“When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.” // Luke 11:21 

Despite the fact that I was riding the “mountaintop high” following a great youth conference, I couldn’t help but feel discouraged as the gate agent announced yet another flight delay. The priest I was traveling with would likely miss his connecting flight. I wanted to get home. We both felt defeated, as if the good work we’d just done was negated because we were stuck in a Canadian airport for who knew how long. Spiritual attack seems most real when you’ve done God’s work and then can’t get home after.

“Let’s pray,” Father said, and he asked the Lord to “provide a hedge of protection around us.” I sort of rolled my eyes in the airport. Prayer is great, but Jesus’ “hedge of protection” wasn’t going to get me on a flight. But it did unify me to the Lord in the moment.

Eventually, we did fly out of Halifax. Father made his connection. I got in my car, ready to drive two hours home from the airport. Ninety minutes later, as rain poured, I hit a pothole and popped a tire. When I was conveniently able to pull right off the interstate into the parking lot of a Holiday Inn, I felt Jesus’ “hedge of protection.” 

Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel (see Luke 11:15-26) to fully arm ourselves to be protected against the attacks sure to come. However those attacks may manifest, and whenever the evil one tries to separate us from the Lord, the simplest of prayers can unite us to the Lord. When united to Jesus, nothing can stand against us. He helps us see spiritual attacks for what they are: the silly attempts of a desperate devil trying to distract us from the love of the Lord. 

How can you unite yourself to the Lord today? Ask for a hedge of protection, and to be armed with His love, so that we can stand in the glory of the Lord while the chaos of our world swirls around us. Stand united in the house of the Lord, and nothing will stand against us.