Bats are crafty creatures.

Being nocturnal, bats search for food at night, but their night vision is fairly poor. So instead they use echolocation, or reflected sound, to home in on insects such as moths. Their built-in sonar directs them to the precise location of the tasty morsels; then it’s just a matter of swooping in and gobbling them up.

So the bats’ prey have to be crafty as well.

Certain species of tiger moth have the ability to emit sonar of their own. As a bat is closing in, the moth emits a fusillade of ultrasonic clicks. This barrage blurs and disrupts the bat’s echolocation: the signal is essentially jammed. The baffled hunter can no longer “see” the moth, and is tricked into thinking its target has vanished. Thwarted, the hungry predator flies away, and the prey is safe.

Our little tiger moth beats its enemy at its own game.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could “jam the signal” of the enemy of our soul? If we could disrupt and counter the lies the world tells us about ourselves?

In fact, there’s a way that we can.

Jesus gave us an example of how to beat Satan at his own game.

Matthew 4:1-11 tells us of a time when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Satan tried to manipulate Jesus into taking the easy way out of his suffering. Satan’s aim, of course, was to subvert God’s plan to redeem humanity through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross.

But Jesus was having none of Satan’s ploys. He jammed Satan’s signal by using Scripture to counter each of the enemy’s parries.

Satan suggested to Jesus, who was famished from fasting, that he use his power to turn stones into bread. Jesus refused and replied:

“No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

Satan’s next effort to induce Jesus to sin was even craftier: it involved misusing Scripture itself to convince Jesus to test God. But Jesus saw through this manoeuvre and countered with the correct application of Scripture.

After this failed attempt, Satan finally pulled out all the stops. He tried to entice Jesus to worship him instead of God. Again, Jesus jammed his signal with the Word of God:

“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:13)

This sent Satan packing. Jesus showed us that we can use God’s Word to defeat the enemy’s attacks. We can also counteract the world’s deceptions by using the same technique. When the world sends you false signals about yourself, jam it with signals of your own: the truth of what God says about you.

If the world tells you that you don’t measure up physically to a certain ideal, jam the signal by asserting: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

If the world tries to convince you that your future is bleak, jam the signal by following this prescription:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6)

If the world attempts to drown you with fears and anxieties, jam the signal with this powerful verse:

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Whenever you’re bombarded with messages that are untrue, counterattack with messages of your own, found in Scripture, to cancel them out.

When under attack, the tiger moth blankets its surrounding environment with ultrasonic waves that cloak it from bats’ sonar detection. Scientists say that the tiger moth’s ability to jam the echolocation signal of its enemy is the most effective defence against bats ever documented.

In the same way, using Scripture to counter Satan’s lies and temptations is the most effective defence against him. Regularly read Bible verses aloud to blanket your home environment in the truth and help cloak you from enemy attacks.

When the enemy of your soul tries to deceive you, be like the tiger moth and jam the signal!

© 2020 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.