Who is Pulling the Strings? Part 6
Influence: the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command.
Manipulation: to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage.
Ephesians 4:22) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23)to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25) Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26) “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27) and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ok, so you have been reading these posts and have come to realize that maybe you haven’t been “pulling the strings.” Maybe you have come to understand that you need to make some changes in your life. “How do I get free from this crap?” you may ask.
1) Like the scripture says, you have to “not give the devil a foothold.” If you want to stop waking up in some stranger’s bed after being out partying and getting drunk, you need to stop going to the bar. You may need to find some new friends. You may even have family that are encouraging you to do things that are wrong. You have to remove yourself from places, situations, or people that encourage the behavior you do not want to exhibit.
2) You need to replace the activities that you were doing with things that will encourage your spiritual growth. Reading the bible is the most powerful weapon against the influence of evil people and the manipulation of the devil. It is part of what is called “renewing your mind”. You are replacing the crud that has filled your mind and influenced your actions so God can speak to you and help you make good decisions. People think you have to run around rebuking the devil. No, just try filling your mind with the bible and what God says and you will begin to see a change in your life!
3) Find people that you can be open and honest with and they can be open and honest with you. Accountability is a great way to keep you on the right path. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have people that could speak the truth to me. Having people to encourage and push me to grow in my faith has helped me grow more than in the times I didn’t have anyone.
These are some basic ways of combatting the devil. Not quite as “spiritually deep” as I’m sure most people would like to hear, but there are folks who want to hear deep teaching that can’t even do these things. So chew on this for a while, you might find it will impact your life more than teachings on angel feathers and gold dust.
Peace,
Kevin
