Besieging the Heart
02/01/12
In many parts of history we have read that wars were fought to conquer or re-conquer lands. Wars took long periods of time to obtain one simple goal, win the objective. Sieges were an effective method of warfare that prepared the lands for this style of fighting. It allowed the hosts to realize something was on the horizon but only the attacking force knew what was coming. We can apply this siege concept to the enemy trying to do the same with our hearts. Not our physical hearts but our spiritual hearts, the one communication line that controls access to God and the one that gives us spiritual life. We must keep our physical eyes open to see the situations forming around us and we need to keep our spiritual ears open to hear the instructions that are presented to us. The siege is a guaranteed plan that will show itself in some manner; we need to be prepared for any sign that danger is imminent.
I am going to begin with a couple of scenes from a popular movie called “Home Alone”. The people that are involved in the soon to be robbery actually come to the houses that they are going to rob, but they are dressed up as police officers. They inquire general information about the activities of the occupants and scope out the place at the same time. Then when the people have followed through with their mentioned plans the robbery can occur and the damage is done. This is similar to what our enemy does to plan his attacks. However, as in the movie there are ways that we can prepare ourselves to help against these personal attacks.
It must be kept in mind that many times the enemy forms a relationship with their eventual target. Throughout history many countries that have fought each other in wars have had friendships develop between the countries. A prime example of that is The United States and Japan before the outbreak of World War II; as an act of friendly gestures Japan had given The States “friendship” medals that had been awarded to U.S. servicemen before the war. Enemies of people have the same concepts in this category in that they will begin a relationship with you in order for you to let your guard down long enough for them to accomplish their mission, whatever their plans may be. It is our personal duty to be prepared and to keep our eyes open in any relationship in order to protect ourselves from future attacks coming from anyone, this includes people we consider to be our friends.
A siege begins with a motive or a reason that one believes would be an adequate response to the beginning of a more aggressive plan. This stage of the siege is birthed in the mind of the person or group that is going to conduct the operation. This thought process usually has many ideas swirling around with many targets being assessed. For this message I am going to use the heart as the main example but always remember that any portion of our lives can and will be used as the target of Satan. If we are in tune with our spirit and our spirit is aligned with God properly, this is the point at which we become on alert; but if not, we have already allowed a foothold to our inner being.
A siege then progresses with a loosely designed plan for a specific target in mind. This target can be anything of nature or world and can be small or large in stature. After the initial plans were conceived, the leaders would appoint people to carry out this process. This step in the planning process is not an overnight session but it allows more specific methods of engagement to be enacted. This portion of the plan may take days or weeks to sort out all the minute details so that nothing is missed. These initial plans are kept in secret with only a few privileged trusted personnel knowing what is in the making. The foothold now becomes deeper and wider if the plan is not recognized at this point; however, at the same time God’s warning signs are stronger and more pointed in our lives.
After the initial planning stages are completed, the first scouts are sent to the desired target. Specific instructions to be vague or to be obscure in the intentions of the visit are given so not to draw attention to the intended purpose of the visit. At this time the defenses are generally scanned for weaknesses and common places are visited where many people congregate. No notes are taken but what the eyes observe and what the ears hear will be brought back to evaluate the next course of action. This is an opportune time for the enemy to gather information about our defenses and to see if we are paying attention to our surroundings. This is a very crucial point in the siege since it is the first direct contact with the enemy. By now we should be fully aware that some type of enemy activity is present. Sadly, this is not always the case and we continue our daily lives as nothing is approaching.
At this time the enemy has already chosen the target and is now preparing the means by which to attack the target. Spiritual spies initiate contact with the target but it is casual and non specific, which is intended not to draw attention to the overall attack plan. They know what roads are taken by loved ones to reach the interior of the heart and they also know the supply lines that continue the spiritual nourishment that is constantly needed. The enemy is now ready to send back more detailed information so that pinpoint accuracy can be assured when the attack begins. The heart is mapped and its potential weak areas given to the planners, which are now ready to make their attack plan known to others. We should have already called up our reserves for help by now, yet for some reason we still are in the dark about when the attack will occur, so we continue to wait to give out the signal.
Permission from the commander for the attack has been granted and the timetable is also set. The boundaries have been drawn and the limitations for damage put into place. Final attack points are memorized and particular mission notes are being delivered to the participants. The entire area is quickly probed once again to make sure no changes have been made by the target. The enemy’s initial “troop” buildup is now in motion and everyone is taking their positions as instructed. The target finally realizes that an attack is imminent and begins to sound the alarm for the defenses to position themselves for readiness. This movement also alerts the attackers so the commander gives the final attack plan and the onslaught begins.
