Ephesians 4:25-28
Verse 27 …and do not give the devil a foothold.
We talked a few days ago about how we aren’t to let anger control us and today we will revisit that thought and build on it to set the footing for our further study,
Paul, having talked about anger, makes the pointed reminder that we should all keep in mind in our daily life. Anytime that we aren’t intentional about our spiritual walk we leave space for the enemy to start working his way into our heart and lives. While we may not be as aware of his presence he always has a finger on what is going on with us.
When we only give partial attention to our spiritual lives we can easily get distracted and set ourselves up to stumble on what is in our path. There are so many ways that the enemy can get that foothold in our lives. We may be on the lookout for things that we think he would use but the truth is that he is crafty and will come in for the attack from the place or places that we don’t expect.
When looking for a way to attack, the enemy doesn’t have to look hard. Our weaknesses are easy for him to spot as we get close to some of them regularly. It is as if we think as long as we don’t cross that certain line we will be safe. But the one who is trying to destroy us is happy we are walking that close to the edge of righteousness because that means his work to draw us over the edge is made that much easier.
We need to be on the constant lookout for these ploys because they will never stop while we still walk this earth. This living a holy life is not easy and is not something to be taken lightly. God has called us to live undivided in our devotion to the Lord and yet when we dance at the edge of sin’s surface we are flirting with the enemy. Flirting is dangerous as it often gets us the wrong kind of attention,
The enemy isn’t satisfied with just stopping the door from being closed against him. No, he wants in so he can cause more havoc in our lives. He will take any opening that we give him to come in and start sabotaging our lives.
Making It Personal
What are the weak places in your life that the enemy can find a foothold? Are you being diligent in those areas? What do you need to do, or not do, to stand firm against the enemy?
Making It Personal Kids
Why does the devil try to make you stumble? Do you know the areas that you struggle in? How can you act differently so that you are safer from the enemy of God?
Closing Prayer
Father, it is scary to think that there are ways that the enemy can get close enough to influence us. Please give us Your wisdom so that we can stay away from the dangerous edge of sinful lives. In Jesus’ name , amen.
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