It was a complete accident, but the significance of the pain was what caught me off guard. I was helping my husband split and stack wood. “Helping” as in, he did the splitting, and I did the stacking. I stood behind the pile of wood assessing my work thus far, and I must admit that it looked a mess. I had been asked to keep the logs as straight as possible, but found as the pile grew, it was taking on more of a pyramid type form. As I calculated my next move, my husband tossed another log to me. It landed on the top of the pile, and its momentum was just enough to knock off another log . . . right into the front of my shin. Now, anytime you get hit in the shin, it hurts significantly. However for me, it hurts twice as bad.

When I was young, I injured my leg as I climbed out of the back of our pickup truck. I sliced it completely open. Open as in, you could see bone, and it required stitches. I don’t remember it hurting much at the time, but since that accident, my leg has been very tender in that one spot. That one spot that a log took aim at today. That one spot where it would hurt most.

And that got me thinking. Isn’t that exactly what Satan tries to do in our lives? Doesn’t he try to hit us where it hurts most? Doesn’t he try and attack us in those areas that we feel most vulnerable?

I shared with my mom tribe this morning that these past few weeks have been more challenging and complex than I imagined they would be. I’ve found that even though I’m doing fine overall, the simplest thing can quickly leave me feeling completely overwhelmed. One child complains because we are eating out of the fridge again for dinner – I feel overwhelmed. One child is in tears because she accidentally deleted part of an assignment – I feel overwhelmed. Trying to meet a writing deadline and constantly being interrupted by a child – I feel overwhelmed. Know what? That’s exactly where Satan wants me to be. But, you know what else? He can’t keep me there. In 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us,

“Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments, and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (CEB)

As believers, we’ve been given the authority and power from God to take every thought that enters our mind captive and filter it through the truth we find in His Word.  As believers, you and I have been equipped to destroy every single lie that Satan tries to use to bring us down. But, we have to make the choice to use that authority and power. We have to make the choice to tell Satan, “Not today. Today I’m living in the truth of Jesus. You have NO power over me.”

That’s truth right there. If God is for us, then who could ever be against us? Lift your face towards Him and lean into that truth tonight, sweet friend.