SQUIRREL WARS

A few months ago, I heard noises in the floor joist spaces between the second and third floor of my house. I thought at first that IF it was an animal then it must be a mouse. My wife Cathy had another idea of what was making the noises; a squirrel. My response to her suggestion as to what was making the noise was; “NO WAY IS IT A SQUIRREL!”  

I ignored the infrequent noises that were running across the ceiling in my office on the second floor of my house; hoping this “mouse” would go away, until one day when the noise got louder and I had to deal with it. The reason that I didn’t think that it could be a squirrel (as had Cathy suggested) is because we had the roof and the metal soffits replaced several years ago and all was intact. 

You see, I’ve had this war with squirrels before, in 1994 and 1998, due to the fact that we live in an area of St. Paul, Minnesota, that is squirrel heaven. And because just outside my office is a very large maple tree that has branches that make a perfect transportation line to the roof on my old 1912 three-story house. In 1994 one squirrel made its way through a floor board on the third floor and INTO THE HOUSE! Eventually, we captured the squirrel, closed up the holes, and removed them from our yard.   

To remove any doubt that Cathy was right that there may indeed be a squirrel trying to get into our house, I went to look at the roof and saw that almost everything looked fine. But, upon further observation, I noticed that there was something hanging down from the space where the roof joins the fascia.  

We have a small, flat roof/deck that is just off my office that I was able to set up a step ladder on to get a closer look at the roof. When I did this, I discovered that there was an 8-foot long opening where an ice dam from the winter had opened up the fascia just enough for a squirrel to make an entrance into my house!  

A squirrel decided that the warm space between second and third floor would be the perfect place to build a nest. And, in the process of chewing a hole, they had declared war against me and my house!  

I thought that this war was over! But, I had only two options: Overcome or be over-run; no middle ground! The only way that the squirrel is going to win this war is by wearing us down and we give in and quit before he quits. So, I declared war once again on the squirrels! I was able to chase them out, a friend closed up the hole; and once again we won the war and there was peace in the land.  

In the Christian life, when we chase away the enemy (Satan) and get victory in areas of sin in our lives, he will continue to come back again to challenge us. “But I thought the war was over!”; we say, as once again Satan “chews” through our defenses and comes at us trying to tempt us back into the same area of sin. And we have only two options; Overcome or be over-run; no middle ground!  

If there ever was a time to hold the line it’s now! We are not dealing with squirrels; we are dealing with a more ruthless and more destructive enemy! The only way that the enemy is going to win this war is by wearing us down and if we give in and quit before he quits. This is not a time for wimps! We need to recognize that this is a real war! Jesus said in John 10:10 that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan’s goal is total destruction of your house (literally and figuratively).  

Now is the time to: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) 

We need to resist Satan’s efforts in every area of our lives; whether we’ve had victory in the past or not. And we need to recognize that in our war with the devil, we NEED to draw closer to God. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).  

We need to hold the line in every area of our lives knowing that “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1John 4:4) 

It's Now WRITTEN BY RANDY STONEHILL AND DAVE PERKINS

If there ever was a time to hold the line, it's now

If there ever was a time to confess our crimes, it's now

Better shoot out all the party lights

The devil could be tryin' for your soul tonight

He's cuttin' loose all the hounds of hell

It's no use runnin' to the wishin' well

CHORUS:

The world is spinning faster

Out of control, out of control

In the air is the smell of disaster
No runnin' away
It's time to say
Who we're gonna choose to make our master

If there ever was a day to change our ways, it's now
If there ever was a day to turn and pray, it's now
Before the grand pavilion of the golden calf
Becomes a howling hole of thunder
And the darkness rolls like a tidal wave
That drags you down and pulls you under
 CHORUS

If there very was an age to feel the rage, it's now
If there ever was an age that set the stage, it's now
This is the time and this is the hour
To fall on our faces and find the power
To seek the Lord while He may be found
A word to the wise from the quaking ground
© 1988 STONEHILLIAN MUSIC/WORD MUSIC & UNDONE TUNES (ASCAP)