25 Jan Shut the Front Door! (Learning to shut the door to the enemy in your life) PART 5

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Over the last few weeks we have been sharing from this series.

Let’s review before we continue…We recently began sharing, “Four Biblical Balances to Opposition”:

  1. If you’ve never had a head-on collision with the devil…chances are you’re walking with him!
  2. With divine opportunity comes demonic opposition.
  3. When you experience opposition, don’t just assume you are doing something wrong…it may be you are doing something right!
  4. Many times the tallest trees experience the harshest winds.

Last week we shared with you some entry points the devil endeavors to use as cracks in the doors of our life.  If we can identify these, we can shut these doors tightly and thereby cut off his access points to us.  

 “Six Entry Exhibits”:

  1. Worry (I Pet 5:5-8)

Worry is simply a glorified form of fear.  Worry and fear open the door to the devil in our lives.  Remember this:  Worry is simply pulling tomorrow’s clouds over today’s sunshine!  You can shut the door to worry in your life by simply doing I Peter 5:7… “Casting (again the Greek word “epirhipto” which means to make a “quick toss”) your cares (your worry or anxiety) on the Lord because He cares for you.”  

So, when you are tempted to worry, quickly toss that worry or anxiety on the Lord.  When worry tries to come my way I will literally say out loud, “No I am not taking that care and I cast that on you, God…you care for me!”  I will immediately roll my care over onto the Lord because He can handle it and He loves me.  I may have to deal with the responsibility of a situation but I don’t have to deal with the anxiety of the situation!  Cast your care on the Lord and shut the door to the devil in your life!

This week we continue with…

     2. Internalized anger (Eph. 4:26-27)

Here the Word of God tells us, “Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath.  Neither give place to the devil.”  In these powerful verses the Greek word translated “wrath” is “paragismos” which denotes “an explosive rage.”  The Greek word “place” is “topos” which means ground (we get our word “topography” from it).

Here the Scripture is very clear that we can give place or ground to the devil when we internalize anger.  Just because I sweep the dust under the rug doesn’t mean the dust isn’t there!  Remember this:  Anger that is internalized eventually becomes wrath that is verbalized!  

The Bible describes this in Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”  If we continually internalize anger it can eventually grow into a root of bitterness that grows up and “troubles us” and will eventually defile (the Greek word means “stain”) many.

Years ago I remember eating at a restaurant with a dear pastor friend of mine.  There was another couple at another table that recognized me.  She and her husband came over to us and asked if I was the head of World Changers Bible Institute.  Of course, I told her that I was and she then inquired about WCBI.  

I told her WCBI is a place where servant leaders can develop, to which she replied in a very harsh tone, “Pastors should be servants too!”  Of course I certainly agree with that statement, however it was the way she said it…with so much vitriol!  I could tell she had been at some point hurt by some pastor and warranted or not, she had internalized anger.  It had now become a root of bitterness.  Anger internalized eventually becomes wrath that is verbalized!

If you have been hurt or offended in life, Jesus tells us very clearly to go to that person (and him alone) and communicate (see Matthew 18:15).   Remember this:  Communication disarms the devil.  The devil has a hard time hiding in a place called communication!  Shut the front door!

Next month we will continue our series!