Annual weeds, biennial weeds, and perennial weeds—They ALL frustrate me! Those annoying garden enemies drain my happiness and take up my time. Our beautiful flowers, shrubs, vegetable plants, and herbs lack encouragement and attention because I am focused on the invading schemes of the weeds! No doubt-they get more attention than they deserve but, I refuse to let them prevail.

How often have you allowed the enemy’s plots to derail your faith and focus? The lies, fears, and flat-out conspiracies can engulf life quickly. It takes a purposeful plan of intentional living to annihilate the devil’s ploys much like deliberately eradicating those pesky weeds in the yard.

So, how can we eradicate the “weeds” of the enemy without losing focus on the Lord? It is not easy to keep our thoughts on God when the “earthly things” begin to choke out our heavenly vision.

1. Identify the enemy – Weeds will not go away on their own. Those selfish suckers want to take over, soak up all the moisture, and ingest every surrounding nutrient. If you do not identify them and deal with the issue, they will continue to flourish. Sound familiar? Ignoring the strategies of the enemy will not make them dissipate. Call the adversary out by name! Deal with it! Claim God’s power over the enemy.
2. Practice maintenance – Safeguarding a yard from wretched weeds takes routine prevention. Pre-emergent plans have to begin months prior to the arrival of the antagonists. Lawn experts have to “get ahead of the game” to ensure some control over the war. In order to keep the enemy at bay, we have to do the same. It takes daily preservation through prayer, studying and infusing Scripture, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead.
3. Nurture goodness – Dealing with the weeds can rob your joy. It is easy to forget to “stop and smell the roses”. Make time to praise the Lord and thank Him for His goodness, protection, grace, love, faithfulness, joy, hope, mercy, devotion, steadfastness, presence, eternal promises, provisions, etc. Extend His attributes to those around you without bias or partiality. Build up others and feed into them. Help their roots spread and eventually choke out the enemy.
4. Use the right tools – There are numerous tools on the market with promising results. The best ones are those that “get to the root”. The Lord has given us two helpmates-His Word and the Holy Spirit. God wants us skilled in using His sword and relying upon the Holy Spirit. We have to get to the root of our problems and issues by using His tools. So, declare the enemy powerless and saturate his plans with death-defining means through implementing the right God-given devices.

Weed-out the enemy. Remember, there are better things requiring your attention and focus. Satan has no place in your garden of life. Let God grow you to your full potential.  

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as you reward.

(Colossians 3:23-24)