The enemy of our souls is very crafty. If he can get you to sit down and play a game of chess with him he will beat you every time. He loves those of us who think we are great problem solvers. How does he engage us? He does this with problems. He sends problems your way to catch your attention. You could call these problems he sends his tormentors. This is what the scriptures call them. They call you at night keeping you awake. They show up at the door of your thought life wanting to come in and distract you. They may follow you knowing where you live, your likes and dislikes.
You drove down the road and they are the one trying to hitch a ride. Problems try to get in your head and the problem solver sometimes likes the company and usually lets them in. After all he’s a problem solver. He can handle it. He’s good at it and has done it thousands of times before. Little does he know; he not only sat down for the chess match but is getting beat at the enemies own game.
Satan will keep sending problems his way like moves on a chess board and the problem solver will do a counter move against it. The enemy will give him the impression of a victory here and there with a pawn sacrificed but it’s just a set up to keep the game going. More problems more moves.
You see the enemies strategy is to keep sending problems his opponents way to be thought through and counter moved against distracting him from both having and finding peace in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Life’s problems are his chess moves to get us engaged and to sit down. But there is a scriptural way to deal with problems without the chess match with the devil. You see we have a bodyguard whose name is Peace, the Prince of Peace who keeps guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
His purpose is to keep guard over you to prevent problems from stealing, killing and destroying all that God has done and is wanting to do for you through your faith walk with him. Problems are an enemy and wage war against the soul. They come to steal your love, your joy and most of all your peace of mind. It states in Philippians 4: 6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Prayer, supplication with thanksgiving is the way we invoke the Prince of Peace, our bodyguard to stand guard over our hearts and minds. We will see our choices, both good and bad and the choices of others as an opportunity for faith in God’s goodness and willingness to help us through. Doing so will also help us avoid seeing ourselves as the great problem solver drawn in by the enemy to the unending chess matches he is certain to win.