Quickly the target realizes that all areas of escape have been cut off and there is nowhere to run from the attack. The heart has no option but to stand and face the intruders and pray that backup arrives in time. What the target forgets is that the attackers have also prepared themselves for the backup help so a large battle rages on them as well. It slows the response from the reserves and the initial target is getting weaker as time rolls along. As the enemy advances and begins to penetrate the inner defenses with pinpoint accuracy damage to the morale of the target becomes lower. Desperation now begins to appear and some of the decision making of the target becomes erratic. Defenses quickly deplete and the leaders of the area are now being asked t help in the fight. You can hear the reserves coming but you do not know if they will make it in time.
The battle has just completed and the damage assessment is now underway inside our lives. The dust settles and we realize upon examination of our surroundings what the intended target was and we now notice all of the warning signs that we missed. We begin to berate ourselves in not recognizing the warning signs and wonder why God allowed us to not see the coming events. We then turn against humanity and begin to place blame on other individuals, groups, church in general, and we eventually get around to include ourselves in this blame game. God never said that our lives will be easy and the road with Him would be a bed of roses. This is a war and it is a war that will have everlasting consequences, so the enemy is not here to play games, he is fighting to end your life and to permanently separate you from God.
There are always questions that arise after battles have been waged. The questions that we pose to ourselves differ in ideologies but they all reflect on the common theme, what could we have done to make our defenses stronger. God will bring back to our minds our foundation and what we are standing on; this foundation is what we must base our restoration process upon. We must examine our foundation and provide our lives with the best source that is available, God. We have no choice but to allow God to restore us in His way so that we can not only protect us for the next attack but also let others know how they can be prepared.
If you do not think that there are spies out watching you, you are setting yourself up for an attack that will blow your mind. The prize is your eternal value and it you may not consider that to be much, but to God you are. Your value is so high that He sent His son to die for you so that you may not have to endure His separation from you for eternity. His enemy is gunning for you in a way that is so intense that all creation is on alert and is preparing for the battle…which that battle is for you. God took preparations to make sure that all His bases were covered and that he could supply the necessary information to you when the time is needed. Listen to His information and take it to heart, listen to the information so that you can fortify your defenses against the coming attacks. All information has been given to you, including the armor to wear. This coming battle is for your life, be prepared to defend it when the time comes.
This siege is against the unbeliever as well, this process is not just limited to the Christian. Even though they do not know about it or even believe in this process, it is still occurring because they have the potential to understand the process. His siege is no less important than the one that is being prepared and executed on a Christian. The siege is directed upon all humans which are the pinnacle of God’s creation and a constant reminder to Satan that God is God and that as long as humans are alive on this earth they have the opportunity to be a part of God’s Kingdom and to move it forwards. In other words, it is imperative that we do our jobs in the area of witnessing so that the unbeliever may understand that they need to prepare themselves for the coming onslaught and the only way that they will know this is to show them God.
We must have our communication devices on alert at all times. This means that our spirit must be in its rightful place within our lives; this is not an option. The above scenario will take place if we are not prepared and the only way to prepare ourselves is to have God number one in our lives and have our spirit in like manner so that our communication lines and supply lines will know exactly where the enemy is at all times. The attack may still come and it may do some damage to the target, but I do know that if we have fortified our defenses and know when to call for help the damage will be less than the above example.
How do we prepare for these attacks? Read God’s word on a consistent and regular basis. Pray daily and sometimes even two or three times a day or as many times that God leads you to pray. Constantly be on the lookout for suspicious activity around your spirit, and you do know what kind of activity to which I am referring. No distractions are allowed, period. Once our spirit is cut off, then our enemy has to opportunity to completely destroy everything that we know to be real….both in the spiritual and physical realm. Be resilient, be strong enough to ask for help from God and accept His help when it arrives, for the help that is given from God is Jesus and all of the angels that He deems necessary for that attack.
It is a fact that Satan informs his demons of the plan that he has devised. It is a fact that they like to be in groups when they execute this plan and then there are times when Satan himself conducts the operation. The only time frame that they have is when God says the plan can occur, to what extent the plan can be carried out, and when it must end. Yes, even God is in control of the attacks that He allows Satan to carry out on our lives. If you ever doubt this situation, read the entire story of Job and you will understand who is ultimately in control of all things.
You are now on notice!!! Know that you are being watched for a future attack. It may be a personal attack or it could be a general assault on your beliefs, the introduction of doubts and anything other cause that Satan can think of to wear a person down. Whatever it is you must be prepared for this attack as much as possible. So, prepare yourself…get ready, here it comes.
End notes: I know that almost every paragraph in this message raises questions; and I plan on addressing these issues in the very near future.
DLB
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