This Week’s Passage: 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
The devil may be a lying snake but he is not stupid. He is smart enough to know better than to just barge in and try to wrestle control away from Jesus – who is dwelling in our hearts. He is crafty enough to patiently bide his time, waiting for the right opportunity to get a foot in the door. His strategy is not to tussle with Jesus, because he knows this would be a losing battle, but rather to entice us to relinquish control willingly. He does this with subtlety and cunning. He allows us to get used to the idea of him hanging around before he makes his major play. And then when he does make his move his postion is so entrenched that nothing short of a prolonged spiritual battle can get rid of him. In essence, when we give the devil a foothold to come in to our lives we are asking Jesus if He would leave.
Satan’s strategy has proven to be a very effective!
As I ponder this passage here are some of the questions that I am thinking about:
- In what ways have I allowed the devil to gain a foothold in my life?
- Have I grown so used to him being there so that I don’t even notice that he has infiltrated my life?
- Do I want more of Jesus or do I want more of the devil and his playthings?
- Am I willing to go to war in order to get rid of him?
- Who are the people that I trust that know me well enough to help me identify satanic footholds?
“The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” (often attributed to Edmund Burke)
So it would seem that doing nothing is not an option unless we want evil to triumph in our lives. Don’t let the evil one gain a foothold – and if he already has one DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
I’m just sayin’!
Next Week’s Passage: Ephesians 4:29-32