What’s the “Scouting Report” on You?

Going into the NBA Finals, World Series, Super Bowl or any other sports finale, both teams “study film” and look for chinks in the armor of the other team. It got me thinking about the “scouting report” the enemy has on me, and on God’s man. If I were the enemy, how would I seek to destabilize or destroy my life? Answering this question, can help God’s man see life through a different set of lenses and be prepared.

Here’s a game plan for God’s man, outlining the enemy’s scouting report on you, with a strategy to win the battle for God.

Notice in 1 Peter 5:8-9 that the enemy of God’s man is seeking someone to devour, like a lion. Interesting that even a lion does a scouting report on its victim, sizing it up, planning an approach and pouncing at the victim’s moment of weakness. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”

Now notice the verse tells God’s man to resist the enemy and stand firm. So how do we do that?

First, take an honest assessment of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example,

Sobriety: God warns us to be alert and of “sober mind.” If you use alcohol or drugs to handle problems, you are weakening your defenses and making you a sitting duck.

Past Hurts: Emotional scars that go unhealed with God’s love, can be opened up and used against you. The enemy likes to pile on when you are down.

Pride: The enemy loves when God’s man ego gets in the way of his spiritual relationship with Christ. It’s almost too easy to pump up a man, and let him fall in the very pit he dug for himself.

Women: An unhealthy focus on women can become an idol, replacing God, and giving the enemy ammunition to keep you distracted from God’s plan.

Anger: Lack of self-control in the area of anger can lead to behavior that can derail your life almost instantly. The enemy will attack here to spur anger in many ways and hope for violent outbursts that hurt you and your loved ones.

Greed: Man cannot serve God and money, the Bible says. So the enemy will do what he  can to make you feel like you need more, so you do whatever it takes to earn more and take your eyes of serving Jesus.

Power: God calls God’s man to be a “servant,” yet the enemy uses the quest for power to give men a false sense of security, then strip it away and leave God’s man devastated at the worst times.

Lies: The enemy is the author of lies, so he uses lies to get us to believe lies, and share them which is contrary to knowing and following the Truth.

These are a few examples, but I encourage you to make a list and consider your weaknesses, and establish a trigger so you know when you are at risk.

The game plan includes two simple steps. Be prepared by:

• Putting on the “armor of God.” Read Ephesians 6: 10-18 and do what it says.
• Surround yourself with other men who you can confess to and work through issues together, including praying together.
• Resist the enemy using the name of “Jesus.”

If you are feeling weak, and feel like the scouting report on you is working, then find Godly men to hang out with, call on the name of Jesus and pray. There is a better way. God’s way.