The Arrows of the Evil One

The night can be a frightening time—can’t it? You simply can’t see what’s out there.

I remember when we were visiting Africa and were sleeping in these tents out on the open range. It’s an amazing thing, because when night falls in Africa sounds come out of the jungle that you have never heard in your life. Bizarre sounds, sounds like something out of a movie, except they were real. When night fell, it was a scary thing to listen to these groans and roars and chirps. You think, What on earth is out there? Darkness can be a frightening thing.

But Psalm 91:5 tells us that we don’t have to be afraid of the arrow that flies by day nor of the terror by night. God will be with you day and night, hell or high water, through thick or thin.

The arrow is an interesting word here in Psalm 91:5. Paul also uses it in Ephesians 6, where he warns us of the flaming arrows of the wicked one. It’s interesting because, back in that culture, arrows played a significant role in battle. The enemy would often light their arrows and barrage their opponent with them. They would fire hundreds, even thousands of flaming arrows. If you longed to live, you had to protect yourself from them.

The devil will fire flaming arrows at us as well. It might be a flaming arrow of fear, or a flaming arrow of impure thoughts, or a flaming arrow of hatred. But fear not, God promises to protect us from the arrows of the evil one. God’s people will still suffer difficulties in life. But God promises that He will be with you no matter what you go through. Fear not, He will see you through it.