Obrando en la Viña: Take a STAND.

Viña del Mar sunset

Satan is the great midst of darkness that surrounded the people clinging to the iron rod. He is the haze that blocks our view, the fear that limits our faith--the pride that limits our progress. He is the flared tempers and the angry outbursts, the harsh words that wound--the broken promises and unfaithfulness and lies. He is the author of all sin...and the author of all sadness. He rages in our hearts according to the hold that he can get upon them--the hold that we would give to him. Satan was our brother...but he is not our friend. He is intent on destroying our happiness--and he is intent on destroying us. He has become the common enemy.

If we're going to beat The Enemy, it's important to know who he is. It's important to know what he does and how he works...and it's important to know how to beat him.

Satan is the father of lies. He sneaks through the door and whispers that good is all bad, that bad is all good, and that we can be happy while breaking the commandments. He whispers lies about others, and lies about ourselves...and they're subtle enough that we often give in and believe them. He is the voice that says we're not important. That we'll never be worthy to change. That our Father has already lost His faith in us. That we can do what want without consequence. But he lies.

Satan is the father of fear--he fights against faith. He is that seedling of doubt when we're about to share the gospel, when we're about to make a friend, when we're about to take a step. He is the one that whispers not to trust in God...that stops us from getting to the temple and stops us from choosing the right. He is the one that says, "But what if...? when the Spirit will always whisper, "But why not?" And he is usually the reason behind every broken promise and missed chance and wasted opportunity that we dashed because we doubted. He is the fear to say "I'm sorry." The fear to make it right. He is the fear to reach our potential. The fear of faith--and the fear of failure.

Satan is the king of confusion. He blurs all our answers and clouds up our minds... He is that knot in the pit of your stomach and the dark, raging mists and the stress-induced headache--the lack of peace that does NOT come from the Spirit. He is the raging attack that comes after we've felt the Spirit or received revelation from God. Maybe he comes as a whirlwind, or maybe he sneaks like a gas leak, but either way, the effects of his warfare are fatal. He incites us to lose confidence in what's right. He blurs our vision and makes it hard to see. He creates a haze that we alone could never penetrate...a heavy mist that doesn't lift with the rain. Where instead of winning the race, we head back to the stands to sit down, because in a moment of haze, we forgot why we ran, and the fatigue became all we could see... But then the fog clears, and we realize what we've done. We realize all we've lost... We see all the time we've wasted. And I know, because it's happened to me. Hang on to the spiritual impressions. "If it was right then, it's right now." Confusion is NOT a gift of the Spirit.

Satan is the king of distraction. And it's the biggest tool he's got. Break out the modern warfare... He is every text you've ever gotten at mutual, every time you checked your phone in sacrament meeting, every time you forgot to say your prayers... He is the "I'll read my scriptures tomorrow" and the "I'll repent next Sunday" and the "We're too busy for Family Home Evening today..." He shifts our focus from the good to the not-so-important, and he makes the bad look even more desirable. He makes us forget what we "came here to do in the first place." That instead of running the race, we run off to chase butterflies and catch one for our sister... And the butterflies are great, but we realize too late--after the race is over and the crowds have all gone home--that the trophy would have meant a lot more to both her and to you than the butterflies you may or may not have caught. He is the reason we don't get things done. All he wants is for us to forget... Like we forgot that one time that we passed through the veil, all his energies are intent on keeping us from remembering again.

Sometimes I forget that my mind is a battlefield. Sometimes I forget that my heart is one, too... But sometimes, when I remember, I can see the battle there. I hear the cannons and feel the shouting, and it makes me want to fight. I see him now in the mist of darkness and the decoys and distractions. I see him in the doubts and in the fears. And he will always be there, but if I see him, I can beat him...because God will always win. And if I stand with Him, I will win here, too.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

"For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The only way to overcome our enemy is to stand up and fight him. The only way to survive his attacks is to shield ourselves against them. But if we stand up as witnesses, as ambassadors in bonds, and put on the armor of God...we will withstand in these últimos días--and having done all, we will triumph.

And having done all, we will WIN.

Satan is the father of lies...the father of fear. He is the king of confusion, the king of distraction, the author of sin. But our Enemy is weak. He has holes in his armor just like we do in ours. He is angry and fearful and confused and distracted. And we? We are children of God.

If we can see him, we can win.

Read the scriptures. Say your prayers. Then take the time to see him.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!:)

Con Amor,
Hermana Sanford