…. do not give the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:27
I was sitting quietly in the den having just posted my last Daydrops when suddenly a horrible black fly came buzzing by. I was puzzled because our house is screened for insects and to my knowledge the screen doors were all closed. WRONG! Somehow, the door right beside me was open and I had not even noticed it. How weird is that?
Immediately though this verse came to mind …. Do not give the enemy a foothold, (or especially an open door). In this specific instance it was speaking of anger but there are many ways we allow the enemy to gain entrance into our lives; there are many doors we can leave open. Sometimes it is inadvertent, like me leaving the screen door open, but this is why 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
Just like that ugly black fly, Satan is always looking for some entry point into our lives and he tempts us in many and varied ways; most often in our relationships with people. Things happen that give us opportunity to react in ways that will give Satan an opportunity to do his dirty work in our lives. Even recently I’ve been around people who are being tempted to leave the door open to anger, bitterness, rejection, unforgiveness, stress, frustration and fear. What is the answer to these things that are so commonplace in our lives? The answer is Love……….yes, with a capital ‘L’. The Love that God gives, that very essence of him that we can partake of.
This morning I read, Follow God’s example in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others…. (Ephes. 5:1-2). We ARE the children of God, therefore we need to ACT like our Father; our Father’s nature is to love. Not easy and certainly not possible in our own strength. Sometimes we feel mad enough to smack someone! However, that is not what our Father would do. He continues to love…… that’s humility.
Ephesians 4:2 exhorts us, Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, make allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. The love that is available freely for the taking. The love that will cover a multitude of sins and so keep us protected from the enemy’s attack. Yes, love is our screen door, in fact it’s better than that, it’s our fireproof door. Love guards us and keeps us from getting burned. Don’t leave the door open for the enemy to rob you of your peace. Allow Jesus’ love to fill you and become your protection.
My most often prayed prayer is….
Prayer: Lord fill me with more of your love so that I might be more like you. Amen
I was sitting quietly in the den having just posted my last Daydrops when suddenly a horrible black fly came buzzing by. I was puzzled because our house is screened for insects and to my knowledge the screen doors were all closed. WRONG! Somehow, the door right beside me was open and I had not even noticed it. How weird is that?
Immediately though this verse came to mind …. Do not give the enemy a foothold, (or especially an open door). In this specific instance it was speaking of anger but there are many ways we allow the enemy to gain entrance into our lives; there are many doors we can leave open. Sometimes it is inadvertent, like me leaving the screen door open, but this is why 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.
Just like that ugly black fly, Satan is always looking for some entry point into our lives and he tempts us in many and varied ways; most often in our relationships with people. Things happen that give us opportunity to react in ways that will give Satan an opportunity to do his dirty work in our lives. Even recently I’ve been around people who are being tempted to leave the door open to anger, bitterness, rejection, unforgiveness, stress, frustration and fear. What is the answer to these things that are so commonplace in our lives? The answer is Love……….yes, with a capital ‘L’. The Love that God gives, that very essence of him that we can partake of.
This morning I read, Follow God’s example in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others…. (Ephes. 5:1-2). We ARE the children of God, therefore we need to ACT like our Father; our Father’s nature is to love. Not easy and certainly not possible in our own strength. Sometimes we feel mad enough to smack someone! However, that is not what our Father would do. He continues to love…… that’s humility.
Ephesians 4:2 exhorts us, Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, make allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. The love that is available freely for the taking. The love that will cover a multitude of sins and so keep us protected from the enemy’s attack. Yes, love is our screen door, in fact it’s better than that, it’s our fireproof door. Love guards us and keeps us from getting burned. Don’t leave the door open for the enemy to rob you of your peace. Allow Jesus’ love to fill you and become your protection.
My most often prayed prayer is….
Prayer: Lord fill me with more of your love so that I might be more like you. Amen
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