7 December

Today's the day when in 1941 Japanese planes launched a surprise attach on the US Navy at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. Six battleships and 112 other vessels were sunk, and 2,400 lives were lost. This, of course, was the event that drew America into the Second Wolrd War. If you don't know the story from history lessons in school then you maybe learned it from the film with Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale. There were six wartime investigations into how America was taken so totally by surprise. They revealed a lack of co-ordination and communication between Washington and the fleet in Hawaii, and between the different armed forces.

The danger of unexpected attack is part of the experience of being a Christian. The Bible teaches us to be prepared for the attempts of the devil to undo the good work God is doing in our lives. This warning comes from Peter's second letter:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

With God's power in us we can resist the attacks of the evil one. Let's just make sure we see them coming.