Fortress

     At camp this year I played a game for the first time that was called Fortress. In Fortress there's a lot of pushing, shoving, and dragging (it's a perfect game for girls like me with no coordination or athletic skill to speak of). But the entire point is to try and get the other teams' flags to your side and to guard yours from them. The more people that are guarding the flag, the harder it is for the other team to get to it. If the other team can get enough people out, they're eventually going to get the flag. So, if you're smart, you're going to try and protect your teammates. 

    The same is true with our spiritual battles. If we want to guard our beliefs and standards and churches from getting overtaken by the enemy (Satan) then we will help protect our teammates. If Satan is taking down people at your church, won't it be easier for him to ruin the church? If everyone is falling away won't your Pastor be discouraged? So how can you help "protect your teammates"? 

"Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon." -Martin Luther

    Prayer is how we can defend our fellow believers. Pray for your pastor and other leaders in your church, pray for your friends, pray for your church as a whole. Only God can protect you and your church from Satan's attacks, so we must ask daily for His help. 

    Our church is our safe place, a place where we can come together to be with other believers and get away from the worlds influence. We need to protect our "fortress" from Satan's attacks. Prayer is a weapon we can wield against him- use it!