Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at your Table

by Louie Giglio

1. What did I learn from the book? The book is centered around Psalms 23. It speaks of life’s struggles of the mind. I have found my struggle not to be with others but with my flesh. Ephesians 6:12 states, “But my battles have been against principalities and powers of darkness.” Jesus had never made me afraid. He has never put thoughts about despair in my mind. The negative thoughts have come from someone else. Unfortunately, I am the only one who invites the enemy to my table. Psalms 23:5 states, ” You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” You ever thought why Jesus would want a one-on-one meal with you in front of your enemies? For each of us I feel the answer is and can be different. When I think about it I think God is setting a table of nourishment and refreshment in the midst of my trouble. It is a message of victory. The devil wants nothing more than to crush me. He wants to steal from me everything of value. He wants to kill everything in my life that is good. He wants to destroy me.But the message of Psalms 23 is that the Good Shepherd prepared a table for me. It’s a table for two, and the devil is not invited to sit. Even though bad things happen, I will still praise the Lord. Even though bad things happen, I will not let my mind be lost to the enemy. We must realize loss is part of our story as humans. We all walk through grief, disappointment, and discouragement. Allowing the enemy to have a say in our lives should not be normal. Have you ever noticed that the enemy is quiet at first when he sits down? Friendly even and you might not recognize him when he first sits down. He often appears to be on our side at the start. He promises relief from our troubles. He will use every device available to worm his thoughts in your brain. It could be through a movie, a conversation, or a social media post. Regardless, the way he gains access his goals are the same. He wants to kill your relationship with God and divide you from the people you love. When you are up against the enemy, the circumstances are poised to take you out, and when the devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know there’s an all-powerful Good Shepherd with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. That’s the Jesus of Psalm 23.
2. How will I use this book in the future? Even though times in my life are hard, I am not alone. God knows I am having a hard time. He knows the way is dark. He hasn’t promised to deliver me from the situation. But, He’s promised to see me through the trouble. That’s a big difference. I must also stop thinking at times life is hopeless. I am not hopeless Jesus lives in me. I have a prepared table set for two where I can discuss all my problems with Jesus.