“SEAL UP THOSE CRACKS”

"and give no opportunity to the devil."

Ephesians 4:27

Every Cecil Lake homeowner understands the importance of making sure his or her home is winter-proof. Why? Well, this part of planet Earth “enjoys” an extended cold season. Just yesterday, when everybody thought it was springtime, we woke up to a snowy yard!

You’d want precious heated air to stay inside your home. That’s why it needs to be completely airtight, ensuring there are no cracks where cold air can seep in and cause all kinds of problems. In the fall, we have to see to it that the house is ready for sub-zero temperatures for not only our comfort but also for our survival.

Just as maintenance is important for our homes, so is a heart check critical to our spiritual well-being.

Yesterday, we talked about handling our anger as soon as possible and learned that prolonging our emotions can lead to uncontrolled actions, which we will eventually regret.

Today’s verse tells us not to allow the Devil to strike. Satan does not stop working, waiting patiently to see an opening, then attacks his prey with all ferocity (1 Peter 5:8).

The word "opportunity" in verse 27 comes from the Greek "topon," which refers to "a place" or "a room." Satan doesn't need a gate to enter our minds and control us; all he needs is a tiny little crevice to penetrate and strike. When we let our guard down, the Devil strikes aggressively and tries to take us down with all of his might.

Satan can find different ways to get into our minds, one of which is greed. In John 13:2, the Bible says that the Devil had already put into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. But this doesn’t mean that Satan infiltrated a pure mind. John 12:6 says that Judas is a thief who has been taking money out of the collection bag. He is also without compassion for the poor but pretends to care about them. With that in mind, Judas was a lying, thieving, two-faced fraud.

Another means by which Satan can manipulate us is anger. James 1:20 says that ungodly anger does not produce the righteousness of God. While the Devil does not necessarily cause us to be angry, he can use circumstances to cloud our judgment and be overcome by our emotions. That’s why the Bible commands us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry (James 1:19).

With that in mind, we must ensure to guard our hearts against the enemy, because not doing so will give him an entrance. We must surrender any fit of anger, lie, covetousness, and any other evil unto God and ask Him for a clean heart. We may not be able to face Satan on our own, but we have our Lord on our side. He alone can seal up those cracks and guarantee our safety.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Alfred Leung on Unsplash