7/17/25

It was known as the greatest ambush in history. The Battle of Trasimene Lake is where Rome lost an estimated 15000 soldiers, and the same number was taken captive. They were unprepared and had no warning that Hannibal and his marauding soldiers had turned back and were hiding behind the hills in the dense fog from the lake. At the precise moment, Hannibal released his soldiers for the surprise attack, and the Romans were defeated. I say precise because Hannibal had planned a defeat and was willing to sacrifice himself and others to win. They had marched four days and three nights through swamps to get to this point. Many fell ill in the disease-infested swamp, and Hannibal himself lost his right eye to an infection in the swamp. However, he was determined.

We must remember the determination of the enemy. Satan has never given up on attempting to defeat the children of God and he doesn't care about the cost or the number of people that suffer in the process. In fact, he considers their loss his victory. Any physical death while the person is spiritually dead is one more soul he has kept from the blessings of eternal life with God.

We see this in his plans to kill Paul in order to keep him from spreading the gospel.

Acts 23:21 NASB95 “So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.”

Forty men were bound in a curse of Satan to never eat again until they have killed Paul. Satan doesn't care about the cost of these 40 men. As I said, if they die, then to him it is a victory, and if they kill Paul, then to Satan that is a victory as well. Satan just desires to have as many as he can to EXIST for all eternity in death in hell.

There is something we can learn from the Romans, and from our verse, it is the importance of forward scouts sharing information about what is coming.

Had the Romans sent forward scouts they would have never matched into the surprise attack. If Paul hadn't sent the boy who had knowledge of the attack to the leader to give a scouting report, then he would have gone right into the 40 hungry men's attack. Instead, he was saved thanks to the forward scouts' information.

People of the Church, we are to be the forward scouts that warn the lost of the coming surprise attack by Satan. However, we have been sleeping at our post. How many people will die because we didn't do our job? Our job is to warn them that Satan is ahead. He is hiding out in order to tempt them into sin and death.

Let's work together today to stop the greatest surprise attack that could ever happen. We have been given the scouting report and it is a sword we can use to fight off the battle. We just simply need to tell them to follow Jesus and He will keep them away from the lake. I am not speaking of the Trasimene lake but the lake of fire!

Be a scout and do your job.

Stop the death of many by Sharing the Way away from the battle plan of Satan. It won't be a surprise attack if we warn and they heed to the warning.

Love Bro. Scott