Hannibal Time

It's Hannibal time. I'm not referring to the treacherous Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs...I would not do that to you. I would not do that to myself. That character freaks me out to no end. I am referring to Hannibal and his infamous elephants - The Conqueror of the Alps.

Part of the reason I liked Western Civilization is because of stories like Hannibal's. I still wish we learned more about what was going on with the women at that time...but I'll get back to Hannibal's conquests. My husband and I watched a fascinating documentary on Hannibal the other night. I'll make no excuses...I like a good documentary every so often. And this one was good, more because of all it reminded me of than because of its intrigue.

Hannibal, the Carthaginian military commander of 200something BC headed for Rome defeating his rivals in battle after battle. I love how he garnered credit and praise for bringing the elephants. The idea of him and his thousands of troops marching over the snowy Alps with their line of elephants does wonders for the imagination.

Towards the end of the documentary, history experts shot off their opinions to why they believed Hannibal was as successful as he was. Strategy, surprise attacks, the elephants...all kinds of reasons were provided for his success. However, when one expert said the following words I was at full attention. He said, "Hannibal knew how his enemy would fight."

Bang. There you have it. I realized that statement about Hannibal is a foundational spiritual truth for anyone of faith. While you are at your weakest, do you know how your enemy fights? Do you know what makes you most vulnerable and what strategies might be used against you?

I couldn't shake the thought really. It's crucial for us to realize what we're up against. When we do realize and choose to tap into God's power and strength we are invincible, not in a reckless teenage, "I'm immortal" way, but instead in a "I have the same power in me that raised Jesus from the dead" way. That is living in victory.

Do you know how your enemy fights?