You Are a High Value Target
Do you ever question your value? Do you ever wonder if what you do really matters or if anyone even cares? Well I have good news, bad news, and great news.
The Good News
You ARE valuable. You are so valuable to God that He sent his Son into the world to die for you. So by believing in His name you became a child of God and were given every provision for abundant life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.
The Bad News
You are also valuable to the enemy. In fact, you are so valuable to the kingdom of God that Satan considers you a high value target (HVT), and he seeks to destroy you. HVT is an acronym used by the CIA and FBI to denote very dangerous criminals and terrorists who have eluded capture and earned most wanted status.
One of the most notorious HVTs in recent history was Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 Americans and injured 6,000. Bin Laden was such a high value target that there was a $27,000,000 reward on his head, payable to anyone with information leading to his arrest. On May 2, 2011 they succeeded, and Bin Laden was found in Pakistan and taken down by US Navy Seals.
In Luke 22:31, Jesus warned Simon Peter that Satan desired him...that he was an HVT, on Hell's most wanted list. Simon Peter was not just any disciple. He was a member of Jesus' inner circle who had been given the keys to the kingdom. For three years he had walked in close fellowship with Jesus. You see, the longer you walk with God, the more you love him and fervently seek him, and the deeper your revelation of Him, the greater threat you pose to Satan and the more you become an HVT, a high value target of Hell.
Satan will spare no cost to separate you from your church family, pastors and spiritual voices, and family and friends who love God and love you. He never tires of tracking you, stalking you, and studying your every move, looking for any weakness he can use to derail you. And so what Jesus was essentially telling Simon Peter, and what you must understand, is that you cannot afford to relax or let your guard down. You must be careful what and who you allow into your life.
The Great News
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father praying for you. Just because you are a high value target does not mean you have to fall victim to the devil's schemes or take others down with you. Jesus said to Simon Peter, "I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren." And scriptures says that Jesus as your high priest is still interceding for you today. (see Hebrews 7:23-24)
Your faith does not have to fail. It is possible to fail just as Simon Peter did when he denied knowing Jesus, but your faith on the other hand does not have to fail. So when you fall, get back up! By the power of God, you do not have to stay down. Get back up!
How do you avoid becoming a casualty?
Steps to Victory Over the Enemy
- Stay in church- You need to come to church, submit to spiritual authority, and be connected and accountable to other believers to get your thinking right, and to remain fully awake and alert. (See Psalm 73:17) Spiritual sleep is a foothold that the enemy can use to take you or members of your family down. Staying connected to the body of Christ can be a strong deterrent to spiritual lethargy.
- Stay connected to the vine, Jesus Christ- There is power in the blood of Jesus, power that enables us to overcome the power of the enemy. Without Him you can do nothing but through Him you can do all things. You won't fail or fall if your stay connected to the vine.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” - Psalm 91:1-2
What Say You?
- How does it make you feel to know that you are a High Value Target?
- Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me O God and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." Take a moment to ask the Holy Sprit to search you. As an HVT what weaknesses has the enemy been using against you? Now ask God to cleanse and strengthen you and to lead you in the way everlasting.
- What are some practical ways you can remain connected to the vine during times of great difficulty, failure, and discouragement?
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