When a predator moves in on a flock of sheep, its goal is to single out one of the sheep and separate them from the flock. Once they are removed from the safety of the flock, they are almost always powerless to defend themselves. Without some outside help, they get devoured in short order.

While we are not sheep and in fear of our constant survival, we are still being hunted by our enemy. One of the greatest challenges for any adult, teen or youth is to establish adequate support systems for themselves. This is always true when they move to a new town, neighborhood and/or church.

Understanding Satan’s Tactics

There are several things that demons (and Satan) understand about us that we often lose sight of. We would be wise to remember these and act accordingly to protect ourselves from the consequences of failing to do so.

Things to Remember:

• We are not just earthly beings, but eternal ones.
• We are made in God’s image and we understand ourselves much better the more we know God.
  • The more we know who God really is, the less confused we are about who we are.
• What we do with our physical bodies affects our souls, and what we do for our souls affects our physical bodies.
  • When we don’t live according to the truth, our bodies take on higher levels of stress and and we grow more unhappy.
  • When we nurture our souls in God’s truth, our bodies experience greater peace.
• We were made to live according to the Creator’s Truth, not any other.
  • When we pretend that something is not true, we live lies and begin this slow spiral down toward our own destruction.
  • Satan holds us bound by lies that must be transformed by embracing the truth that Jesus reveals.

Things to Do

• Make it your firm resolve, as a disciple of Jesus, to not only learn the truth that He reveals, but learn how to live it out in your life.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your life other disciples who are equally committed to living according to God’s truth.
• Seek these individuals out in your parish and develop a small group where you meet weekly to discuss your progress and your challenges.
• Make prayer to the Holy Spirit a pivotal part of your personal and group experience.
• Remember that God already has an eternal plan for your fulfillment. Trust in HIM!