Have you ever heard of the First United States Army group of WWII lead by General Patton in a mission called Operation Fortitude? What about the British 12th Army division which was equipped and trained to move in invading Europe?
Neither of these armies actually ever existed in reality. They were invented by British and American intelligence agency to fool the German army into believing the D-Day attacks would take place at other locations. They worked incredibly well and the Germans believed these were real and substantial armies with large troop sizes and equipment. Operation Fortitude was a complete fake! All of this deception went on while the real mission was being planned in great secrecy.
When I read about this deception of the German army, my mind reflected upon the great deceiver–Satan. Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). I couldn’t help but consider how many fake enemies Satan puts into our minds. Consider these:
- 1st Infantry of Worry and Anxiety – This fictitious infantry comes to us daily. We worry and get anxious about our health, wealth, friendships, kids, salvation, work, and on-and-on we go. Jesus commands us not to worry and instructs us to trust our heavenly Father (Mat. 6:25-34). Satan deceives us into believing we must worry, it is just who we are, and produces all kinds of things for us to worry about that will likely never happen.
- 2nd Battalion of “They” and “Them” – Satan uses us to produce this army. We develop a paranoia about what “they” and “them” are saying about us. We believe “they” don’t like us. We interpret their actions as against us and it is because of “them” that we have our problems.
- 3rd Division of More and More – This division has tremendous resources and finances for advertising. It’s marketing campaign communicates the idea that if we don’t have “it” we will not be happy. The more and more division travels with easy credit, loads of debt, and the underlying belief that stuff is where it is at! Jesus crushed this army by saying, “Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). But we struggle to believe it when we see the next new thing our neighbor has that we want.
- 4th Army Group of Value and Goodness – This covert division of Satan works primarily in secret. They attack our minds and beliefs about ourselves. They whisper to us “you are not valuable” or “you will never be any good.” This division hates the doctrine of God’s grace.
- 5th Armor Division of Disease and Misfortune – This army of Satan operates on fear and insecurity. We live constantly thinking we are about to suffer some misfortune or succumb to a disease. Rather than rejoicing in the Lord and the blessings of the present, we live a hypercondriact life thinking about what is about to happen to us.
Recognize any of these armies? They are fake enemies in your mind and heart. They are used by Satan to steal your joy and faith. Remember, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
