For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [a]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

It is Day 5 of Reset. I wonder. Is anyone else already behind in their morning prayers like I am? Despite all my best efforts to be faithful to the 20 minutes of daily prayer time, it has not happened. The author forewarns us at the outset. “Even though your decision is firm, it’s probably challenged already. “ (p 15). Then comes the encouragement to put aside every failed attempt to pray – including yesterday’s. I love God’s freeing grace to reset as often as needed.

One of my very favorite movies is Christmas Story. Having grown up in that era I relate to the setting and the characters, especially with 12 year old Ralphie who is navigating young adolescence. He dreams of owning a Red Ryder BB gun. The Old Man, his father secretly approves, but Mama know he’s going to shoot his eye out. Ralphie’s daily nemesis is the school bully, a nasty, freckled faced kid who wears a Davy Crockett coon skin cap. Along with his two cronies, he torments Ralphie and his little brother every day after school. The seminal moment in the film takes place when Ralphie has simply had enough and loses all control. Like a crazy bull seeing the red cape, he charges onto “Davy Crockett” and just pounds the tar feathers out of him. He has to be pulled off the kid by his mother who is completely shocked at her little boy’s fight. The cronies run off in terror, leaving the bloodied bully blubbering like the coward he is.

I thought of Ralphie earlier today. For weeks this summer I have struggled with a problem which keeps me too tired to even want to pray in the mornings. When I read to “demonize distractions and declare war on every distraction,” I suddenly knew a very real bully has been hanging around my soul, none other than Old Scratch and his minions. They delight in misery, in nightly torment and daily discouragement, just to make me too worn out to pray.

Enough is enough. Like Ralphie, I’ve had it with being bullied by every sniveling demonic coward sneaking into my life. Like Ralphie, my dander is up for the bully is exposed. The very thing he is trying to do – keep me from Reset and Prayer – will backfire. I don’t have to use my fists to pound the devil back into hell. I have the full armor of God to wear, especially during the rest of Reset. Just call me Ralphie!