I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”   Psalm 91:2 HCSB

I don’t know about you, but there was a time in my life when I lived in a tent with paper sides. It was way too easy for the devil to get in there. I would allow him to come in and live rent free inside of my mind. I would listen to his lies and even start to believe them. It was miserable, actually.

I had to move. I had to choose to reside in the shelter that God provides for me (Psalm 91:1). I had to get into that gated community where intruders are simply not allowed in. I had to live in God’s fortress where I am safe.

The devil was first introduced to us as a serpent in Genesis chapter 3. He was described as the most cunning of all the wild animals that God had made. He will do what it takes to get in there and we must be on guard.

One of my favorite children stories is the Wolf and the Seven Kids. In this story a momma goat has to leave her seven kids alone and she warns them not to let anyone in because she fears the wolf will get in and eat them. The wolf fooled them by pretending to be her and they slipped and let him in.

Sometimes we slip and let the devil in and we must be careful not to do that. I will admit that most of the time I am oblivious to the spiritual warfare that I know goes on all around us all the time. I know that God’s got it. I am safe in His shelter and I don’t worry about it. But then the devil will use something or someone to try to distract me and convince me to let him in. He wants to get in to me and tell me his lies. He wants to rattle me and distract me. The more I try to get into a close relationship with the Lord, the more the devil tries to step in and block me. I have learned that this means that I just have to get behind God and we have to push back even harder.

The devil can’t be everywhere at one time like God can, so he uses people and demons to do his bidding. Our problem is often times, we have a person come against us and we forget that it is spiritual warfare. We try to push back against them using worldly tactics. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tells us that though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to 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. So when the devil is feeding you a lie and trying to get inside your head, stop him. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be careful because the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. The best way to stay safe from the devil is to submit to God. We are told in James 4:7 if we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us.

If you love the Lord and are trying your best to keep His commandments and do what He has called you to do, you are making the devil mad. The devil will do all he can to try to stop you. But you must stand firm. You must take refuge in the Lord, your God. You must stand firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:9).

If the devil gets in, he can do damage. We must not let him in. When we experience trouble, it is the devil trying to distract us and stop us from what God is calling us to do. Don’t let him do it. Don’t give him that opportunity. Trust in God and live in the shelter God provides for us. You may experience trouble, but stand strong. God’s got this! And whatever you do, remember Romans 8:28, God works all things for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. If you love the Lord and are called according to His purpose, whatever happens you can rest assured that He is working it all out for your good.

Have a great weekend!