The Thief

Well, it seems like I failed in my attempts to keep posting about my Captivating Retreat over 1 1/2 months ago. You know the saying "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." This time it seems to be the reverse "my flesh is willing, but my spirit is weak." "Something" has been holding me back in sharing publicly what the Lord did for me that weekend in the heart of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. It has been a spiritual battle, no doubt. I'm hoping this post is an awakening in my spirit to fan the flames again.
My mom called me last Thursday and told me that she was the victim of identity theft. Someone had apparently made a credit card in her name and used it in 2 different states within 50 minutes of each purchase. The 3rd attempt to use the card was declined, thankfully. She has a limit on this debit card. Again, thankfully. As I processed this I became infuriated. How dare this person do this- and do it, especially, to my mom? Get a job, earn your own money(the honest, old fashioned way), scrub toilets if you must like I do for a living, get a life! I headed off to my evening job and the anger just festered. And then I was reminded....isn't this what Satan does when he attacks us? Doesn't he attack us at the core of our identity when he comes with temptations or doubts? Doesn't he try to steal or negate who we are in Christ? Doesn't he just absolutely assault our hearts and minds? And doesn't he do it aggressively and endlessly sometimes? Didn't he attack Jesus' identity in the desert..."IF you are the Son of God...." He's attacking who Jesus is- You? the Son of God? the son born of an illegitimate marriage? He takes Jesus high on the mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and says "All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me." How does Jesus respond? "Away from me, Satan!" Then it says that "the angels came and attended him." These attacks from Satan are brutal, even for the Son of God. It was exhausting; He needed the angels. This is why I picture angels are fierce warriors dressed in knight's armor; not delicate figures dressed in white with wings playing harps. It is war. We need to be prepared for battle. We need to be protected from head to toe.
So, I'm trusting that the bank will get this squared away for my mom. How did my evening go as the anger persisted? I found myself praying for this individual who did this act. I didn't like it, but I did it anyway. "Love your enemies."
Are we prepared for the next battle that Satan will launch at us? " The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy." Thank you, Jesus, for being our strong and mighty Warrior!!