Artwork by Daniel Venturo
Wolves, lions, bears, sharks—these are all ferocious predators that hunt down prey. With their strong jaws and sharp claws, they are experts at catching other animals for food. You probably know about a lot of predators. If you have read some of our previous posts, you will know that the Northern Pike is a fish that is a nasty predator. You also learned that the ichneumon wasp is a fascinating creature that preys on insects and spiders.
Can you think of any other predators?
No animal, of course, wants to be caught by a predator. So God has designed different animals with different ways of defending themselves against the attack of predators. We call these things defense mechanisms.
You probably know about some of these defense mechanisms. A turtle has a shell to protect itself. It can pull its head and legs into its shell and seal it shut to hide from predators. A skink has a far stranger defense mechanism. If a predator tries to grab it, the skink will allow its tail to break off! The tail wriggles around on the ground and looks alive. While the predator is distracted by the wriggling tail, the skink can run away and escape!
Some creatures have even weirder and grosser methods of getting away! The horned lizard, which you can learn more about here, shoots blood out of its eyes at predators! And the sea cucumber can squirt out its intestines at any ferocious animal that comes too close. That would make me at least want to stay away from a sea cucumber!
Probably the most fascinating defense mechanism is that of the bombardier beetle. When a bombardier beetle feels threatened, it sprays poisonous liquid out of its abdomen, which becomes a vapor in the air! I definitely want to stay away from a bombardier beetle!
Did you know that just as animals have predators, we who are Christians have an enemy? This enemy is the devil. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary [enemy]the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
The devil tries to keep us from obeying Jesus. But we don’t need to be afraid of the devil, because just like God has given certain animals different kinds of defense mechanisms against predators, He has also given Christians defense against the devil. Listen to what he says in Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Of course, the armor God gives us is not armor you can see and touch—it is armor for the inside of you, the real you.
Over the next few months, I will be going through Ephesians 6 to show you each piece of armor that God has provided for you. But before I tell you about each piece of armor, I want to remind you that though you must be always watchful and on your guard against the devil, you do not need to be afraid of him. This is because, if you are a Christian, Jesus is with you. And Jesus is far more powerful than Satan (Rev. 20:10). In fact, Satan is terrified of Jesus (Jas. 2:19). So pray today that Jesus will protect you from the devil—that He will drive the devil away from you. And God’s promise to you is that He will! 1 Peter 5:10: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
Never forget to “put on” this armor as you go about your life. Every morning when you get dressed for the day, imagine that you are dressing the real you with God’s special armor. It is your defense against the greatest predator—the devil!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Information from: Milne, Lorus, Margery Milne, and Susan Rayfield. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.