No Respecter of Holidays

God has been pressing me lately in the area of holidays. In the past, holidays have always been a fun time to spend with friends and family, but in reality, all I wanted was to fulfill the lusts of my flesh. Typically (especially because I live in the South), whether it was Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, or New Year’s, I always gorged myself on selfish desires, and often abundance of foods.

So, as God has been drawing me ever deeper into Him and His life, He has been challenging me on the patterns of my old life. He’s made me into a new creature and I am to dwell in the newness of His life in me, not in the rudiments and patterns of this world, nor run with the Gentiles as I once did.

Not only that, but God has shown me something else very crucial to my existence as a Christian:

Satan is no respecter of holidays.

1 Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober”, “be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer”, and, most important “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1:13; 4:7; 5:8).

Sobriety, of course, is not merely referring to abstaining from drunkenness; Peter is referring to anything that clouds the minds of the saints, anything that dilutes or slows our judgment and reaction time spiritually. This sobriety of soul is so crucial, because Satan is moving to and fro, looking to see who he can take down. Could you imagine the Prince of darkness, strutting about the halls of hell, muttering to his angels, “Oh, no, we best not harass the people up there today. It is Christmas time, you know.”

The image is ridiculous. Yet how often do we live this way? Rather than preparing our minds for battle, we drop the sword (just a little relaxation), close our eyes (we are quite tired; we deserve it), and let darkness have us. This is not the pattern for Christians. Our Lord was always watchful; never for a moment did He give in to the flesh.

If anything, darkness is more active in these seasons. It’s a simple principle of warfare. After your armies have been routed by the enemy, you simply wait and let them begin their victory party. Once they are out of their armor, enjoying the spoils of victory, you and your band of soldiers can waltz right in and slay them all.

The enemy, the flesh, and the world have all done the same thing to us. Whereas we may be sober and vigilant in the tough times, when times of relaxation comes in, such as holidays and breaks, the vile three sit back and wait until we are fully drunk upon our selfish indulgences. At once, they strike, taking us down with ease.
As we lay in the dust of our defeat, we scramble about for our weapons and armor, all the while wondering what hit us.

This season – and with all such seasons as this – let us remain on guard. Can you still have fun and enjoy time with your family? Oh, yes; but never for a moment turn inward in allowing your flesh an inch of territory in your life. Perhaps this will be a time of restoration for your soul; but that does not mean it needs to be a time of disconnecting yourself from God for the sake of amusement. Give your all to Him, every day, even Christmas day, to use as He sees fit. He may simply ask you to be with your family. He may want you to speak with one particular member of your extended family. All that matters is that, as a good soldier of the cross, you keep your sword close by thy side, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

All in all, remain steadfast in the Lord. Have a very wonderful Christmas, looking to Jesus; who, being willing to be born in a stable for our sakes, gave His life that we might truly live.

In Him,
Nik