Self Defense
My daughter sent me a picture yesterday of this beautiful grasshopper. It has a bluish head, an orange and blue cape-like feature behind its head, a black body, with orange and black legs. She says it is called a foaming grasshopper.
Grasshoppers are on the diet for all types of birds, reptiles, and in some cultures, humans. This brightly colored grasshopper sends a warning through its vibrant coloration. Eat me and you will experience heart failure.
The five-spot burnet moth is a beautiful moth you might want to handle, but beware. When threatened it releases a dose of hydrogen cyanide. Bombardier beetles release a toxic chemical at boiling temperature at anyone or anything that messes with them.
Some people carry weapons or sprays for self-defense. Others take courses in martial arts to protect their family or self.
Followers of Jesus have the need to protect themselves daily, from our spiritual enemy, Satan. What he offers is appealing to our sinful nature, but as soon as we take a bite, beware.
No matter the enemy, the first line of defense is to be ready to defend yourself. We cannot fight Satan with weapons or sprays, so we need spiritual weapons. We must know what our weapons are and how to use them.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14-17 NIV