Walking With Bruised HeelsIsampula

Foothold

Satan sets traps for us and the Bible warns us in Ephesians 4:27 to not give him “a foothold” in our lives.

These traps are also called “pits” and he uses them to get a foothold and not let us escape. Job 18:8-9 gives an accurate picture of what a foothold looks like: “His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh. A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast.”

Satan, the Heel Grabber, will try to pull us into pits and trap our feet to keep us down. Pits are described in the Bible as somewhere you feel stuck—they’re muddy, slimy, messy, dark, slippery, or sinking.

In a pit, it’s hard to keep your footing. That’s exactly where the enemy wants us. He wants us to not walk in God’s purposes, but become trapped, buried alive, immobile, and ineffective.

For example, we can get into a pit of depression, loneliness, addiction, abandonment, loss, or sickness. Whatever the pit, you’ll need God’s deliverance and He wants to deliver you. He elevates pit dwellers by giving us divine tools to escape.

Jesus doesn’t wish for any of His children to stumble. Satan can’t have our souls because we’re saved from the ultimate pit of hell, and he’s angry because his time is short. He’ll try to grab our heels here on earth and pull us off the path God is taking us on. With God’s help, we can not only get out of these pits—we can avoid many of them altogether.

Proverbs 4:15 tells us, “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” We do this by seeking God daily through prayer, reading His Word, and applying His truths to our lives. When God tells us to avoid certain sins, we need to listen and obey. He sets boundaries for our protection and freedom.

However, there are some pits that we just can’t avoid. Let’s take a look at an Old Testament Bible character, Joseph.

Joseph was thrown into several pits. The first was at the hands of his own brothers. He was then sold into slavery. Psalm 105:18 refers to him and says, “They bruised his feet with shackles; his neck was put in irons.” (Bruised feet—who do you think was behind this?)

Later, he was falsely accused and even thrown into prison. Satan had it out for him, but in every pit, he didn’t give Satan a foothold. He remained faithful to God by rising above his circumstances, eventually becoming ruler over all Egypt. God elevated him from a pit to a palace.

God didn’t cause Joseph's pain, but He did use it for good by training him in the pits so he would have the tools he needed to rule a nation. Joseph could have stayed stuck in misery and hopelessness, but he chose to be obedient, place his hope in God, and never lose faith.

If we, like Joseph, ever find ourselves in a pit— no matter how we got there— here are five ways to regain our footing and not give Satan a foothold.

1) Cry out to God in prayer. Prayer makes a way where there is no way.
2) Don’t let go of God in the waiting process. Wait for Him patiently and trust in Him daily.
3) Stand firm on the Word of God. Meditate on Scripture and cling to His promises.
4) Forgive and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness frees our hearts of bitterness and prevents Satan from gaining a foothold.
5) Glorify God. Worship Him in the valleys and on the mountaintops.