By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Beginning a few years ago, our peaceful neighborhood became an impromptu playground for some rogue adolescents with too much time on their hands. My husband and I along with our neighbors were on high alert each summer weekend because that’s when the vandals would strike.
You never knew what you would find on a Saturday or Sunday morning. The destruction ranged anywhere from slashed tires to smashed mailboxes.
Our community police had been unable to catch the offenders in the act, and without witnesses, there wasn’t much anyone could do. My husband and I grew increasingly frustrated.
Out of desperation, we decided to go on the offense and invest in a couple of security cameras on the front of our house. Perhaps we would get a glimpse of the delinquents in action. We hoped to get them off the street and make our neighborhood safe again.
Sure enough they struck again, only this time it was really bad! Our neighbors across the street heard a loud smashing sound outside their house late one night. They were horrified to find their garage and front porch light fixtures completely destroyed. After calling the police, they came over and asked us if we could check our video tape to see if our cameras had caught anything.
Not only had we captured two teen boys smashing our neighbors outside lights with a baseball bat, but we also saw them breaking into one of our cars on the driveway. They were becoming increasingly more audacious.
The police posted the fuzzy image of the teens on the front page of our newspaper and asked if anyone could identify them. Although several people identified one of the boys, the police were never able to prosecute because the mom gave her son an alibi.
Since that last incident, we have seen a decline in activity. I suppose the threat of being caught on tape was too intimidating. Our security cameras rolling 24/7 may be a good deterrent to wayward teens, but neighborhood vandals are not our only threat.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
Satan and his minions are an ongoing threat to our peaceful existence and are familiar with our areas of weakness. Like a vandal scoping out his next target to defame, the devil watches and waits for just the right moment to strike, which is usually when we least expect it. “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18)
We must be on high alert with our feet planted firmly on the promises of God. And let us not forget…
“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 6:12)
And…
“The family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:9-11)
