“Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). “The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56).
“Grrr . . . woof!” His summer afternoon visit to the mailbox was suddenly, unpleasantly interrupted by an unfriendly warning from the pit bull who lived across the road. The mailbox was on the dog’s side of the road. As he went to get the mail, it came towards him—steady, sure, without hesitation.
Quickly retrieving the mail, the boy thought, Perhaps I can run back to my house. But the distance was too far, and the dog would certainly catch him before reaching the safety of his front door.
What could he do? He considered kicking the dog, until he remembered its owner’s warning—never kick that dog. The last man that had kicked it had to be rescued from its jaws by his owner.
Thinking that a loud noise might scare the pit bull, the boy yelled at the top of his voice. But the dog’s response was “Grrr . . . woof!” And he kept coming—never hesitating or changing his gait.
What next? There was no large stick, no large rocks—only the small “pea gravel” used to surface the road. He threw a handful as hard as he could. “Grrr . . . woof!” The pebbles bounced off the dog without effect. The boy looked at the envelopes he held, but they certainly offered no protection.
Realizing he had run out of resources to protect himself, he could only continue helplessly backing away from the dog who was steadily drawing closer.
Suddenly, he heard another “Grrr . . . woof!” from behind him! And this bark was much louder and far more ferocious—one which obviously came from a very large dog that was approaching at a full run.
But now the boy was no longer scared, for he knew well the sound of that bark—it belonged to his own very large dog, Captain. The pit bull took one look at the onrushing Captain, stopped immediately, turned and ran back into his own yard. Once the boy was safely home, Captain received a hearty display of his owner’s thanks for his rescue from the pit bull.
Believers have an enemy far more dangerous than the pit bull. The devil is seeking to destroy each one of us. Too often we seek to withstand this implacable foe in our own strength and wisdom. Such foolish attempts are less able to protect from Satan than the boy’s attempts to protect himself against the dog. It is good to learn that the Lord’s strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). He will never fail!
“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
“That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).
“He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:56).
B. Short (adapted)