You are probably wondering how in the world does a leader and armadillos relate to our verse this week?  You will soon know.  My wife and I recently spent considerable money to have the old and overgrown shrubs removed from the front flower beds at our home and replaced with beautiful new and somewhat expensive shrubs.  Three weeks ago, armadillos came calling and almost dug or rooted all of them up and badly damaged several of them.  To me, they were like roaring lions seeking to devour our precious and beautiful new possessions.  They never came in the daylight and always attacked in the darkness of night.  I tried using an animal repellent but it didn’t work.  Google had a few answers such as mothballs.  I have tried trapping but with little success.  My current plan of attack is to keep my rifle in the family room and try to catch them when the motion detected security light comes on.  It came on last night but I could not get out early enough to take a shot.  Since the light had not come on for several days, I had left the rifle back in the bedroom and couldn’t retrieve it in time to catch that “little devil.”  I hope to be ready tonight with a different outcome.

This real-life example is a reminder that spiritual leaders must be watchful at all times for adversaries and roaring lions who seek to devour us and our homes.  They attack the possessions of our Christian walk, our families, and ministries.  If we are in the light, their attacks are more easily identified, defeated, and flee from us.  The most often and most successful attacks are when it is dark, we get lax with our defense and when we are most vulnerable.  Their destruction can be devastating and kill life around us like my new shrubs.  They are identified and killed out by shining the light of the Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  You may disagree with my new plan of how to handle these pests but I want to do to them what we must do to the spiritual enemy attacking us.  A friend asked me, “I thought armadillos were an endangered species?”  My answer was quick, “They are around my house.”  That must be our approach to the prowling and roaring lions of the devil around us and our house.  Make him an endangered species.  We are to always be watchful and not get lax to leave our weapons of defense in the back room.  If mothballs work, then I will use the less stringent attack.  If not, then more severe action will be needed.  One last comment that might bring a laugh, “My high school mascot was the armadillo.”  I still don’t like them for what they do in devouring my pretty new shrubs and flowers.  I am a leader facing the adversary of armadillos.