Stay Alert!! Don't Give the Enemy A Foothold

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in the His mighty power. Put on ALL of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6: 10-12

Take a moment and really read those verses over and over again. Let it sink into to your mind, heart, and spirit. We had better realize that we are ALL in a spiritual battle. Whether you like it or not you will either be a soldier in the army of the Lord, a tool in the hands of the enemy, or ignorantly become a casualty of the war. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge. As Christians we need to remember daily that we are in a real battle with unseen forces of darkness. Our battle is in the spiritual realm against devils, spirits, demons, and authorities. Although these are unseen their work is evident every where you look. Evil is rampant and very real.

Many Christians don’t even like to talk about devils or demons. They believe in God, heaven, the Holy Spirit, and angels but many do not want acknowledge that there are real spirits and demons that are fighting to win ground in our lives. They want to destroy us and our families. They want to get us entangled in sin and living to please ourselves instead of God. Their ultimate plan is to get us distracted from being living testimonies of Christ Jesus and prevent the spread of the Gospel. Of course they also want us to be damned to hell with them. They know that when Jesus’ blood was shed at Calvary that they lost the war, but that does not stop them from attacking God’s people. This is serious and it can not be taken lightly. Believers wake up and fight against the forces of evil in this world, in your community, in your families.

Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking that he and his demons are not real. Or perhaps you think that they can’t touch you. When we minimize the existence of the power of darkness that is when they win ground in our lives. Instead we have to realize that there are some powerful forces of satan plotting and planning the demise of God’s people. I’m not telling you to be scary and paranoid. Like Paul and Peter I am saying we have to stay alert!! Watch out for our enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We have to stand firm against him and be strong in our faith. We have to learn to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, always remembering that He who lives in us is stronger than any demon, spirit, or principality in this evil world. Not by our own might but by the power of God we can defeat the enemy in all areas of our lives. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Peter 5:8-9)

If we are to stay alert then that means that we have to be on guard at all times. We have the Holy Spirit of God living in us, the mind of Christ, and the Word of God which helps us discern when we are under attack and they also help us to avoid traps that the enemy has set for us. The truth is that no matter what we do there will always be attacks. For those faithful servants of the Most High God that are truly doing God’s work, the attacks will be more severe. That is why we have to put on the whole armor of God spoken of in Ephesians 6: 13-17.

Staying alert also means not giving the enemy a foothold in our lives or legal ground to oppress or harass us. How do we allow the enemy to have a foothold in our lives? By the way we live and act. Paul said, “Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” (Ephesians 5:15-19, Ephesians 4:27)

If we act thoughtlessly living like fools instead of like wise men and women of God who fear the Lord and if we allow ourselves to be conformed to the world and its customs then we truly do not understand what it is that the Lord wants us to do. What God wants and His will for our lives is for us to be holy just as He is holy. If we do not live our lives holy then we will most certainly give the devil and his minions ground over us. You see we can open the doorways for spirits such as the spirits of infirmity, sickness, and addiction when we do not honor our temple by smoking, drinking, drugging, and having adulteress relationships. We open the door to lustful and perverted spirits when we watch dirty movies or shows, magazines, and books. Watching scary movies open the doors to harassing spirits and other unclean spirits. Meditating on our problems and worrying opens the doors for the spirit of heaviness, depression, and suicide. Unforgiveness in our hearts opens the doorway for angry and vengeful spirits. Are you getting this??? (1 Thessalonians, Hebrews 10:10, 1 Peter 1:16)

We have to stay alert!! We can’t give the enemy any ground in our lives. Fear the Lord Saints of God. Don’t forget that we are in a spiritual battle. You will be attacked! Be prepared. Stay prayed up and be on guard. Be about our Father’s business and live your life pleasing unto Him. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Fight in the name of Jesus!