Text - Ephesians 4:27 – “Neither give place to the devil”'
In our text today, the Apostle Paul counsels us to block all loopholes in our lives that the devil can take advantage of. We are told not to allow the devil to have any opportunity whatsoever to act in, through and against us.
Listed below are some of the things that can create a loophole through which the devil can gain a foothold in your life:'
1. Sin – In the words of Matthew Henry, “Sin, if yielded unto, lets in the devil upon us”. Romans 5:17 says, “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many…”
We give place to the devil when:
1. Sinful thoughts are not grievous to our souls. 2. We yield to those sinful thoughts. 3. We repeat an evil deed.
2. Folly – I have come to conclude that in life, folly poses the greatest hazard to man, second only to sin. If sin wins the pageant of menace, folly will be its first runner-up. Reading Proverbs 3:21-24, we can deduce that Folly gives the devil a foothold to compromise a person’s peace and safety.
3. Pride – We talked extensively about pride few days ago. Bible says in James 4:6 that God himself resists the proud.
4. Unforgiveness – Grudges and offences can also create a loophole through which the devil can gain a foothold in the life of a man. The statement in our text was actually made in the context of offences; the previous verse says, “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” Clearly, unforgiveness will give the devil a foothold in your life.
5. Bitterness – Bitterness occurs in the advanced stages of unforgiveness; when the offence has burrowed its way into a person’s heart, and has been replayed over and again, such that deep ruts are created that will be hard to build back up, usually resulting in an intense antagonism or hostility toward others who knew nothing about the offence.
6. Wickedness – Proverbs 15:29 tells us that God is far from the wicked. A wicked person, according to Biblical descriptions is someone who has a mental disregard for justice, righteousness, and truth, often manifesting in evil thoughts and purposes.
7. Unbelief – James said someone living in doubts and unbelief should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6)… When we consider the story of the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness, we would clearly see how unbelief can give the devil a foothold in our lives; this was what the writer of Hebrews recanted in Hebrews 3, from verse 7. His conclusion in verse 12 was, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…”
Beloved, if you leave any loophole in your life, the Devil will use it as an opportunity to invade and take over other areas of his life. Let’s remember the words of Peter in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
The Message Bible puts it like this, “Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up.”
PRAYERS
1. Lord, I repent of any area I have lapsed and created a loophole for the devil in my life. Forgive me Lord in Jesus Name.
2. I destroy every foothold of the devil in my life in Jesus Name, and I commit myself to making conscious decisions to block all loopholes.
3. Lord, I ask You to help me keep the doors to my life closed to the devil. He will have no foothold in my life in Jesus Name.
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