Identify the Enemy

I awoke to instant itching, scratching brought no relief.

I examined by arms: long unfamiliar appendages pink with red splotches and angry-looking welts.

What I saw certainly looked like poison ivy. But I had not been in poison ivy. I knew  poison ivy- all too well.

I mentally retraced where I’d been the last few days.

Gardening in the front yard.

No poison ivy there.

Weeding in the back yard.

No poison ivy there.

Ventured out on the trail.

No poison ivy there.

A few days and a few more affected limbs later, I sat in a doctor’s office for the second time answering questions.

No, I declared, I know what poison ivy looks like, and I was nowhere near it!

Regardless of my denials, I was treated for poison ivy.

And, eventually, that treatment worked.

Days after that doctor’s appointment, I discovered the identity of and a few facts about a certain volunteer bush in my back yard.

This simple green plant looks deceivingly beautiful. It’s lush green leaves grow bold and bright, and wonderful bliss, this plant needs no attention from me to thrive in my garden! A gift to someone who loves plants but devotes precious little time to them!

However, the Stinging Nettle has a nasty secret: for those who dare to touch it, you may well experience a reaction mimicking poison ivy.

Aha! Mystery solved!

In faith, we have a clear enemy. One who wants to poison our hearts, our minds, and even our lives. He aims to throw us into a deep, dark pit of peril at every possible turn.

Yet, how often are we caught not knowing the enemy when he’s directly before us, in plain sight?

How often do we see something poisonous to our very souls as a wondrous thing of beauty?

And, how often, as the consequences emerge, we struggle to identify the source of poison?

Ephesians 4:27 directs us, “Don’t give the Devil an opportunity.” (HCSB)

We rarely desire to grant our enemy an opportunity, we simply don’t see it as such.

How can we identify the enemy?

1. Know God’s word. Know what it says. There is so much wisdom wedged between the covers of the Bible. Read a bit most every day, it will start to seep in.
2. When surprises volunteer in your life, investigate. My naïve acceptance of a pretty volunteer bush was a simple, yet common mistake. Not to turn us cynical, because God does love to lavish gifts on His children, but as thinking human beings, we ought to ask, investigate and identify exactly what something is or who someone is before admiring and incorporating a volunteer into our lives.                                                                            Jesus warned us to “Be as wise as serpents yet as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16b NIV)  No knowing, as plausible as it might seem, is no excuse.                                                                                                                                Because the consequences are very real, and just the same, as after two weeks my still splotchy skin will testify!                                                                            But how do I know what I don’t know? One last encouragement:
3. Ask God. James 1:5 reads, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (NIV)                                                                                                                                                                   In my avoidance of a known nemetic plant, I forgot to consider other plants which might throw me into perilously prickly dermatological distress! When I think I know and don’t question, I often dive head-first into danger. Learning God’s word, investigating and asking God will help limit our negative  interactions and experiences.                                                                              What might be something in your life you should investigate further?