I have seen this before. A few weeks ago a loud clamoring of different, boisterous crowing and squawking was going on in the middle of our backyard. I looked out the window to investigate and witnessed what I believe the Lord calls us to do. I saw three crows trying to run off a large hawk that frequents our backyard. The hawk was fighting back, wanting to claim this area as his territory for the moment. He also flew back and forth, ferociously squawking right back at them. This continued, back and forth, for a good five or more minutes. Finally the large hawk darted at the crows and won the battlefield. I thought, good for him! He is a great creature to watch, and I didn’t mind him getting rid of the annoying crows (who NEVER seem to be quiet!) that often represent evil. But then, when I expected quiet peace to return to the yard, before I could walk away the hawk turned and started in the other direction towards something else, trying to make it too leave. “What or who was he after?”, I thought. Then I saw him. The great, majestic looking owl that hides himself, high above out yard, camouflaged in the tree limbs and leaves. He is huge, and mighty looking. He and I have stared at each other for hours before. He quietly teaching me things without a sound. As the hawk sought to dislodge this creature bigger than he, the owl stood.
He stood. He was unshakable. Unwavering. He allowed the hawk to carry on a bit, until he finally let out a great owl screech. The hawk got closer to see somewhat call his bluff. The owl was not bluffing. He stood. The hawk closed in, and as he did the owl screeched again. The hawk knew he was not going to win this day. Probably not any day. Not when someone, something stands their ground and doesn’t show any sign of wavering against attack.
This was happening again today, the owl was standing his ground, and the one who was going to own this territory for this time. I watched as the crows bounced from limb to limb, so wanting to attack again. The owl stared at me, letting me I didn’t need to continue to rebuke the crows away, he’s got this. He’s been here before, and he knows the outcome. I went back inside, to come and write this story. Shortly after wrestling a bit with my computer, the squawking resumed. I went to the back door, but peered out instead of stepping out. The owl saw me and stared again, letting me know all he has to do is continue to stand. I sent him a look of thanks, to let him know that I appreciate him fending off the crows from our yard. He turned to stare down the crows, and they stopped. After I walked away the crows too left. He won. By standing.
I thank the Lord too for this reminder, this great reminder of what he tells us to do. Immediately the verse that came to mind through this great display was: “Eph 6:11 KJV – Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This great owl was doing just that – standing! He was not fluttered, he knew he would overcome. He knew by not showing fear or that he could be threatened that he would win!
How often does this happen to us? The enemy comes after us, circles us, yells at us, tries to intimidate us and get us to move, to flinch. How often do we give in? We twitch a bit at times, and wonder if what he is screaming at is true. It could be, we are hearing it so loudly! The message is coming through loud and clear! We may, we could, be defeated. But what are we called to do instead? Put on our armor to STAND against the wiles of the devil. Not always fight, sometimes it’s just not to give in, not get distracted, and not flinch. To not give him the foothold by giving way to the thoughts he wishes to implant and take root in our minds. We are to stand – for we are already placed in a seat of victory in Christ Jesus. We may lose a battle every now and then, but the war has already been won. We hear that often, so often… But it is easy to forget when we are getting poked with the sharp beak of the devil in the midst of conflict. Easy to forget that we are to stand, and sometimes just simply resist him like the owl resisted both the crows and the hawk. Even while they screamed at him, continually. And when they wouldn’t leave he rebuked them with his deep howl of authority. If the owl can do this, we can too, and so much more so. For we are seated with Christ, who has given us authority greater that the owls, in fact even over the owl himself. We can do this, just like the owl. We can stand and resist. Even when it looks hard, voices are screaming. Did the owl learn like we have to, that he could do this? Or has he always innately known? I supposed that like us, as we grow in the Lord and understanding the authority we have over the evil one that the owl had to also grow and mature in the understanding of his authority and ability to stand in it.
Like so many things, this is easy to say, yet hard to do in the midst of conflict. How do we stand, and what are examples of standing? When looking up the scripture reference above, I was actually shocked to find 274 uses of the word “stand” in 267 verses of the KJV version of the scriptures. WOW! I did not stop to read them all (I’d get sidetracked for now) but did skim a number of them, and there are so many examples in the OT of how to stand, how others stand, and how the Lord told people to stand in a variety of circumstances. In the NT there are more instructions on how we stand, and encouragement to do so. I encourage you to read through these examples, and ask yourself how you too can better stand against the wiles, screams and pokes from the devil. I know he does this to me often, and when I’m not prepared I can flinch easily. Praise God, He is teaching me for sure how to ward this off sooner than later. I pray too you find yourself to do this more and more, easier and easier, remembering to put on the full armor of God, for this purpose and more.
