Have you ever said, “I didn’t see that coming. How could I ever have fallen for that one?” When we least expect an attack, there comes a hurtful word spoken from a friend and we can hardly believe the pain that results.
2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as His, putting His seal upon us and giving us His Holy Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and guarantee of the fufillment of His promise.” Since we are three-part beings, He has sealed our spirit with His Own Spirit, but the other parts, the emotional heart, soul and body still have free will.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” Why would God tell us to guard something that was already sealed so tightly that nothing could permeate it? The heart, emotions, will and the body are still vulnerable to the attacks of an enemy that seeks nothing but destruction.
Imagine that you have doors guarding every aspect of who you are - visible and invisible. You think that they are secure in keeping everything out that you have chosen to reject. Along comes a thought, and because it conflicts with your standards, it doesn’t even bother knocking at the door. But in time, other words from outside sources come as gently as a breeze and before you know it, the door swings open and soon the whole room is filled with its negative power. How is that possible? You thought all the doors were tightly secured. How did such a seemingly insignificant thing get in and cause so much havoc?
One day, Jesus was talking with His disciples and told them that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer and die. Peter became indignant and said. “This must never happen.” Jesus spoke to him and said, “Get behind Me, Satan!” It sounded so terribly cruel, after all Peter was just trying to spare Jesus a horrible death. But what actually happened in an instant, was that a foreign thought had reached an unprotected door and barged right in, consuming every space behind it.
The force was precipitated by Satan himself. Jesus responded, “You are in My way - an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.” Matthew 16:23
Peter was not filled with Satan, but the thoughts of the enemy became the thoughts of the new victim. How many times are we caught off guard and easily affected by what we hear and see in this world? Some of it seems so innocent and harmless but the core comes from another source other than God.
Father, help us to be so alert and on guard that we would spot a foreign body, a counterfeit that would try to attack us like a trained thief in the night. Amen!
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