"I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in…." are a few of the lyrics to the song by the Dave Edmunds Band that so many remember from the classic rock era. Beyond being a catchy tune, this song is one that we would do well to remember where our spiritual well being is concerned.
The enemy is constantly knocking at the door of your "home". Whether you interpret your home as being your heart, your mind, or perhaps your family, he is always there knocking, tapping, pounding! He rings the bell, calling out with that oily smooth voice of seduction to ensnare you in his web of deceit.
As long as we do not open the door to him, he cannot touch us. He can’t come inside and mess up the orderliness of our home. He absolutely cannot come in unless we give him permission. But if we open the door to his constant cajoling, even if it is just to tell him to go away, it will be too late. All he needs is a toehold and he will sweep in, knocking you over and infusing your house with ugliness. He is waiting eagerly for the opportunity to leave his foul stench all over the furniture, greasy stains on the walls and the slime of discontent covering your clothing.
Sometimes however, it is not quite so obvious that the caller on the front step is an unwanted visitor. A vital point to consider is the element of deception. It is through beautiful lies that he will "deceive the very elect." (Matt. 24:24) If we are not disciplined enough in our spiritual walk we can be fooled into accepting the enemy’s voice as one of a friend. Before we know it exceptions are made, excuses begin and we are pulled in over our heads. How often do we rationalize what we consider to be a "minor" sin? We blow it off as no big deal as long as we aren’t hurting anybody. But what so many don’t seem to realize is that sin does hurt. It may not be evident at first, but someone always pays the consequence even if it is only the sinner himself.
The only way to avoid becoming a victim of this kind of fraud is to study the authentic. Government agencies can spot counterfeit money because their eyes are so trained to what the real thing looks like. We too should devote our time to studying the voice of the Lord so that we will recognize immediately when another fraudulent voice is calling. Listen and train your ear to hear the sound of the Master, and you will not be deceived.
What other ways can we protect ourselves from this sort of home invasion? Begin by stepping back and asking the Protector to take over. Remember when you were a child and you trusted your dad to take over in scary situations? Do you recall how much safer you felt, knowing you could trust your father to protect you from whatever it was that frightened or confused you? The same is true today in the spiritual realm. Leave it to the Father. Run to Him and say, "Lord, I can’t handle this on my own. Please take over and tell the enemy to leave."
In Scripture we can find instances where even beings with power asked God to rebuke Satan on their behalf. (Zechariah 3:2 "the Lord rebuke you..") They knew that He alone held complete power over the enemy’s allowed influence.
So when you hear the rapping at the door, don’t bother to tell him to go away because he already knows when he is not welcome. As long as you put your trust in the Lord and let Him handle it, the knocking will sound quieter and more distant as time goes by. Continue to keep your focus on the One who truly desires to live in your heart and make it a place of glory and light.
