Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 HCSB

Whether you are watching a suspense thriller or a true crime story, you know that often times, the attacker is let in because the victim opens the door for them.  Some attackers use clever disguises to gain entry into their victim’s homes. Some charm their way in. Some get in because the victim knows them and trusts them.  Whatever the case may be, I have noticed that in many true crime situations the victim opens the door and allows their attacker entrance into their home.

Now in less than a week, we will be celebrating the 4th of July.  Perhaps you will be letting a large number of friends and family members into your home.  We all enjoy a good get-together, right? But how careful are we about what we allow into our hearts and our homes? This is what should be concerning us?  Do you watch the rated R movie because even though it has a lot of foul language in it, it’s really funny?  Do you allow the weekly drama that has a little bit too much sex and nudity in there because it has a really good story line? Do you talk and behave one way on the job and another way at church?  When we do these things, we make a wide sweeping pathway for the devil to waltz right into our hearts, our homes, and our lives.

Now let me be clear about one thing, sin looks good on the surface.  It is very inviting.  It is the drink to the alcoholic. It is the hot fudge sundae to the person with the food addiction. It is a drug for the substance abuser.  It looks good, otherwise no one would participate in it, right? But be careful, a little bit will take you a long way, a lot farther than you ever intended to go.  2 Corinthians 11:13-15 has this to say, For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 

We are in the end days and we must be careful.  I ask you this, if you hear a knock on your locked door and you look out and see some scroungy person who is dirty with long, matted hair, covered in tattoos and piercings standing at your door, are you going to answer it and invite him in?  What about this, you hear a knock at your door and you see a little old lady standing on the other side? This is where we must be careful.  Satan is good with disguises.  Be careful who you associate with. Be careful what material you allow in.

We often caution our children to be careful of strangers with the whole stranger danger thing, but how careful are we.  Our scripture passage today, tells us that we must be very careful.  If you open your door to a “little” sin, you are kidding yourself.  There is no such thing.  You may as well just fling it wide open and invite the devil into your life.  Know that it will be good for a while, but the end is disastrous. I pray that you don’t fall victim to the devil and his cunning ways.

Have a great day!