The church I grew up in did not talk about spiritual warfare. I can honestly say I do not remember a time where I even heard the enemy mentioned except for a verse in the song "I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy," where we sung, "And if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack." As if that was the most harmful fate for him that we could think of.

So as a result, I grew up timid thinking that everything that went on between my ears was entirely my fault and I believed every thought I heard. An anxiety disorder diagnosis, 13 years worth of daily medication, and 22 years of my life later, someone finally told me that wasn't the case and I could do something about it. About 2 years ago I was in a study for the book, Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. It was the first time I heard about rebuking out loud, and the first time I really learned anything about how to defeat the enemy. I worked to put these strategies into practice and finally found some relief over the ploys of the enemy. Some of my friends and I even adapted the famous phrase from Jesus, "Get behind me satan." And we used it for everything regardless of if it was relevant or not.

Yesterday, I was thinking and the Lord led my mind back to that phrase. I thought about how my friends and I used to use it and said to myself, "Man I haven't heard that in a while." But as I really started to meditate on it I started to understand the implications of it.

"Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:23 (NIV)

When Jesus rebuked in this way, at the root of it He was rebuking that which was trying to come against what God had called Him to be: to be the Savior of the world. Satan is not creative, I mean how many times has he come against your calling or who God says you are? It's an age old game!

When I thought about this verse, God spoke this phrase to me, "Don't let the devil cut in front of you." I thought that was a game changer. The enemy is forever separate from the favor and promises of the Lord. When we as humans wait in line, we are usually waiting to receive something that we want or need. This is a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. We are constantly anticipating the good he has for us! Our enemy is going to do anything he can to meander his way up to the front because he is jealous.

This reminds me of the primal instincts I see in my students in the lunchroom. There's at least one person every day who thinks they should be allowed to cut in line to get to the front faster; as if they have less time to eat than other students. And what happens when they do? The people behind them are angry of course! But usually, especially in middle school, the people who cut don't cut in front of the bold who will call them out on it, they cut in front of the timid. Why? Well of course because they are an easy target and won't say anything. I was that way as a student; I would be seething with anger, but I wouldn't say anything out of fear.

We can't let Satan do this to us! The Bible says in Proverbs 28:1 that the righteous are as bold as lions, so why do we shrink back from a jealous serpent that we could crush under our feet within seconds?

Don't let the devil cut in front of you! Stand up for yourself because you have the authority under Christ Jesus. Jesus paid the price for you to have your rightful place in line, don't let the enemy tell you any more that he is in charge; he does "not have in mind for you the concerns of God, but the concerns of this world!" Stand boldly in that line waiting on Christ's promises and blessings and don't let anyone, namely the enemy, cut in front of you and act as a "stumbling block" for what God has for you.