the most common foothold of satan…

ephesians 4.27 (niv) says this, do not give the devil a foothold.  what does that mean, don’t give the devil a foothold?

it’s like a beachhead that the marines used to do when they’d establish a beachhead on an island.  in world war ii after the japanese took over the entire south pacific with their army the united states marines started to go out and retake those islands and take them back.  the plan was always the marines would land on an island and they would establish what was called a beachhead. 

now a beachhead may be an area of space maybe only ten yards deep and two hundred yards wide.  but it was just enough space to give them a toehold, a foothold, a beachhead on the island.  that way they could fight the enemy not from the ship but from actually on the ground.  then from that beachhead they’d begin to push back on the island taking it a little bit at a time until they took it over. 

now, it’s interesting that in the history of world war ii once the marines landed on an island and established a beachhead they never lost that island.  once they got on it you weren’t kicking them off.  they would keep on keeping on.  victory was assured.  there would be lost battles but ultimate victory was assured. 

now what’s the most common foothold that satan gets in our life?  the answer is any negative emotion.  any negative emotion satan can use as a foothold in your life. 

jealousy can give satan a foothold in your life.  do you get jealous?  he gets a little foothold in your life.  envy can be a foothold in your life.  do you get envious of other people?  how much money they make?  he’s got a foothold in your life.  fear can be a foothold.  resentment can be a foothold.  lust can be a foothold.  anger can be a foothold.  boredom can be a foothold.  any of those negative emotions gives him just a little spot in your life to begin trying to destroy your life.  and when you mix several of these heart conditions together they’re very potent. 

for instance, let’s say you’re tired, you’re fatigued, you’re frustrated, and you’re hurt, and you’re lonely.  that combination right there is setting you up in an amazingly easy way for temptation.  the more of those things that get in your life you’re being set up for a fall.  it’s a powerful combo. 
because what happens is when you start feeling bad a little voice starts saying to you, i deserve a little comfort.  i’m having a tough time right now.  i deserve a little release.  i deserve a little pleasure.  i deserve a little fun.  and you start listening to yourself. 

you know where that’s coming from but you know that those ideas you would never consider them if things were going good.  so that’s why you have to consider the condition of your heart.

just a thought from the front porch…

stand up to the devil…

james here in chapter 4 gives us another practical step in dealing with arguments and conflicts in our lives when he says in the last part of verse 7 (nirv), stand up to the devil.  he will run away from you.  first of all, give in to GOD and then get wise to the devil.

in other words, be aware, be alert.  realize what the devil’s doing.  realize where the conflict comes from and that he’s the source behind it.  . 

listen, the devil wants to destroy your marriage.  he wants to destroy every good relationship in your life.  why?  because he loves conflict, arguments.  he wants confusion, stress, hurt feelings, disappointments, anger, chaos.  he loves to do it.  james says you’ve got to give into GOD, let HIM have control. 

then you’ve got to do some defensive action.  you’ve got to stand up to the devil and realize what he is doing.  if you get up in the morning and you don’t run into the devil head on, it means you're already going in the same direction.

2 corinthians 2.11 (msg), we don’t want to unwittingly give satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!

paul the writer of this letter to the corinthians says, wise up!  recognize his tactics.  know how he operates.

so how does the devil operate?  he plays on our pride, particularly wounded pride.  when you’re in the middle of an argument, he starts whispering in your ear, things like, “you don’t have to take this stuff.  retaliate.  who do they think they are?  get even.  assert yourself!  don’t put up with this kind of stuff.  show ‘em who’s boss.”  he tells you all the things your pride would love to hear.  but you need to say, “satan, i know that’s you.”  stand up to him.

so how do you stand up to the devil?  same way JESUS did.  HE quoted scripture.  memorize proverbs 13.10 (niv), pride leads to arguments.

the next time you get into an argument, that scripture can be brought to your mind by the LORD and you stop and think, “how am i being prideful here?  what am i not willing to compromise?  where am i only thinking of myself and not the other person’s needs, desires and attitudes?” 

there is a great promise here.  it says, stand up to the devil.  he will run away from you.  you don’t have to put up with him.  give in to GOD and get wise to satan.

just a thought from the front porch…