Removing the Footholds

Over the last two months I've thought a lot about the different ways Satan gets a grip on our lives. And as I've looked at each one my thought has been turning it into a sermon at some point in the future. For that to happen you have to be able to tell people how to prevent Satan from getting these footholds.

It's not easy, it requires intentional effort, but honestly that shouldn't surprise us. This is a war we're involved in, with a real enemy who prowls like a roaring lion. My wife and I recently watched The Ghost and the Darkness. It's based on a true story about two lions in Tsavo that killed railroad works for the pleasure of killing. Satan is like that. He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5.8) simply because he enjoys it. There is a line in the movie that says, "The devil has come to Tsavo."

In the movie they were intentional about guarding against the lions. They took every measure possible to keep the workers safe and kill the lions, and eventually they do kill them both, but along the way many are killed. Some ignore the instructions, and some just get caught in the path of a deadly enemy who attacks as they sleep. That's how Satan works, he attacks when our guard is dropped; he comes when we are asleep, that's why Peter says to be of sober spirit and on the alert.

As I've been working through these I've tried to see ways to overcome them. Many of them can be overcome by intentional actions. For greed, selfishness and pride, give things away, serve others. Ignorance and apathy can be over come by intentional study, by intentionally looking for opportunities to put your beliefs into action. Anger we can work on overcoming by simply forcing ourselves not to give a reply when our emotions are high, it's difficult but doable.

But then there are ones like fear, doubt, and anxiety which are more difficult to do something to overcome them. These ones I think lead to the rest of them, we use the other footholds as defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from these ones. We build on a bad foundation, and the whole thing comes crashing down on us. Some of these can't be fixed, and honestly none of them can be removed from our lives without the grace of God.

Over the summer I read a book that I've wanted to blog about. I started writing about it two or three times, but each time God wouldn't let me finish it, He wouldn't give me the words to write. But now He's giving me the green light. The book was Walking with God by John Eldredge. In it he talks about the journey he took with God throughout the different seasons of a year. His point in writing is that we can really hear from God, we can really talk with Him. And in it he talks about things that keep us from being as close to God as we could be.

At one point he talks about praying against specific things, and I think that's where removing the footholds of the devil begins. Pray against them. Pray specifically against Anger, Anxiety, Fear, Pride, Greed, Selfishness, Ignorance, Doubt, and Apathy. As you pray tell them that they have no place in your life, that they aren't welcome. And as you pray against them pray that God will fill the space. In place of Anger, pray for Love. In place of Anxiety pray for Peace. In place of Fear, pray for Boldness. In place of Pride, pray for Humility. In place of Greed, pray for Generosity. In place of Selfishness, pray for Selflessness. In place of Ignorance, pray for Wisdom. In place of Doubt, pray for Faith. In place of Apathy, pray for Passion.

The Bible says that if a space vacated by a demon isn't filled with God, it comes back with seven friends who are worse that it is (Luke 11.24-26). It isn't enough just to get rid of the foothold for Satan, we have to replace it with a platform for God. God isn't just going to put the platform in place for us, that would be too easy and it wouldn't last. Instead He gives us the building materials, and He works along side with us to build the platform. We'll have the opportunity and the choice of which characteristic we exhibit. And the more we exercise something, the more instinctual it becomes.

We have two choices in our lives, be ruled by Satan, or submitting to God. Satan will come in and take over, God will lovingly lead us. God will never force Himself on anyone, that isn't how He works. If you want Him, you must choose Him, He's already chosen you.

John 10.10a, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;" Don't let Satan have control of your life, he'll destroy it. He is the thief. If you let him get a foothold, then he will kill you. Instead, let Jesus fill you with life. John 10.10b, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Peace be with you.