One of the Foremost Tactics of the Enemy

Numbers 13:30-33, ESV

30But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Numbers 14:3, ESV

Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

All throughout the Bible, obedience calls the people of God to do “illogical” things. But, sometimes faith defies logic. 

We often equate logic with wisdom, but that’s not always the case. God will often call His people to do things which seem to defy natural logic—and therefore are naturally scary—but obedience is always wisdom.

One of the enemy’s foremost tactics against the people of God is convincing them that fear is wisdom.

The enemy doesn’t whisper blatant disobedience into the hearts of the people of God, he disguises disobedience as doubt and logic—and fear.

Instead of phrasing disobedience as blatant refusal (I’m not going, I’m not giving, I’m not taking the step, etc.), he phrases it something like this: 

• If I do that thing, I might have nothing left over.

• If I do that thing, I might not have enough for retirement.

• If I do that thing, it will be too uncomfortable for my children.

• If I do that thing, people will judge me and I will look foolish.

• If I do that thing, I'll be at a loss to know what to do next.

• If I do that thing, I can't see how it will result in something better than I have now.

All too often, we struggle not to reason ourselves into disobedience because the enemy has disguised fear as wisdom.

And what’s the cost? 

The possession of our promised land.

Partnership with God to do the miraculous. 

The dispossession of the enemy and the advancement of the kingdom of God through us.

The Israelites were still God’s people, but they failed to live the fullest life God had for them—and we sure don’t want that to be our story. It will require deep intentionality and discernment not to allow the enemy to reason us into disobedience and convince us that fear is wisdom. 

Oh Lord, thank You that You call us to awesome things beyond our ability to reason or achieve. Please help us to discern through Your Spirit the voice of the enemy, even when it is disguised as wisdom. Give us the courage to do scary and even “illogical” things when You ask us to do them. Walk us into our promised lands, and use our lives to displace the enemy and advance Your Kingdom! Amen.