Satan's Wheels Are Off

Sometimes there are days that seem incredibly more difficult to handle. Every little thing becomes a major problem. What should be simple fixes are nothing short of minefields blowing up in our faces.  These kind of tough days we might say are the result of Murphy’s Law- if anything could go wrong, it will.

I remember the first car dad helped me to buy. We went to a dealership in Savannah, GA and I couldn't take my eyes off a yellow VW Beetle. Snazzy, cool, with a groovy stereo system and a fancy gear shift. Everything worked great. For a while. Then one problem after another started to unfold. Specifically the stabilization rod on the front end went bad causing the vehicle to shimmy every time you turned to the right or left. It was sorta like riding in a car with square wheels. Not fun when trying to impress your dates. The car turned out to be the sister of Murphy’s Law and soon I was feeling hopelessly overwhelmed and defeated.

The world in which we live is chaotic, filled with trouble, dangerous, and frightening. How easy it is for us to become disheartened, overwhelmed, and depressed.  How can we live in this fallen world as conquerors (Romans 8:37) as opposed to walking around defeated and fearful?

The children of Israel had their backs up against the proverbial wall. They couldn’t move. They were at the Red Sea. They were freed from slavery under the brutal hands of the Egyptians. But now? Even though they had the Angel of God and the pillar of cloud in front and back of them somehow the world was still frightening. I mean the entire Egyptian army was right in front of them.  How could they get through this trouble? (Exodus 14:14-25).

But God had planted them there for a purpose. “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” (Exodus 14:14) Many times all you can see is the trouble.  Be still and know that God fights for you with all His vast resources.

God opens up the Red Sea for the children of Israel to pass to safety.  But the Egyptian army is in hot pursuit (Exodus 14:23}. Similarly God has provided a way of escape and safety today (1 Corinthians 10:13) yet Satan continually pursues us with a passion to kill, still, and destroy (John 10:10). Why? To bring us back into bondage and fear.  

Seemingly the Egyptian army has the superior advantage and the upper hand. Satan wants you to just admit defeat, call it quits, give in to fear, or be depressed and anxious.  We need to be reminded by what God does next. God troubles the Egyptian army then takes off their chariot wheels! 

Exodus 14:24-25 “He (God) troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians."

The Hebrew word for trouble is Hamam which means to make a noise, crush, confuse, break, and destroy. Friend, God today has destroyed (Hebrews 2:14-15), disarmed (Colossians 2:13-15) satan, and led captives to freedom (Ephesians 4:8) through His Son Jesus Christ. The Devil has been defanged and declawed.  Satan has been overcome by one stronger- Jesus (Luke 11:20-22). 

But the world still marches on, still influenced by the wicked one.  Satan still pursues us with a cold hateful determination even if his chariot wheels are taken off. Don’t let his rumbling or seductive artful attempts lure you in. Trust in the power and victory of Jesus Christ. He alone sets us free.

cbk