Fighting Fire

Ephesians 6:11-13  CSB

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.  For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”

An organization called National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimated that 100 firefighters die in the line of duty every year because of incomplete or inadequate Scene Size Up.

The first task on any fire scene is called the Initial Scene Size Up. This is where the Incident Commander observes and reports the fire ground  (that’s what we call the scene of the fire) conditions.  He or she will take a complete 360 degree walk around of the structure and make notes of fire location, cause, exposures (other structures that may be threatened), weather conditions, and possible spread.  The IC has to know about fire anatomy, behavior, and building construction.  All these things will reveal potential dangers.

A real quick illustration – One type of older construction is called “Balloon Framing.” Houses were built using tall studs.  You can tell if a home is built in this style because the windows typically line up on different floors.

This creates a hazard because a fire on a lower level can quickly travel up the empty spacing in the long studs to every floor. A good IC wouldn’t allow firefighters to work on the 2^nd or 3^rd floor of this home even if the fire is in the basement.

We fought a fire that started in the basement of a pastor’s home. He and his wife had a massive library of books on the 2^nd floor.  The fire followed the fireplace from the basement to the 2^nd story before we had any smoke or flame showing. Thankfully, our Chief recognized the direction this fire was extending and we didn’t operate above the fire base.  

The Incident Commander must be intentional and attentive or they will put themselves and their other firefighters in dangers.

You and I are at extreme danger to fall to the enemy’s lies if we aren’t paying attention to the real cause and the threats, and how we are vulnerable to them.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Lions attack from behind. Most often, the Enemy is successful in either getting us to cave to temptation and sin or by destroying our confidence because his lies are covert. He has the element of surprise because we didn’t take a proper and honest look at how we are vulnerable.

This is a spiritual battle for your heart… Is your heart prone to lust? Does it fall to discouragement and anxiety? Does anger get the best of you? These are spiritual vulnerabilities that threaten real world “exposures.”  

Can I encourage you today to honestly name…. say them out loud… the vulnerabilities that the Enemy uses to attack you. Do a spiritual Scene Size Up right now.

Debrief:

1. In what ways have you been caught off guard by the Enemy’s deceptions in the past? Where did the fire start? How did it extend into sin?
2. What are your vulnerabilities? Are you aware of how you’re made and how the Enemy chips away at your weak points? What reinforcements have you done to make those areas fireproof?

Report to the Chief:

Ask God today to reveal to you your weak points. Ask Him to help you recognize and fortify those areas.

Feedback

Please use the comments below to give me some feedback. What could have made this post more powerful in your life? Anything not make sense or flow well? Any comments to make it more faithful to Scripture?