And then . . . the attack.
It occurred at the regular Tuesday play following the big three-day championships. I came in with confidence in my game, and started out just fine, but then I started shanking and hooking and chunking and my anxiety level rose. I had no idea what I was doing wrong. And this final event I was headed for next week was along side top club golfers in Northern California. My calm and confidence had just been shattered.
Now I was nervous and fearful of embarrassing myself. As the round continued, it was like I had never held a club.
Satan knew what he was doing.
He had me focusing on what was going wrong. On the negative. Even after all that had gone right. And once I started to do that, I was toast.
But that’s how Satan works, isn’t it? His ploy is to have us focus not on God’s faithfulness but on our insufficiencies. He has us trusting in your own “chariots” (Psalm 20:7) rather than on the strength of God, and when our “chariots” lose a wheel, we feel vulnerable.
Fortunately, I knew what to do. I did not try to fix the problem myself as that usually led to worse problems. No, I set up a lesson with my instructor. He would be able to spot the issue and help me correct it.
Likewise, any time Satan attacks those areas we feel confident in, we need return to our true source of confidence—the master—God himself.
God reminds us that Satan is always on the prowl “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
We should go to the master instructor rather than try to fix our insecurities within our own power: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Psalm 3:5-6).
In the meantime, we should “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
And if we do then “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (vs. 7).