According to 1 Peter 5:8, the Devil is like a roaring lion, seeking easy prey to devour. This is accomplished by isolating us from the pack, people that care about us and try to protect us from harm. Once on our own, we are like sitting ducks or in the case of the caption above, an antelope in the desert, vulnerable to any of its predators.
Dr. Ed Murphy, in his book The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare, illuminates this fact in chapter 4, entitled Rebellion in the Heavenlies and on Earth. According to Murphy, a curious human mind often embraces Satan’s thoughts. Within the Genesis 3:1-7 encounter, Satan awakens Eve’s mind to the realization of disobedience. As soon as Eve’s emotions and will embraced the apple, sin was only a matter of time, James 1:13-15. Once a person is tricked, oppressed or held in bondage to a specific sin or sins, they must break free as soon as possible.
C.S. Lewis addresses this point in book 1 of Mere Christianity, Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe. At the beginning of chapter 5, We Have Cause to Be Uneasy, Lewis suggests the sooner you make a U-Turn, a complete break from sin, turning 90 degrees in the opposite direction toward God, the quicker you will get back on track spiritually, Matthew 7:13-14. The apostle Paul gives Christians a blue print for breaking free of sin in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.
Since the enemy fights us with spiritual weapons, Ephesians 6:12, we must be ready to fight this battle with the proper weapons. If Satan uses carefully chosen words, subtle in nature, to distort reality, you must begin to take your thoughts captive. Remember, Satan is deceiving people daily into following his deceptive ways, becoming independent from the will of God. Therefore, the only method to truly break free from sin is through setting your heart and mind on things above, Colossians 3:1-4. This includes living out Colossians 3:15-17. Don’t be defeated, make your thoughts obedient to Christ and victories will follow!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 