Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering 911 and our true enemy


It's hard to believe that 9-11 happened 7 years ago! I remember the day so clearly. I was still working at IBM full time (I hadn't even started writing my first book, The Redemption). I walked into work around 8:15 am PST and everyone was crowded around my office mate's computer staring at something. I shrugged it off as a new joke or video that was being passed around the office, but no one was laughing. With wide-eyes and fearful expressions, they gazed at the screen and after I joined them, I realized why.

It was a shocking day for all of us. We Americans tend to live in this false sense of safety from the world here on our own continent. And that fateful event where a small group of men were able to penetrate that shield so skillfully, so easily, set us all on edge.

Now 7 years later, I wonder how many of us leave our homes in the morning and worry about another similar attack? I doubt that many do. We tend to become complacent, thinking our security forces must have all under control, that we don't need to take any precautions or worry about ourselves and our families.

I'm reminded of our Christian walk. We face a far more deadly and evil enemy than Al-Quaeda. Our enemy is not mortal. He has supernatural powers. He has legions of followers, and he is invisible. You want to know what his most deadly tactic is?
His most deadly and effective tactic is to make people believe that he doesn't exist.
And how many Christians go along in their lives, believing just that, or at the very least, ignoring the enemy and becoming complacent. Thinking they are safe just because they haven't been attacked in awhile, thinking they are safe simply because they are "Christians" and our security forces from heaven are keeping us safe?
If you are an American, I believe an attack by our enemies is inevitable.
If you are a dedicated follower of Jesus, I believe an attack by our enemy is also inevitable.

Don't live in fear, but I encourage you to do as Paul says in Ephesians 6 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Paul wouldn't have said that if he thought we were perfectly safe just being "Christians". So remember today those who lost their lives in an unprecedented attack by Al-Qaeda, and keep on the alert for the biggest and most dangerous enemy of mankind.

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