Don't worry about it!

On Dec. 7, 1941, 353 Japanese fighter planes swarmed Pearl Harbor, bringing immense destruction. Now that we know most of the details of that day, it is sobering to realize that it could have been prevented.

At 7 o’clock that Sunday morning, those planes were still over 130 miles away, 50 minutes from dropping their first bomb. At that moment, two on-duty US radar technicians saw so many dots on the screen, they couldn’t be counted. Their supervisor, a lieutenant, was notified. He checked his records and came to the conclusion that this was just a fleet of planes due in from California, so he dismissed the concern with a simple, “Don’t worry about it!”

With that fateful dismissal, at the most responsible moment in his career, he failed the nation. For in those final few minutes, all the planes could have taken off. All the battleships could have been prepared. All the personnel could have been mobilized or sheltered. Instead, eight battleships were lost. Six airfields were destroyed. Countless planes were rendered useless. And most troubling, over 2,400 lives were lost.

All from those crucial words, “Don’t worry about it!”

Sadly, those words are often uttered among God’s family.

We have enemies waging war against us, seeking our destruction. One such enemy is the world’s system with all its compromised morals and values. Another enemy is our own flesh-nature with its sin and weakness. Then, there is the big enemy, Satan himself, with all his evil deceptions.

Like the Japanese planes zeroing in on Pearl Harbor, our enemies swarm from all directions with the same destructive intent. Sadly, in distracted ignorance, often our response is, “Don’t worry about it!” and the end result is equally damaging. Addiction, shame and guilt, broken homes, ruined reputations, lost innocence, and this is just the beginning of the devastation.

Thinking back on that “Day of Infamy” in 1941, there is no doubt the American forces could have more than capably fought off the attack, if only they had been prepared in advance. The same is true as we face our enemies. Being prepared in advance prevents our destruction and assures our victory.

So, what sort of preparation is necessary to be victorious over these kinds of enemies?

Simply stated, putting on the armor of God as described in the Bible in Ephesians 6:10-18. It is the only thing that will defeat these enemies. It is the only thing that guarantees victory. It is the only way we will prevail. Nothing else works.