Deceptive
Decoys
By Karen D’Amore
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)
Along a path I travel daily is a
large pond, flanking a neighboring church. As dusk fell on a routine trip, I
spotted an animal lying in the grass area surrounding the pond. Pulling into
the church parking lot, I zoomed in with my iPhone’s camera and identified the
animal as a coyote. After snapping a few pictures, I called out in an attempt
to spur movement. As the coyote remained motionless, darkness inhibited my
sight. The next morning, while passing the pond on my way to work, I noticed
the same coyote…now standing…in the location where it had previously been
laying. With my tender heart for wildlife spurring concern for its well-being,
I considered calling the local wildlife rescue center, until….a third pass by
the pond revealed that I’d been fooled by a… deceptive decoy!
Desiring to humanely deter the “messy”
geese from overtaking the pond and parking lot, the church used decoys as an
effective deterrent. For the remainder of that season, the pond and surrounding
area remained goose-free due to the placement of the coyote decoys.
The next summer, the coyote decoys
were once again placed around the pond; however, within a few weeks…the pond
was overflowing with geese. I won’t embarrass myself by sharing how I was eventually
fooled (again) by swan decoys that replaced the coyote decoys, but I do have an
elaborate photo collection of the fake birds! Spurring my curiosity, research
revealed that decoys eventually become ineffective if they’re not moved around
periodically. While the decoys - - whether coyotes or swans - - remained in the exact location, the geese
wised-up, recognizing that the decoys were “fake predators” exhibiting no
threat to them.
My comical photo collection of fake
coyotes and plastic swans impelled me to consider “deceptive decoys” which pose
a threat to believers. In Ephesians 6:11, we’re exhorted to guard against the “devil’s
schemes.” As a “master of deception”
(Daniel 8:25) Satan’s arsenal of “deceptive decoys” are endless. We’re warned
in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” Using
deceptive decoys that change constantly in appearance and position, Satan will
do everything in his power to fool us and deter us from The Truth. Like the
geese, as Christ-followers, we need to wise-up, exercise discernment and protect
ourselves from being fooled by the devil’s deceptive decoys.
Are you ready to foolproof your
life? “Submit yourselves therefore to
God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, KJV).
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Identify areas of your life where you’re vulnerable to Satan’s deceptive
devices and resist being fooled!
FURTHER
READING:
Married to Dan,
Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns
Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility.
