Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
What’s Happening Outside Your Front Door?
Have you noticed that the world can be dangerous? We often look outside our front door or at the scary city on the news and imagine evil is only there. This isn’t unrealistic because history is full of wars, nations fighting over territory and ideology, that most of us haven’t experienced. It is easy to dismiss the horror as something that happens somewhere else, and to think our space, our sanctuary, is safe. But what if the chaos that grabs our attention outside makes us miss the reality of what’s happening inside?
Right now, our news cycle is buzzing with videos of countries being torn apart. The sad reality is that they are not being invaded by a foreign enemy with tanks and planes; they are reaping the consequences of inviting people in the front door and hoping for the best. This isn’t a commentary on immigration as much as it is a recognition that the greatest threats in our lives are often the ones we give permission and access.
What’s Coexisting in Your Space?
From the beginning, God gave humanity all authority and responsibility over their lives and surroundings. The enemy, lusting for the power he lost, was intent on reclaiming this for himself. His plan was not to come at Eve with swords blazing. That would have been too obvious and would have guaranteed his quick, decisive demise. Instead, he chose a subtler approach, appealing to the inner workings of Eve’s heart.
His intention was to weaken her defenses, not from the outside but from the inside. Armed with a diabolical plan, satan went after her perception of God: who He was, how He behaved, and ultimately whether He could be trusted. One simple question, “Did God really say”? was all it took to change the course of history.
Things have not changed. The enemy of our souls has not updated his tactics. We are still as vulnerable today as Eve was in the garden. The pattern operates in the same way. It is the passing thought or question about God or ourselves that takes root and becomes a strongly held belief that is our greatest threat. The transition from our mind to our heart is what erects the strongest hold on our lives. Once it takes hold, we learn to coexist with the enemy right inside our own space.
It’s An Inside Job
Our culture thrives on canceling and exposing others. We spend our time looking for and fighting the enemies outside our door. The danger is that if we continue to view our issues through the lens of what and who is on the outside, we will fight the wrong enemy. Even if our coworker is annoying or our pastor offends us, they don’t actually hold the power over us. It is what we allow to take up residence in our heart. Freedom isn’t the prize of destroying another person and being right; it isn’t the only measure of success. It is maintaining the peace in our own hearts and minds.
The chances of us being struck by lightening or taken out in a war zone are small. The real dangers are the thoughts that keep us in a loop of failure, convince us of all the reasons we shouldn’t take a risk and follow God’s lead, or woo us into compromise. Those are the true enemies. Sin isn’t doing a bad thing; it is missing the mark. The greatest disaster isn’t the carnage outside; it is the missed opportunity to live an abundant life that bears lasting fruit. That is a decision that only happens on the inside.
Maybe that is why taking every thought captive is imperative to our success. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Spiritual warfare isn’t measured by the veracity of the “attack”, the volume of our prayer, or even the truth of the Word we hurl into the atmosphere. It is actually the act of examining our hearts and minds to determine what, if anything, doesn’t line up with who God is and what He says. We miss the power of this strategy because it is far less provocative, and our “war stories” don’t have the same tantalizing details.
What is Occupying Your Heart Space?
Guard your heart, for out of it flow the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23) This is the greatest strategy for living a full, productive life. Our hope isn’t found in a better spiritual weapon, the latest prayer strategy or even prophetic words; it’s our connection with the only One who has the power to protect and lead us. God is looking for a people so captivated by Him and His presence that there’s no room for anything else in their heart or mind. John said it this way. He must increase, and I must decrease. (John 3:30)
The more room we give God, the less room we leave for anything that can keep us bound. So before you focus on what is happening outside your door, take a look inside your heart. What have you allowed to take up residence there? It is time to reclaim that space!