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Alligators in the Everglades of Florida
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The Battle

    On a trip through the Florida Everglades my wife and I saw a lot of alligators.  At one place we went on a tour with a park ranger where he told us a very interesting story.  He said that he received a very interesting call early one morning about an incident occurring in the marsh near where we were standing.  There was a adult alligator and a large python in a life and death battle.

    The ranger went on to explain the alligators are at the top of the food chain, but in recent years that a new predator had been introduced into the Everglades.  It is speculated that people have bought small pythons from a pet store, but when the pythons got to about ten feet in length, then they become unmanageable as pets.  Then the people, thinking that they were doing a good thing, released them into the wild.  Of course, in the marsh land the pythons still continue to grow even up to eighteen feet or more. The ranger was not exactly sure what had happened, but the ranger explained that when he arrived on the scene of the battle, a full size alligator and a full size python were in the water fighting to the death.  The alligator had part of the python in his mouth, but the python was wrapped around the alligator constricting the alligator.

    Who would win this battle to the death?  The ranger said that rangers don't interfere with such struggles, but everyone thought that this huge eighteen foot strong snake would win.  The battle continues for some hours. Finally, the alligator made it to the shore with the python still coiled around him.  The alligator is a cold blooded creature which means that in lower temperatures it does not have the strength as it does in a warmer temperature.  The alligator managed to crawl upon the shore to get the warmth of the sun, which in turn, enabled the alligator to metabolize its fatty tissue and turn it into energy.  After some time of staying in the sun light, the alligator again headed back into the water with renewed strength.  The alligator went to the bottom and stayed there until the large python was drowned.  Then the alligator had a python lunch the next couple of days.

    OK, what does this story have to do with anything spiritual?

A Scriptural basis:

1. Satan is the serpent.
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1).

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Corinthians 11:3).

2. Satan is the predator.
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
3. The battle is real.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10-13).
4. Jesus is the light (Son).
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

5. We are to get into the light.
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" ((II Corinthians 4:4).

"Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him" (John 11:9-10).

6. We are to walk in the light.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7).

7. We are then to resist the devil.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (I Peter 5:7-10).

    Now, use your imagination for a moment and imagine that you are the alligator.  We as humans live in the marshlands of the world.  There is a predator which has entered into the world.  He is Satan.  He may from time to time attack us, wrapping himself about us to squeeze the life out of us.  If we simply stay in the stagnant water of the world, we will loose the battle.  However, if we will climb out of the murky water and climb upon the shore and get into the light of the SON, then we receive strength to win the battle and take a spoil.  Amen!