In light of Russ's plight to not drink for a month as he gets over some kind of ailment, I heard a message in on Wednesday that I will try to share a few points of and then let my own thoughts intrude. If I can find the name of the speaker, I'll add it later.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." - 1 Peter 5:8
When a thief wants to rob a home, he comes at night when all is quiet and people are not awake. The first thing he does is check the doors on the homes, when he finds a door that is unlocked, he robs that one. We as Christians have a thief who is continually trying to rob us. The ones he robs are the ones who have unlocked doors. When we as Christians have an unsecure area of our belief or when we are "on the fence" about an issue or, even worse, when we are dabbling lightly in an area of sin, we have an unlocked door and we can expect our enemy to show up. And when he shows up his goal to reek havoc and destroy a life will start in the mildest of ways.
Let's make an analogy to a person who drinks. They drink for the buzz and its exciting and fun as they hang out with a bunch of "friends" all doing the same thing. But, they don't stop. They want more because its fun. Soon they are unable to make good decisions, but they don't know it. They think they are fine, but they are drunk and can't think "soberly". The people around them know they are drunk and see that they can't make good decisions and even try to tell them, but they won't listen because they can't think soberly and they do not see their world as those who are "sober" see it.
Maybe they choose to drive and get away with it for a time but then get a DUI and can't drive to work and have it on their record. Maybe worse, maybe they get in a wreck and hurt or kill someone. Maybe they wreck their relationships in their drunkenness by saying and doing things they would never do in their "sober" mind.
They simply aren't themselves because they are drunk and they cannot think clearly. They get angry at those who are "sober" around them who try to take their car keys and try to drive them home and try to take their drinks away so they won't get more drunken. They call them judgmental and say they are hypocrites because they've seen them drink before. Soon, the "sober" minded around them can't do anything but leave them to themselves, they can't participate in the drinking and they have no effective power to change their direction.
When a Christian allows for a sin to take a spot in their life, it is an open door for the devil to come in and work to their destruction. As that sin takes more and more, the Christian becomes more and more "drunk" and is no longer able to think in the Christian mind, or "sober". They become unable to see, hear, or talk clearly because their mind and its thinking is contaminated. With their wisdom broken, they then make decisions against what they know to be right and against who they know loves them.
Romans 8:6 says "to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." May I be vigilant to check all the doors and know that they are given to God so that no sin may have a way to have an influence in my life.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." - 1 Peter 5:8
When a thief wants to rob a home, he comes at night when all is quiet and people are not awake. The first thing he does is check the doors on the homes, when he finds a door that is unlocked, he robs that one. We as Christians have a thief who is continually trying to rob us. The ones he robs are the ones who have unlocked doors. When we as Christians have an unsecure area of our belief or when we are "on the fence" about an issue or, even worse, when we are dabbling lightly in an area of sin, we have an unlocked door and we can expect our enemy to show up. And when he shows up his goal to reek havoc and destroy a life will start in the mildest of ways.
Let's make an analogy to a person who drinks. They drink for the buzz and its exciting and fun as they hang out with a bunch of "friends" all doing the same thing. But, they don't stop. They want more because its fun. Soon they are unable to make good decisions, but they don't know it. They think they are fine, but they are drunk and can't think "soberly". The people around them know they are drunk and see that they can't make good decisions and even try to tell them, but they won't listen because they can't think soberly and they do not see their world as those who are "sober" see it.
Maybe they choose to drive and get away with it for a time but then get a DUI and can't drive to work and have it on their record. Maybe worse, maybe they get in a wreck and hurt or kill someone. Maybe they wreck their relationships in their drunkenness by saying and doing things they would never do in their "sober" mind.
They simply aren't themselves because they are drunk and they cannot think clearly. They get angry at those who are "sober" around them who try to take their car keys and try to drive them home and try to take their drinks away so they won't get more drunken. They call them judgmental and say they are hypocrites because they've seen them drink before. Soon, the "sober" minded around them can't do anything but leave them to themselves, they can't participate in the drinking and they have no effective power to change their direction.
When a Christian allows for a sin to take a spot in their life, it is an open door for the devil to come in and work to their destruction. As that sin takes more and more, the Christian becomes more and more "drunk" and is no longer able to think in the Christian mind, or "sober". They become unable to see, hear, or talk clearly because their mind and its thinking is contaminated. With their wisdom broken, they then make decisions against what they know to be right and against who they know loves them.
Romans 8:6 says "to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." May I be vigilant to check all the doors and know that they are given to God so that no sin may have a way to have an influence in my life.
1 comment:
So very true! We are so blind to our own sin. I keep trying to tell the kids that Satan is going to school on them to uniquely tempt them. When he gains a foothold (and we usually don't know it), he can at least ruin our ministry to others if not bring us to ruin.
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