I got bit by a little black chihuahua!

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/gen.3.1.niv

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/1pe.5.8.niv

I know you are looking at those pictures of those chihuahuas and thinking “how cute.” Do not be fooled! One bit me the other day! Yep, you read that correctly. A cute little black chihuahua dog bit me on the back of my leg!  He was very crafty and cunning.  More cunning than the brown chihuahua that came out with him.  Now you may wonder who gets bit by cute little chihuahua dogs.  Me!  That would be me!  This time my enemy was not prowling around looking for someone to devour.  This time my enemy attacked me from behind.  He came out of nowhere, and he was quick!  I heard his little pitty pat paw sounds running up behind me, but at that time I was not paying attention to them.  My mind was pondering a certain worry that had been plaguing me for many months.  I was completely caught off guard when I felt the pain of razor sharp teeth tearing through my calf muscle.  Looking back over the event now, I can see I was out of position.  Usually when I walk, I listen to praise and worship music and sing and praise the Lord.  That makes my exercise time seem shorter.  This day I just didn’t want to do that.  I wanted to worry about my circumstances.  Now I am not saying had I been listening to worship, I would not have been bit; but yeah,  if I had been spending my time worshiping, I might not have been bit.  The enemy snuck up on me and mutilated my flesh.

“Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.” Philippians 3:2 NLT.

I wasn’t on the look out for little black chihuahua dogs with razor sharp teeth that rush out at you from behind.  God’s word tells me to rejoice and have an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/jas.1.2.niv

So, I am going to rejoice in my suffering that day.  God taught me very valuable spiritual lessons from that encounter with the ferocious chihuahua.

1. Don’t be out of position.  If I am called to worship and praise God on my walks, then I need to worship and praise God on my walks, and don’t fixate on my worries.   “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if  anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  Philippins 4:8
2. Don’t be caught off guard.  Pay attention to warning signs.  I heard the conniving little rascal coming but I just blew the sounds off.  I never in a million years would have thought the cute little doggie would have bit me.
3. Don’t turn my back to the enemy.  My son asked me why I didn’t go up to the owner’s home and tell them their little chihuahua just took a hunk out of my flesh.  I couldn’t do that because the only way I could keep the sweet little darling from attacking again was to turn around and face my accuser. (I mean my attacker!)  Once he bit me, I whirled around and faced that chihuahua down.  I wonder what would have happened had I said, “No!  In Jesus Name I say no!”  I wish I would have handled it that way, but I am not that quick-witted.  Instead I faced my attacker and looked him squarely in the eye and commanded, “No!  No! Go home you filthy animal!”  I then backed away from him.  I didn’t dare turn and retreat.  I had to face my enemy that was the only way he didn’t attack again.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/eph.6.10-18.niv

This was my spiritual lesson taught to me all because I got bit by a little black chihuahua.  Every day I need to wear my full armor of God, and wear it properly.  This armor was not used to protect my backside.  The armor of a Roman soldier protected best when the soldier was facing and fighting the enemy.  However, that day I could have used the thigh high metal sandals Roman soldiers used.  These verses in Ephesians teach us to face our enemy, stand our ground, stand on every promise of God, and when we have done all that stand!  Just stand there!  Stand the ground that God has given you and don’t let the enemy take it from you!  Don’t retreat and don’t turn in defeat!  We have a champion who is going to fight all our battles for us.

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

The New International Version. (2011). (Re 19:11–16). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The New International Version. (2011). (Re 19:19–21). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

I bow before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords because He is my champion and he defeats all the beasts in my life!!!