“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and blow your house in!”
– The Big Bad Wolf (The Three Little Pigs)

The lighthouse image above immediately brought to mind a Spanish song I use to sing as a young man at my home church.

Funda tu casa sobre la roca
que Jesucristo te ayudara. //
Vendrá la lluvia, vendrá el viento pero tu casa no caerá. //

Build your house upon the rock
Jesus Christ will help you.
The rain will come, the wind will come
but your house will not fall.

Chances are you’ve heard about the parable of The Wise and the Foolish Builder. It is said that the rain and wind represent erroneous biblical teachings and that building on the rock represents believing and obeying the teachings of Christ.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” -Matthew 7:24 & 26

While these two analogies are correct (Jesus himself made the comparison), I would suggest that the torrential waters and gushing winds can also represent the Devil’s attack against believers. Whether it’s through false doctrines, temptations, and/or oppression, Satan relentlessly wages spiritual war against God’s children in order to accomplish his goal, which is to keep them from shining the light of Christ.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12

The stormy lighthouse image also reminded me of that famous fable turned nursery rhyme titled The Three Little Pigs. One of the interpretations of this Brothers Grimm type of tale is that the wolf represents the challenges that may come up in life unexpectedly. And the three little pigs building their homes from different materials represent what to do and what not to do to prepare for such challenges.

The wolf in this rather morbid story can also represent the Devil. Just as he was able to intimidate the first two unprepared piglets with his powerful puff, an attack by the enemy of our souls can cause unprepared Christians to shudder in fear, doubt, and anxiousness. That is why as children of the most high God and through the victory obtained at Calvary’s cross, believers should never forget that they have been given the necessary tools to fight, resist, and conquer the evil forces of darkness. In addition to the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us, the word of God tells us exactly what to do so that the Devil retreats even before he attempts to knock us down. The problem is that far too many believers have no clue how to effectively accomplish this simply because they ignore the prerequisite. They either read the instructions out of context or they have been taught wrong by others. Only when we do exactly as the word of God prescribes, will we be able to withstand the enemy’s blows and defeat him in every spiritual battle.

According to the Apostle James, the key to having commanding power over Satan is to SUBMIT to God. It’s amazing how many followers of Christ are ignorant of the authority they have over the Devil, the world, and their flesh (old nature). This power is available when we are living according to God’s word (commands, standards) and not our own moral convictions, which are usually selfish and prideful. It is only when we totally surrender to God that we begin to fight in the power of His Spirit and quickly realize that truly greater is He who lives in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Most Christians have no problem believing that God hears and answers prayer. Unfortunately, many do not have the same faith when it comes to commanding (rebuking) the Devil and his minions. This amazing scene from the movie War Room is not just a script but a real-life attitude I have witnessed in other believers and one I practice myself.

It would behoove us to not only believe, declare, and proclaim God’s promises when we pray but to also command the enemy of our souls to leave us alone when he tries to wreak havoc in our lives. But keep in mind that as long as we live for God and shine the light of Christ in this world, he will continue to blow winds of discouragement trying to tear down our lighthouses. However, if we have built our faith on the Rock of Ages (Jesus), we can stand against all the storms of life including the Devil’s strikes. Perhaps the next time he comes roaring “Let me in or I will huff and I will puff and I’ll blow your house in!” we can respond like the little pigs who cried, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin” which actually means “No, by God.” A strong “no.” Meaning, “It’s not going to happen!” In Jesus name!

Prayer: Almighty God and heavenly Father, remind me of who I am in you. Thank you for Calvary’s victory, which is now mine to declare. I submit to your lordship and stand firm on your word. And in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, my Savior, I declare that I have victory over sin, the Devil, and the world. Now get behind me Satan, in Jesus name, Amen!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES
Romans 8:11 (NLT) – The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

1 John 4:4 (KJV) – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.