By Pastor Lem Niere
“Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:27. You and I never have to fall victim to the devil! If we can shut every door, close every window, and seal every place in our lives through which the enemy would try to gain access, we can prevent him from getting into the middle of our affairs.
One of the “entry points” the devil tries to use to enter our lives is relationships. If there is an unresolved issue or an ugly conflict with a loved one or friend, these conflict points often become entry points through which the devil tries to get a foothold in our relationships with those we love. Once the enemy is able to slip in through one of these “cracks” and build an offended place in our minds, then a wall has already begun to be constructed that will eventually separate us from the people we need and love the most.
The apostle Paul says, “Neither gave place to the devil.” The word for “place” is the Greek word “topos.” It refers to a specific, marked-off, geographical location. It carries the idea of a territory, province, zone, or geographical position. That’s the word for “topographical” map. This lets us know that the devil is after every region and zone of our lives—money, health, marriage, relationships, employment, business, and ministry. He is so territorial that he wants it all. But to start his campaign to conquer all those areas of our lives, he must first find an entry point from which he can begin his campaign of unleashing his devilish destruction in our lives.
We often through open the door to the devil when we, for example:
• Refuse to let go of old hurts and wounds.
• Refuse to acknowledge what we did wrong.
• Refuse to forgive others for what they did.
• Refuse to stop judging others for their grievances.
• Refuse to admit we were wrong too.
• Refuse to say, “I’m sorry” when we’re wrong.
• Refuse to lay down our “rights” for others.
If you and I do any of these things, we leave a “marked-off place” through which the devil can enter. But we don’t have to fall victim to the enemy’s tactics. We can say, “No, you’re not going to do this!”If you and I do nay of these things, we leave a “marked-off place” through which the devil can enter. But we don’t have to fall victim to the enemy’s tactics. We can say, “No, you’re not going to do this!”
We have a choice. We can choose to “give the enemy place” in our minds and emotions, or we can choose to walk in the Spirit. If we choose the lower road, we will end up doing and saying things we later regret. Those regretful tings are usually what opens the door for the devil to wreak havoc in our relationships. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ, so we don’t have to let the devil run all over us. The Bible boldly declares, “…Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4
