Keep the Snake Out!

Look at your troops—
       they are all women!
       The gates of your land
       are wide open to your enemies;
       fire has consumed their bars.

Nahum 3:13

When a country opens the gates of its land to its enemies it doesn’t take a professor of the history of international relations to predict the outcome. When the purpose of a military is to bring comfort and peace around the world the end of a conflict is easy to predict.

More to the point, when a man opens the gates of his life to the enemies that desire to destroy him, the devastation is totally predictable. And when spiritual warfare becomes a “police action” to keep the forces of evil at bay for a time, the end of that story is not pretty.

As a follower of Jesus you must be diligent and relentless in your border patrol activities. Inspect the perimeter of your life daily and look for any weaknesses where Satan might slip in to your life. Repair the fence. Shut the gate. Lock the doors! Pretend that Satan is a poisonous snake trying to find a way to get in to your house. How diligent would you be about keeping that snake out?

Then when you are called upon to wage spiritual warfare, take no prisoners! The mercy of God is not called for when it comes to the principalities, powers, and powers of the air! There is no requirement in God’s Word that we be kind to Satan! Defeat him. Cripple his efforts in your life. Draw near to God so that Satan will flee from you! Let the fear that he tries to distribute to you come back on him in Holy Terror!

Finally, never lay down your weapon! The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God must be at the ready at all times. When the head of the snake appears, cut it off!