The Enemy at the Door

“If a household is divided...that household will not stand.” Mark 3:25

The scribes in Jesus’ day could not explain Jesus’ miracles and they decided, “He is possessed by Beelzebul. He casts out demons by the ruler of demons!” Jesus called them and explained, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If Satan opposes himself, his kingdom is divided, and it cannot stand.”

Yes, our ancient enemy continues to work today, and he is so successful, many people think he and his minions don’t exist. He is delighted when we scoff and say, “The devil? What a lot of nonsense!” But the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” 

We don’t see our enemy, but the battlefield is our mind. Just as the devil in the garden convinced Eve that disobeying God was in her best interest, so he tries to convince us to give him a foothold in our lives. What we think of as little sins, gives the enemy a foot in the door. 

The best way to deal with him is to cast him out when he tries to toy with our emotions and thinking. We should not allow him space in our mind. Negative thoughts that make us insecure, or make us think others are against us, be gone! We should learn to recognize temptations, deceptions, and accusations, so we can rebuke them before they find a space to park. 

St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled (deceived) Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” 

Jesus, You came to give us victory. Thank You for the armor and the weapons You gave us so we can be victors against the enemy who wants to destroy our peace, our joy, our love for You and our brothers and sisters. Continue to teach us Your ways!