"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:11-12)

The ancient sport of falconry employed trained hawks in the chase of wild game. When the hawk was allowed to fly, it often rose too high for human eyes to see it against the blue sky. It was therefore not uncommon to carry a small caged bird called a shrike. The hunter could then easily tell where his hawk was located by watching the antics of the little creature in front of him, for it instinctively feared the falcon and always cocked its head to keep it in view.

The Christian desperately needs the sensitivity and perception of the shrike when it comes to the detection of his spiritual adversary! Satan, the prince of the power of the air, dwells in high places and is a master deceiver. He often subtly camouflages himself against the beautiful background of attractive people and exciting activities. His presence is hard to detect if we are not on guard.