Scripture: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).

Legend has it that when the Greeks were unable to capture the city of Troy after a ten-year siege, they resorted to a clever deception. Their army pretended to sail away but left behind a giant wooden horse as an apparent gift to the victors. However, the horse was actually hollow and filled with armed warriors. A Greek spy stationed inside Troy convinced the Trojans to bring the horse within the city walls, saying that to do so would magically make Troy invincible. That night, the spy released the troops hidden in the horse who then, after killing the city’s guards, opened the gates to the waiting Greek army. Troy was captured and burned in a single night.

In our world today, the term “trojan horse” has come to mean a type of computer malware disguised as a legitimate program. The attacker hides malicious codes within email attachments, etc., to try and gain access to our software and personal information. Repairs can be quite expensive.

When I ministered to the girls at a juvenile detention center, I taught them that Satan wants to destroy every child God created. The devil’s foremost strategy is to trick us into destroying ourselves. His alluring flower-covered meadow hides a morass of quicksand, which will entrap us and pull us to our deaths. He promises incredible pleasure, only to hook us into deadly addictions and destructive relationships.

Prayer: Lord God, our young people are dying by the thousands, deceived by Satan into drug addiction. Please protect those we know and love, and stop the criminals who are his tools. In Jesus’ name, amen.