God of Israel was no different from other nations’ gods.
If you’ve read 2 Chronicles, you know how the story ends. Hezekiah didn’t fall into the enemy’s trap, and neither did the people. Hezekiah fell on his knees and cried out to God. He didn’t give an inch to the Assyrians’ lies. And the Lord intervened. He sent an angel to destroy the Assyrian army; their king was forced to withdraw in disgrace (32:21).
Isn’t that the way most fear begins? The enemy tries to plant the idea that God really isn’t there for us this time. I recently encountered an anxiety-provoking situation. I could hear Satan’s murmurs, It’s never going to change. You might as well give up.
But rather than falling for the lies, I did what Hezekiah did. I fell on my knees and cried out to God. It’s what Paul had encouraged the Philippians to do. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And peace overrode fear (Philippians 4:6-7).
So the next time you feel that boa constrictor of fear start to squeeze, watch out. Don’t buy into the devil’s modus operandi. Don’t let his deception and fear-mongering cripple you from going forward. Forward in faith. Forward in peace. And forward in his purpose for you.