"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
Sea anemones, like the flowers after which they are named, are usually extremely beautiful in their many colors. However, they are not flowers but marine animals, although lacking most features of the animals with which we are familiar. Usually they anchor themselves to a spot on the ocean floor, sometimes alone, sometimes in great numbers. The "flowers" are actually tentacles that usually rise upward to make the colorful display but in some species hang downward or spread out flatly.
The sea anemone is really a living electric battery. The tentacles that sprout from its main body and wave about gently in the water to attract small fish are pretty but contain poisonous darts. When a fish touches one of these, the darts shoot out, exploding like a bomb, injecting their poison into the fish so it cannot escape. It is then placed by the tentacle into the anemone's mouth and devoured.
Descriptive names have been given to many of the anemones. The aggregated anemone is common along the Pacific coast, and large, numbers anchor close together on bottom rocks, looking like a choice garden with their many colors. Another, the snakelocks, is colored either pinkish brown or apple green. Its snaky tentacles spread out in every direction. Since it prefers shallow water, they are often exposed to the air at low tide.
Another one in deep water is called the dahlia. It has a round golden base and short white tentacles, similar to the dahlia flower. Some varieties have a brown base and brilliant red tentacles. Either way they are very pretty. The varieties are too numerous to mention here, but illustrations of many are available inmost libraries for those interested.
In spite of the beauty of sea anemones, they remind us of Satan, the enemy of every boy and girl as well as grownups. He takes pleasure in deceiving people with attractive temptations (like the anemone's luring fish), but these only lead those who are deceived by him into sorrow and trouble.
The Bible speaks of this danger in many places, as in our opening verse, and warns us that he and his followers pretend to speak truth, but are really false and deceitful. We are warned that at times he can even make himself appear to be "an angel of light." 2 Cor. 11:13-1513For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13‑15). To resist Satan we are instructed to "Put on the whole armor of God." Eph. 6:1111Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11). The two most important parts of that armor are "the shield of faith" faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Protector when we commit our way to Him, and "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God [the Bible]." Eph. 6:1717And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17).
Whenever this armor is used, Satan cannot have his way with us. Have you learned to use it?