Devotions
Fush Out the Animal: The Devil’s Tactic
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
A Lesson from the
Hunt
I was watching a documentary recently that included a short scene about hunting. A group of hunters was chasing a young wild pig, and the frightened animal ran into a bush to hide. The leader of the group told the others, “Flush out the animal.” The hunters began making noise, beating the trees, and clanging metal together. They created such an unbearable commotion that the pig eventually ran out of its hiding place. The hunters, waiting outside the bush, killed it easily. What the animal did not know was that the bush was the safest place it could be. If it had stayed hidden a little longer, the hunters may have grown tired and left. Its danger was not in the hiding place; its danger came when it was pressured into leaving it.
The Enemy’s Strategy
“Flush out the animal” is one of the devil’s
deadly tactics against God’s children. The enemy knows that as long as we
remain hidden in God’s hand, he has no power over us. So he creates disturbance
around us until we are tempted to step out of the safety of God’s presence on
our own. This is why Scripture tells us to be sober-minded and watchful. The
devil’s goal is not merely to disturb or frighten us; his goal is to destroy
us. The noise, fear, pressure, and confusion are all part of his strategy to
lure us away from God’s protection.
He may roar like an angry lion and throw all
kinds of trouble at us. He may attack our health, family, career, or finances.
He may try to convince us that God has forgotten us, that waiting on Him is
useless, and that we must find our own way out.
This is the same tactic Satan used when he
tempted Jesus. After forty days of fasting, he urged Him to turn stones into
bread. In other words, he tempted Jesus to step outside the Father’s will and
meet His need on His own terms. But Jesus resisted, and Satan left Him for a
time while angels came and ministered to Him (Matthew 4:1-11).
The Lord remains our safest refuge. As Proverbs
18:10 says, “The Lord is a strong fortress. The godly run to him and are
safe.” Job understood this truth. Even when the enemy tried to push him to
“curse God and die,” Job refused to leave the fortress of God’s protection.
Remain Hidden in God
The
writer of Psalm 119 declared, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope
in your word.” (Psalm 119:114, ESV). The people of the Bible knew what it
meant to face unrest, opposition, and pressure. Ezra, who is believed by some
to be connected with this psalm, grew up as a refugee in a foreign land. Even
after returning to his homeland, he faced resistance from those who opposed his
leadership. David, the author of many psalms, was tempted by his own men to
kill Saul and take a shortcut to the throne.
The
common lesson in these stories is clear: to defeat the enemy, we must remain
watchful, vigilant, and anchored in God. We must refuse the pressure to leave
the only safe place from the devil’s hunting. Remain hidden in God’s
protection. Walk in obedience to His Word. Wait on His promises. If you endure
the noise and refuse to be flushed out, the enemy will flee, and God will
strengthen you in His presence
Posted : Jul 06, 2026