This morning I saw, what I thought was, a nasty dead bug lying on the floor. I grabbed a paper towel to pick him up, when immediately and to my surprise, I found he was not dead, but very much alive. I jumped, I screamed and after regaining my composure, snatched his hide up and flushed him down the toilet. I shivered from head to toe at the though that he had invaded my house. I watched with pleasure, as that little intruder floated aimlessly away. I don’t know how it got in, but I knew it couldn’t stay. This is MY house and there’s just simply no room for him and the nastiness he brings!
Feeling violated, I was reminded that no matter how clean I try to keep my home, those little pests are relentless. They’ll stop at nothing to look for ways to get in. After all, it’s what they do. They like to claim everything as their own, so they raid and steal. Sound like anyone else you know?
The Word of God describes our adversary, Satan, as a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He’s like a roaring lion roaming to and fro, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). He’s a stalker. He studies our behavior, watches every move we make and skillfully devises a plan to steal from us, with his ultimate goal being to destroy us if allowed. No matter how clean or well-constructed we are, he manages to find “cracks” to slip through, but take note, we’re not ignorant concerning his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). We can be armed and ready for his attack, if we’ll prepare our minds for action and keep sober in spirit (1 Peter 1:13). Even then, it’s not enough to crush the enemy and send him on his way. We’ve got to deal how he got in and the aftermath he leaves behind.
As I sprayed the bleach and wiped the floor, cleaning up bug remnants, I began to feel this clean kind of freedom. I mean, before, I questioned where the bug had been and wondered if everything around me was contaminated by its nastiness. Satan has the same effect. Satan thrives off of fear so it’s imperative that we put him in his place, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and, although I’ve cleaned my house extra hard, I realized there were more drastic measures to take.
It’s not enough to just spray the outside of my home (that’s a whole other devotion for a whole other day), I must spray inside my home and on a regular basis! It's important to cover all our bases. Where one bug got in, if not dealt with, it's there for another bug to enter. But if you deal with the problem head on, you'll save yourself a lot of time and headache!
You can be assured; Satan has perfected his craft, so do not give him opportunity (Ephesians 4:27); remain sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). We must equip ourselves for battle (Ephesians 6:11), knowing that he’s waiting for our most vulnerable moments, those long nights when the lights are low and we're off guard, he'll start sneaking in.
Don’t be caught off guard! Keep your eyes open and stay prepared!
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
