Victorious Life

Psalm 91:3 [NKJV]
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

This is one of those somewhat obscure Scriptures that we can easily read over without giving it much thought. However, this Scripture has a very powerful message for us that will encourage us in our walk with the Lord.

Let’s begin by looking at this “fowler.” The term refers to one who catches birds in a trap or a snare. This concept, as we explore it, will teach us much about the enemy of our souls and how he operates. You see, a fowler, unlike a hunter, does not seek to kill its prey. Therefore, a fowler has a very distinct mode of operation. The most basic thing a fowler will use is his ability to figure out what a bird will do next given a specific set of circumstances. In other words, the fowler must be able to predict how the bird will behave. Once the fowler is able to predict the bird’s behavior, he will know where, how and what kind of trap will work for that particular bird. The fowler will seek to make the snare appear as normal as possible in its surroundings and he will take great pains to not be seen, heard or smelled. It has to appear as if he is not there at all.

Now, in Psalm 91, the fowler is a picture of the devil himself. We realize then that one of his greatest weapons against us is knowing how we will behave in different circumstances. Have you heard of people that can “push someone’s buttons” and get a reaction? That is exactly what the enemy does. He has studied human psychology for millenia and he knows just how the natural man reacts. Here is an important key–he understands how “the flesh” will react given different problems and circumstances. This is crucial when seeking to “snare,” deceive and trick an opponent. The devil does not come at us in an open attack, like you see in the movies. He knows that, “greater is He that is in [us] than he that is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

I once read a story of a battle between the Chinese and the Japanese. The Japanese had tanks that seemed absolutely invincible. The Chinese, however, discovered a simple way to defeat them. They would set up a sniper near the path a tank was traversing. The sniper would fire one round at the side of the tank. “Clang!” the tank driver would hear. The sniper would wait exactly five seconds and fire again. “Clang!” Five seconds and, “Clang!” After several shots timed like this, the tank driver would become curious. “What is making this noise? Is something loose?” he would ask. He then would open the hatch and stick his head out to investigate. There would be one more shot, only this time it was not aimed at the side of the tank. The Chinese disabled countless tanks this way because they were able to predict how the tank driver would react to a clanging noise timed five seconds apart.

So, if the enemy can predict how you or I will behave then we are lost!

Not so fast, let’s fast forward to the New Testament. Jesus is meeting with a man named Nicodemus one evening and tells him something that is the key to our survival and deliverance from the snare of the fowler. Here it is:

John 3:6-8 [NKJV]
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (Emphasis mine)

I hope you realize what Jesus is saying; when we are born of the Spirit we have the potential and the ability to be unpredictable! The devil can predict what the flesh will do but he cannot predict how the Spirit will respond to any situation. You and I can be like the wind and Satan will not be able to tell where we come and where we go! Now I say that we have the potential to be unpredictable because as we look at the whole counsel of God’s Word, we see there is something we have to do:

Galatians 5:16 [NKJV]
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

We have to WALK in the Spirit. And you may ask, “How do I do that?” I’m so glad you asked! It’s pretty easy but it takes practice. Here’s what you do. Next time somebody is “pushing your buttons” ask yourself, “What do I want to say right now?”

STOP! Don’t say it–there’s a snare of the fowler down that path!

Ask yourself, “What do I want to do to this person?”

STOP! Don’t do it–there’s a snare of the fowler down that path!

Hit the “Pause” button and listen. This is what Isaiah says:

Isaiah 30:21 [NKJV]
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“ This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

That word will always lead you in a path that lines up with God’s Word and that path is ALWAYS snare-less. So, my prayer for you and for me today is, “Lord make us unpredictable as we walk in the Spirit.”

That’s how He delivers us from the snare of the fowler.

Filed under: The Spirit-Led Life