DEVOTION / Don't be deceived by Satan's Ruperts

D-Day deception

On the early morning of June 6, 1944, D-Day, 500 paradummies landed all over Normandy.

That's not a misspelling. Paradummies. These fake parachutists were made from cloth bags filled with sand and straw. Although they were under three feet tall, to German soldiers looking up at them from the ground and against a dark sky, they appeared to be real soldiers.

This deception was launched by the British air force. The fake parachutists helped to pull German soldiers away from the Normandy beaches where the real invasion was about to take place.

Ruppert

The dummies all shared a name: Rupert.

When was the last time you were deceived by Satan's Ruperts?

• Perhaps when he overruled your worship time with a skyful of "important" tasks. Then, since you were spiritually weakened, he attacked you where you left gaps in the armor of God's Word.

• Perhaps when he tempted you to spend so much time battling the Ruperts of your career that the spiritual health of your marriage and family was open to invasion.

God’s armor

How do we avoid being deceived by the devil's paradummies? We arm ourselves with his Word. Dressed head-to-toe in that armor, we can defend ourselves from frontal attacks and fifth column deception. Dressed head-to-toe in that armor, we are brilliant battlefield strategists, courageous warriors, and fully armored military vehicles.

This is the Spirit's promise about his Word of truth, power, and protection:

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 (Ephesians 6:10-17)