Recently, I moved into a new house. One morning I opened the pantry door and there on a honey jar were dozens of small ants. It seemed this small multitude had appeared overnight from nowhere!

It was a Sunday morning, so I did not want to take time to clean everything up; I wiped the pantry shelf with a damp cloth and set the honey jar in the sink. When I got home in the afternoon, I went to the sink and there were dozens of ants all over the honey jar again. Eventually I got rid of them and forgot about them. A few weeks later, though, I noticed one or two ants crawling on the kitchen counter. Here they were again!

The ants reminded me of how Satan comes and tries to overrun our faith and impede our relationship with God. Sometimes he comes in “as a flood” and other times he is more subtle. Both methods are disturbing. Like the ants, Satan does not give us any warning. One day we are peacefully living our lives, and then here he comes, trying to discourage us through any means he can find. He always looks for our most vulnerable spots and attacks us through them.

As Christians, we must expect trials and tests. Jesus told us they would come. The key to overcoming is to put our trust in the Lord. He sees what tribulations lay ahead and He knows what tactics the devil has planned. Jesus has already overcome anything we might come up against in this world, and if we watch and pray, He will surely guide us through every trial.

Ants are very persistent, and so is our enemy the devil. He fights as though he has nothing to lose and does not give up easily. We may feel we have deflected his assault, only to have him reappear in another area. If we are feeling weary, we must remember that the battle is the Lord’s and the devil is no match for our God. As long as we are relying on His grace and strength, we will overcome.

Do not let the tribulations of life take away your good cheer. Instead, rejoice in the assurance that you can overcome them all through Jesus!