The Rules of Engagement

The Rules of Engagement

P ride Pride is to the kingdom of darkness what humility is to the kingdom of light. In fact, pride is the foundation upon which the kingdom of darkness is built. Pride is essentially a declaration of independence from God because it produces an inordinate opinion of self and personal superiority. The spirit of pride caused Satan to believe that he could be God. (See Proverbs 11:2; 16:18; 29:23.) P rojections This weapon is formed in the mind of individuals causing them to attribute their attitudes, feelings, or suppositions to another. In our text, Laban accuses Jacob of the very thing he did during Jacob’s career within his corporation. He projected his guilt onto another. (See Genesis 31:36–42.) P rovocation A provocation is a perturbing stimulus that intentionally incites or rouses you to actions and activities that are usually diametrically opposed to the will of God. (See 1 Chronicles 21:1–3, 7–8.) R ape Rape is the violation of the physiological, psychological, and emotional self by another. It is one of the many weapons the spirit of perversion uses to destroy an individual’s quality of life. Although rape is viewed as a violent sexual crime perpetrated by males against females, statistics show that a small number of cases have been reported where the victim has been male. Nevertheless, rape is not about sex. It is more than just an act of sexual violence. It is an act of the exer tion of power and control over another person. Rape is life threatening and life altering; it severely traumatizes the victim. For many victims, rape is a defining moment that divides their life into two parts: life before the rape and life after. In some measure, the same is true for those who are closest to the victim including their children and male relationships such as husbands, fathers, brothers, and male companions. For all, one single inci dence of rape reshapes and remolds perceptions of self, how they interact

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