You Are a Human Target
Have you checked out the Fox show called "Human Target?" Alpha-male Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) plays a former assassin turned bodyguard who assumes the identities of the people he protects. He’s got mad skills (maybe superpowers?), state of the art technology, and he simultaneously delivers witty punch lines and elbows to his enemies faces.
Watching "Human Target" is basically the TV equivalent of sucking down a Red Bull while riding a roller coaster during a hurricane. So if "American Idol" has put you to sleep because you simply can’t translate what Stephen Tyler is trying to communicate, be sure and wake up after Idol to see Chance take another chance with his own life to save others.
I can tell you for certain that if I had a chance to jump into my TV screen and be a part of "Human Target," I wouldn’t need any time to make my decision. No, I wouldn’t last two seconds in Mark Valley’s role, but I could be the nameless dude on the bullet train who goes “dude, you rock!” when he ker-plows some eeeeeevil villain.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen anytime soon, but I realized when thinking about this show that I am also a human target. Not from a shadow agency or foreign super villain, rather this enemy is THE enemy. He’s described in these no uncertain terms:
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
I don’t know if you’ve ever been around a roaring lion, but it is one of the most terrifying sights known to humanity. Satan is portrayed as a bloodthirsty killer on the loose, seeking human targets to take down any way he can. Make a note to yourself that Christians who don’t pay careful attention to what’s going on around them are going to enter into a world of trouble they should have seen coming. Not that you should look for a demon behind every corner, but don’t fall asleep at the wheel of your life’s journey.
Remember also that it is critically important to protect yourself with the spiritual “equipment” God has promised to every believer in Jesus:
So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you.
Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people. And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret. For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison. Pray that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should (Ephesians 6:14-20).
Because you truly are a human target, you must start each day by covering yourself with spiritual defenses that enable you to defeat the enemy and accomplish the great things God has planned for you! Tell the truth always, and believe the truth that God has saved you from your old self. Trust that God has everything under control, and memorize Bible verses that keep you from giving into temptation.
And…most importantly…did you notice the last part of the passage? Paul asks his friends to pray for him to “be bold in speaking the gospel” - in other words, this is one your primary weapons against the devil and his plans!
The gospel message about salvation through trusting in Jesus Christ is an explosive and earth shattering power that is pretty much like a spiritual elbow in the face of Satan. If you are ready and willing to be a part of THE Cause and look every day for opportunities to share the good news, you can quiet the roaring lion and send him running with his tail tucked between his legs if you have the right equipment in your arsenal.
So, if you’ve been feeling like a human target, it’s because you are. Be alert and be prepared for each day by donning the armor of God and launching the gospel message as you seek to protect your friends from being casualties in the cosmic battle for souls.
Now that is a chance worth taking!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
When you start to see yourself and your friends as human targets of the devil, you start to understand what’s really going on in the world. This week, pay attention to how the lion is roaring at you and also trying to keep you from sharing the gospel with your friends. Over time it will be very difficult for Satan to sneak up on you, and you just might get to see the greatest miracle of all - the salvation of a human being!
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Father, cover me with Your armor as I speak the truth, believe Your truth, stand in my salvation, and memorize Your Word. Protect me from the enemy of my soul and give me the boldness each day to share the gospel as I should.
Read: James 4:7. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Get: Check out “The Top 10 Questions About Satan and Spiritual Warfare.”
