UN/Broken - Day 18

Though the devil and his agents may not be something we fear, we must be aware and fight back wisely.  We must also not invite the devil into our lives to gain a stronghold.

You may respond to that last statement with a “No duh! Of course, I’m not inviting the devil anywhere.” But let me explain the different ways this happens that are ever so subtle.

For many years, someone close to me had been hurt by the church, and so they walked away.  They walked away from church, but as is often the case, they also walked away from any investment in a relationship with God.

At the same time, this person also explored their interest in the dark side of the spiritual realm.  They explored black magic, witchcraft, Wiccan practices, an obsession with stories of the undead (vampires, ghosts/spirits, demons), and so on.  This also showed in the books they chose to read, the movies they decided to watch, and the music they chose to listen to in their free time.

Again, I refer to a verse we shared yesterday, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV.

My friend was giving the darkness a stronghold on their life.  How did these strongholds influence their life?  

For years, I watched as my friend struggled with weight, with drugs/alcohol, and with decisions that caused more harm than good in their life.  Then, when some things started going their way, good things finally started to happen, inevitably they’d be sucked back into the darkness, and things would fall apart; marriage, relationships with others, weight, job, etc…

Again, CS Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils.  One is to disbelieve and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.  They are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician the same delight.”

Scripture uses light and dark to speak to represent good and evil.  We do the same in many of our movies today.  As such, we are often referred to as children of light, as when Paul wrote, “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 NLT

Paul may have been thinking of Jesus when he said, “Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.” John 12:35-36 NLT

So, another way to help battle the darkness is not to give the darkness a place in our lives.  To steer clear of practices, literature, and expressions that glorify the prince of darkness, but instead, walk in the light of God’s love and grace.  And when we find ourselves stuck, trapped by our past, we need to seek freedom in Christ with the help of a pastor, a mentor, and maybe a mental health professional.

QUESTIONS

• How do we subtly open the door for the darkness to gain a foothold in our lives?
• What are some practices that help us walk in the light?
• How would you define freedom in Christ?