In the late seventies my parents lived on a farm. The house was old and had its share of cracks and little holes under sinks. Occasionally a little field mouse would squeeze through a small crack and try to find a morsel on the kitchen floor. Consequently, mouse traps were always sitting in nooks and crannies.
They decided to build a new home. Mom was delighted. She was confident there would be no need for mousetraps. But one day she was surprised by a little field mouse in her bathroom! A repairman, a few weeks earlier, had worked under her bathroom sink. She investigated and there was a crack. It was small but the little critter could squeeze its way through.
She said that mouse was a lot like Satan. He is always trying to find a crack in our armor. Just when we confidently think we are safe and able to resist him, he finds a way to squeeze into our lives.
Immersing ourselves in God’s word is the only way to fully protect ourselves from the devil. We must:
- Gird our waist with truth (1 Timothy 6:11-17). What is truth? Sanctify them by your truth, Your word is truth (John 17:17).
- Put on the breastplate of righteousness. My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness (Psalm 119:172).
- Shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: (Ephesians 1:13).
- Take the shield of faith, by which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Paul said, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
- Finally, Paul said, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
We do not want Satan to find a crack in our armor. However, if he tempts us in a weak area, we have these beautiful promises of the Father, Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7), and, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). The word escape carries with it the idea of being hemmed in, and could be compared to Satan catching us in a box canyon. There seems to be no escape. We search and search until we finally find a very narrow gap in the wall. There is enough room for us to barely squeeze through, so we have to drop everything we’re carrying—fear, pride, anger, possessions, but we successfully get through to the other side. It is a beautiful image! Again, God’s word gives us strength and wisdom to overcome.
Simply put, every part of the Christian armor involves the Bible. May we never become slack in our study, thinking we know enough. Paul said, Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Let us fortify and secure ourselves, like a mighty fortress, with the word of God!
Today’s verse: Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way (Psalm 119:34-37).
By Teresa Hampton
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