Keeping The Thief Away

If you leave your front door unlocked at night, you're giving a burglar an engraved invitation to come take your stuff.
If you leave your car windows rolled down, you can bet that the car will be empty - or gone - when you return.
If you leave your purse unattended at the grocery store, don't be surprised if you end up paying for someone else's groceries, and possibly an overseas vacation.

These scenarios may sound ludicrous, but this is what we often do to our hearts and minds, giving the devil open access to our lives.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy... John 10:10

In the tenth chapter of John, in the midst of Jesus' message about being the Good Shepherd, He reminded his followers that there truly was an enemy out there. The thief only has two things on his mind - making the sheep miserable and drawing them as far away from the Shepherd as he can.

The enemy would love to:

Trade your faith for fear.
Steal your joy and replace it with depression.
Sneak in and take your trust in God.
Make off with your peace, leaving anxiety behind.
Kill your faithfulness and give you doubt instead.
Destroy all your relationships and leave you alone.

This is no way to live, but it's the result of letting the devil get between you and God. He will exploit your weaknesses, fill your head with lies and then drop you like a sack of potatoes when you're at your lowest. He knows which buttons to push and what will trigger the response in you that he's looking for.

Pretty scary, isn't it? But it happens every day to varying degrees. Satan would love nothing more than to destroy your family, kill your dreams and steal everything that is important to you. And what does he use? You.

If the enemy can get you to self-destruct, make poor choices and drift away from God, he's happy to sit back and let you do all the heavy lifting. Why should he work hard to steal, kill and destroy if you're a willing participant?

... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

The way Jesus completed this sentence gives us our hope and our motivation. We are no longer slaves to sin, but we can rejoice in the abundant life we have in Christ.

Our tears of sorrow become tears of joy.
In our weakness, we see God working.
Through the dark times of our life, we can better see His light.
While we can and will face many battles in our life, we are already victorious through Jesus Christ.

The calling we're given each new day is to battle the enemy in prayer and not give him an inch of ground. Fight his lies with God's truth. Ignore the temptations he lays in our way. Find our joy, peace and identity in Christ.

Are you ready to keep the thief out of your life? Then spend as much time as you can in prayer and study. Learn new scripture and keep it close to your heart. Stay as close as you possibly can to the presence of God, know what He asks of you and understand His truths. Only when your mind and heart are consumed with the Lord will you be able to distinguish Satan's lies and misleadings.

Don't give the enemy an inch. Don't let him take what belongs to you and God. Pray him out of your life, your home and your family. Fight every minute of every day to bring glory and honor to God, and He will reward you with peace and rest like you've never known.

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