In Jesus' NameSample

The Bull Moose Principle

Every fall, groups of male Alaskan bull moose gather and battle for dominance during breeding season. They literally go head-to-head, their massive antlers crushing together as they collide and attack each other. Sometimes their antlers—a moose’s only weapon—get broken in the fight. Without antlers, defeat is inevitable. In the end, the moose with the biggest and strongest antlers is the one who triumphs in battle.

Here’s what’s so interesting about that. The strength of a moose’s antlers comes from a healthy summer diet, when the moose is continually eating. Once fall arrives, a moose can do nothing to strengthen his antlers. So, the battle which is fought in the fall is really won in the summer! The moose that consistently eats the best diet ends up being the strongest and best prepared for a guaranteed victory. Those that don’t prepare by eating well end up with weaker antlers, with less strength and are, ultimately, defeated.

There’s a valuable lesson we, as believers, can learn from this example. Spiritual battles will come your way. It’s inevitable. Our adversary, Satan, is constantly on the prowl looking for an opportune moment to attack. You can’t escape it or ignore it. Satan’s goal is to make God seem small and every situation appear unsolvable. John 10:10 says that our Enemy is lying in wait, ready to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” And John 8:44 says, “He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning.” The Devil wants to destroy your family, attack your health, crush your career, kill your dreams, strip away your worth—he wants to completely annihilate you.

The question is: will you be victorious or will you end up walking away in defeat? Just as a moose needs to be in a constant state of preparation before battle by eating food that will build up his strength, we as Christians need to be in a constant state of preparation for the spiritual battles we face every day by building up our strength through continual prayer, obedience and meditation on God’s Word.

It’s not easy, though. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” So, how do we stay alert? By praying! In the days of the early church of Acts, the disciples discovered a key spiritual principle that is still true for us today: “We will give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4). They knew that they couldn’t afford to grow weary and discouraged in their prayer life because spiritual warfare is always brewing.

Here’s the good news: When you’re in a constant state of being tuned into God and hearing, believing and obeying what He’s saying to you, He will lead you to victory! In fact, He even assures our victory. Romans 8 says, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:31, 37, NLT).

Winning the battle is as simple as asking the Captain of the Hosts what He wants you to do and then doing it! In order to fight and be victorious, we need His heavenly strategy—His playbook. We need to meet with Him not only to receive the battle plan but also to receive strength (2 Samuel 22:40; Job 12:13). There is no substitute for spending time with God through prayer and getting into His Word. There is no other way to win the battle.

As you engage in prayer, ask God for His strength and His wisdom. He has already given you “the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). All you have to do to access that power and authority is stay connected to and abide in Him (John 15:1–7). As you remain in prayer, nourishing your spirit, God is bulking up your antlers, preparing you for the day you come head-to-head with the Enemy.

When it comes to dealing with a fight in the natural, often the best advice is to simply walk away ... but you can’t do that in the spiritual. Whether you want to be or not, you are engaged in a spiritual fight ... but here’s the good news—God is in the fight with you!

~ Robert Morris

Prayer

Father, thank You for showing me how to prepare for spiritual battles by listening to You and developing my strength through continual prayer. You have provided the weapons I need to defeat the Enemy just as Jesus defeated him through the cross. Your Word says that I am not unaware of his schemes. Thank You for giving me Your direction, strength, wisdom and power to defeat Satan and his forces. Help me to remember to ask You what You want me to do and to always hear, believe and obey You. Thank You that I can be fully confident of the outcome because You have given me Your heavenly strategy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

• Pray and ask God to prepare you for any spiritual battles coming your way.


• Read books about spiritual warfare such as the Gateway devotional, The Battle, and The Way of the Warrior series by Graham Cooke.

Memory Verse

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)