“SEAL UP THOSE CRACKS”

"and give no opportunity to the devil."

Ephesians 4:27

I used to write blog posts for U.S. HVAC companies, discussing various appliances to help families maintain comfortable homes. To come up with good arguments for why homeowners needed furnaces, heat pumps, or air conditioning units, I had to invest time in research.

One of the things I learned was how important it is to keep a house winter-proof. It needs to be completely airtight, with no cracks where cold air can seep in and cause all kinds of problems. In the fall, homeowners have to make sure their homes are ready for sub-zero temperatures, not only for their comfort but also for their survival.

Everything I have gained an understanding of was a mere collection of knowledge. I had no actual experience of such things—until my family and I came to Canada and lived out here in Cecil Lake, where winters can be both beautiful and harsh. Now, I know how important it is to keep our house safe and comfortable regardless of the season.

Just as maintenance is important for our homes, so is a heart-check critical to our spiritual well-being.

In our previous blog, we talked about managing our anger as soon as possible and learned that prolonging our emotions can lead to impulsive actions we will eventually regret. 

Today’s verse tells us not to allow the Devil to strike. Satan does not stop working, waiting patiently for an opening, then attacking his prey with all his ferocity (1 Peter 5:8).

The word "opportunity" in verse 27 comes from the Greek "topon," which refers to "a place" or "a room." Satan doesn't need a gate to enter our minds and control us; all he needs is a tiny crevice to penetrate and strike. When we let our guard down, the Devil strikes aggressively and tries to take us down.

Satan can find different ways to get into our minds, one of which is greed. In John 13:2, the Bible says that the Devil had already put into Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. But this doesn’t mean that Satan infiltrated a pure mind. John 12:6 says that Judas is a thief who takes money from the collection bag. He is also without compassion for the poor, but pretends to care about them. With that in mind, Judas was a lying, thieving, two-faced fraud.

Another means by which Satan can manipulate us is anger. James 1:20 says that ungodly anger does not produce the righteousness of God. While the Devil does not necessarily make us angry, he can use circumstances to cloud our judgment and lead us to be overcome by our emotions. That’s why the Bible commands us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry (James 1:19).

With that in mind, we must guard our hearts against the enemy, because failing to do so will give him an entrance. We have to surrender any fit of anger, lie, covetousness, and any other evil unto God and ask Him for a clean heart. We may not be able to face Satan on our own, but we have our Lord on our side. He alone can seal up those cracks and guarantee our safety.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash