I had never been in a building when it was put on lockdown… until recently. Although the time from lockdown to all clear was brief (and without incident), it was long enough to be frightening. As we waited, my co-workers and I reviewed the steps we had been taught—Run. Hide. Fight.
Run – When possible in the case of an active shooter, get out of the building.
Hide – If you can’t get out safely, hide. Turn off lights, silence cell phones, block doors and remain hidden and silent.
Fight – As an absolute last resort, fight. (Ready.gov)
Hours and days later, I was still thinking about the Run, Hide, Fight steps. And I realized these are the same steps we should take when life takes us off guard.
* Run to God.
* Hide in His shelter.
* Fight the enemy with all God has given us.
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Run to God
When we’re in danger, overwhelmed by life, or in situations we can’t see an end to, we may be tempted to run to get away. But running aimlessly will get us nowhere and we will likely find ourselves even more lost.
“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 NLT
Running to God gets us to safety. The storm will continue to rage around us, but God is unchanging. While the ground feels like shifting sand, God is our solid foundation. No matter what happens, we will always find security when we run to Him.
Hide in His Shelter
When we’re in trouble, we may want to hide like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden after they ate the fruit they were warned not to eat. But hiding from God leaves us on our own. And that’s a lonely and vulnerable place to be.
When we hide from God, we make ourselves an open target for the enemy, but when we hide with God, we are in the most secure shelter available.
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.”
Psalm 57:1 NLT
When we turn to God for protection, He offers us a safe place to rest and catch our breath. And there is no time limit or waiting list. We are always welcomed to stay as long as we need or desire.
Fight the Enemy with All God Has Given Us
God Himself has given us the tools to we need to fight against the enemy.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 6:10-12 NIV
We’re not asked to fight in our own strength, but in God’s mighty strength and power. Jesus told us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble in this life, but we can find peace in Him because He has overcome the world.
Because of Jesus, we have the armor we need to stand against all Satan throws at us.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:14-17 NIV
God does not leave us defenseless in our daily lives. He gives us Himself and invites us to run to Him and hide with Him. He has given us Jesus, to whom Satan has already lost. And He gives us the Holy Spirit who resides within those who believe in Him.
We need to be watchful of the enemy and ready to protect ourselves and fight against him, but thanks to Jesus, we do not need to live in daily fear.
“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
John 16:33 MSG
Jesus has already defeated Satan. And Satan would really like for us to forget that. So, let’s not forget. Let’s remind ourselves daily—Jesus has won the war against the enemy! And we will continue to Run to, Hide with, and Fight against, because the enemy cannot stand in Jesus’ presence.
Join the Conversation
Have you been facing spiritual warfare in your life recently? Which one of these have you been doing the most, or do you see a need to work on in your life? Join the conversation in the comments below.
[ctt template=”2″ link=”dKy2d” via=”no” ]Have you been facing spiritual warfare in your life recently?[/ctt]
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Hi, Laura!
I love the analogy that you used. Run, Hide, Fight! For the past year, I feel like I have done all three based on which circumstance I was dealing with at the time. I love the scriptures you intertwined with the message and the gift of knowing that God has sheltered me under in His wing.
Thank you Sheila! I’m so thankful that God is always there for us, no matter where we are or what we need (time to sit with Him, hide with Him, or fight with Him)!
What an encouraging reminded! Love the point to fight with all God has given us!
Thank you Tiffany! So glad you found encouragement here!
This is great! I love when God uses life situations to speak to us. Run, hide, fight!! This blog is a great reminder to do just that.
Thanks Kristal! Blessings to you!
I’ve been thinking lately about how God uses stories to teach us Truth. It’s neat how He used this experience and the training you’ve received to illuminate Scriptural principles. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you stopped by Jana. Thanks for your comment. ?
This is so incredibly relevant for me right now. I do run, hide, and fight, but I’ve never thought of it in such a simple way, and I think I’m too quick to fight when I could just rest in His arms and that would be so much easier. Run- Hide- Fight- I think I can remember that even in the most difficult moments. Thank you so much for this.
Thank you Valerie. I’m so glad you found encouragement here! ?
This is both simple and complex all at the same time. How simple the idea to run, hide, fight. But to actually apply can be so hard! I love how you privide bible truths with practical reasons to run, hide, fight when enduring a spiritual struggle.
I agree Crystal. Application can get tricky. Maybe we need to do practice drills on the better days so we’re ready for the worst days. (Hmmm, I need to keep thinking about this.)
Laura, we h ad this type of training at our work recently too and I tell you that’s the same stuff we were all thinking. It really does apply so aptly to our spiritual walk too! Great thoughts!
Thanks Nicki! ?
Thank you for your post. Your ability to take something from the world and turn it into a tool for The Kingdom is genius. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your message.