What Jesus Said About Spiritual WarfareSample

Do not give the devil a foothold

Ephesians 4:27 - Do not give the devil a foothold.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Many people gave the devil footholds in their lives. A foothold is a spiritual deception or a sin you willfully commit or when you do something that is clearly not God's will. It is a place where the devil finds a spiritual opening in your life and hinders you from experiencing peace and victory over sin and a life of fullness in Christ. Any form of disobedience opens doors through which he can and will attack us. If you do not close these doors, Satan will use them to cause you harm.

How do we deal with such footholds?

1. A lack of Bible knowledge and truth can lead to deception. Reading the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to understand it. Fortify yourself with the truth as we find it in the Bible. Truth breaks the power of Satan's deceptions.

2. Unforgiveness in any form is one of Satan's most effective weapons. When you, for instance, do not forgive a specific person who hurt or offended you, it gives the devil a foothold in your life. He will use it to make you angry, bitter, full of hatred, and give you a desire for revenge. This causes division and hatred between people. It will take away your peace, and you will not be able to live a life of victory over sin. You will not be able to experience inner peace. Whatever is not in line with the character of Jesus gives Satan a foothold in your life.

3. Unconfessed sin in your life will give Satan a foothold. Hiding sin or refusing to give up certain things that the Holy Spirit points out to you gives the devil a foothold. God will not protect disobedience.

4. Ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to show you the things in your life that give Satan a foothold. Confess your sin and involvement in all practices that are undoubtedly not in line with the Word of God, things that do not bring freedom, lead you away from Jesus, and have a deeper relationship with God the Father. If you walk close to God our Father, you will immediately know when something is not from God. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you. The simple rule is: When in doubt, don't.