Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world — the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches — comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. 1 John 2:15-17
We all need some down time, just to relax and be still. However, it is during these idle moments that Satan can break in and try to lead us down a path we don’t want to go down. These gaps in our lives are usually where we get in trouble if we are not careful and intentional about every minute. Satan knows that the desires of the flesh are strong, and a bored mind is easily tempted. It may be something as heavy as pornography or drugs and alcohol that tempt you when you are still, quiet, and no one is looking. It may be something as light and fun as eating and shopping that we do because we want to feel better but done in excess causes horrible consequences on our health and finances. Or it can be a trail of depression and sadness that overcomes you when you are quiet and thinking about the struggles you are experiencing, which can lead to other wrong paths. Depression and sadness can lead to chemical abuse, self-medicating to take the pain away. Discontentment and boredom can lead to shopping or pornography or whatever we can find that entertains us and bring a quick minute of pleasure. Satan likes to seize those moments when we let our guard down. He knows every trick in the book to seduce us away from Christ. He preys on our insecurities and sets us up to be destroyed.
When we let Satan gain control over our mind and thoughts, we are shutting Christ out. The things that we let in that lead us away always bring more pain and troubles into our lives than the things we are running away from. We don’t usually see it coming so we need to be on guard all the time for things that can lead us away from God. One little idle moment can be a victory for Satan if we are not on guard.
Our quiet times and empty places need to be given to the Lord, asking Him to cover us, protect us, and allow us the refreshment we need in safety from the enemy. When you have some free time and you feel yourself drifting, pray and say not today Satan!
Scripture to Clam:
Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow. 1Peter 5:8
