DON'T GIVE THE DEVIL A PLACE

“Nor give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:27 NKJV

I enjoy listening to a variety of teachers and preachers. One in particular is Dr. Adrian Rogers. I remember Dr. Rogers talking about his interest in birds. And so he created a garden for the birds, but he learned that just having the garden wasn't working. He wanted to attract birds to his garden. (I'll skip to the meat of the story) A friend told him, “If you create the right environment they’ll come.” So he bought the right kind of food, the right kind of birdhouse, mounted it on the right kind of pole, and enjoyed hosting a variety of birds. Rogers points out that many of us unwittingly roll out the welcome mat for the devil by creating an environment where he feels right at home. Satan can’t take any ground you don’t give him. He’s looking for an environment where he can live comfortably.

If you’ve given the devil a place in your life today, you can reclaim that lost ground. By faith: “Every child of God defeats this evil world…through our faith” (1 John 5:4 NLT). God empowers us for spiritual warfare, and that power is released through faith. Knowing who you are in Christ gives you confidence. By resisting: “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NKJV). Only as you submit to God, will you have the power to overcome the devil. You must come against him in the Name of Jesus and the authority of God’s Word. By fighting: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can…stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV). Remember: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God…will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand” (1Corinthians 10:13 NLT). You don’t have to beg God to give you power to defeat the devil; it’s already yours (See Lk 10:19). Learn to walk in it!