Don’t Give The Enemy A Foothold

Satan can’t get an inroad into our lives if we don’t open the door for him. Fact is when given a mile, he takes a thousand. The Bible says “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” – 1 Corinthians 5:6. Which doors have you opened in your life for him?

Nothing better illustrates my subject today like experience with my newly bought computer some months back. After downloading a form online, the computer started to beep and requested I call a helpline for Microsoft Windows 10 because there was a security issue. I was alarmed and immediately called. I asked for confirmation if they were the support company for Microsoft, to which they responded in the affirmative. I was informed that some people were trying to gain access to my computer for criminal activities and further assured all the problems on my computer system would be resolved.

They requested access to my system from their office. I was instructed on what to key in. In my ignorance, as I obeyed, I could see their cursor navigating on my system. Luckily, my system was relatively new and no sensitive information – such as pictures, card details, social media information, etc. – was in place. As I look back today, I realize they must have been disappointed as they couldn’t get away with anything significant. Unfortunately for them too, I was not entertaining any special offers they presented on phone. When they realized the game was up, they cunningly introduced a virus and suggested I called a number. I did but, this time, I had a hunch something was just not right. The point to note in this whole episode is to be careful so as not to give the devil or his agents access to your life.

Scriptures say in Ephesians 4:27 “Do not give place to the devil”. There is a progression. When there is a little opening, a demon forces himself in and opens the door for other equally dangerous demons. They don’t walk alone. Spirit of depression and suicidal spirit are brothers for example. There is a saying of the elders that a pathological liar will also steal; lying and theft – brothers in crime!

The Psalmist captured it so well: “…he that walketh not, …. nor standeth…nor sitteth” – Psalm 1. It started with a walk, progressed to standing in, then, sitting in the seat of the scornful. Satan is very subtle. If he appears as dark and black, fierce looking with two horns, as often portrayed in our children books, chances are people will completely steer clear of him. Scriptures say he appears even as an angel of light – 2 Corinthians 11:14. So it is “by their fruits we shall know them”. The criminals that gained access to my computer were quite convincing because they were very polite and sounded very helpful in solving the problems on my computer. Little did I know that they actually created the problem. Thank God, I was able to discern before it was too late; when sensitive bank information may have been acquired!

I remember a dear sister sharing with my husband and I some 10 years ago how a rich man tried to lure her husband into the occult. She had no cause to suspect anything for a long time, she just thought the man was going out of his ways to be very nice to her husband until she realized much later he was also dangling a dangerous ‘carrot’.

Some established ways Satan gains access into the life of a child of God include the following:

Sin:

Living in sin even though you are a child of God opens up your life to all manner of satanic interference; Because “…he that breaketh a hedge a serpent will bite” (Ecclesiastes 10:8). Some sins do not appear ‘so bad’ making it easy to overlook them. They are however equally as dangerous –

By Pastor Mrs. Abosede Oyeleye