We’ve all seen the cartoon version of Satan. His character is portrayed as a red man, usually with horns and an evil smile. This simplified vision of what the devil looks likes is easy to recognize. If someone came knocking at your door who looked like this, it would be easy to turn him away. But in 2 Corinthians 11:14, it states that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Wow, an angel of light! Could you turn away from an angel of light? Imagine how easy it would be to be deceived.

Guarding the doors

We need to always be on guard. Not only in today’s world do we guard the doors to our physical homes, but we need to also guard the doors to our hearts and minds. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” It is so easy for Satan to enter our homes through the type of music we listen to, the television shows we watch or the types of games our children play. Satan is subtle. He makes sin look good. How many popular television shows today promote and glorify adultery, homosexual lifestyles, and drug and alcohol abuse all in the name of entertainment?

What about the games our children play? Look at all of the violent video games that we call entertaining. It’s now fun to kill and blow people up. The Bible tells us to not even hate or lust, that having those feelings in our heart are as bad as actually acting on them. So what about games where it is “fun” to kill? What is this doing to the minds of our children?

Another area to consider is the type of music we listen to. A lot of today’s popular music also promotes and condones sin. It is so easy to get caught up in a peppy beat and start to sing along. Do we really think God enjoys hearing us sing along to something that glorifies something He hates? We are supposed to hate what God hates. I wouldn’t think He enjoys hearing us sing about sin.

Stay on guard

These are all ways Satan tries to opens doors. Little by little he tries to creep in our lives. He makes things seem harmless and innocent until you have been conditioned to accepting evil as good.

Here are a few ways to keep up your guard from Satan:

1. Study your Bible. Keeping the Word of God in your heart is the best way to keep Satan out. With God filling your heart, there will be no room for Satan.

2. Pray. Ask God for protection from Satan and his demons. Ask God to guard your heart and mind from the evil in this world.

3. Think it out and ask questions. Before you watch a movie, listen to a new song, or play a video game, think about the content. Is this something you would be OK watching or playing if God and Jesus were in the room with you? Guess what, They always are! If you would feel uncomfortable watching something or playing something in front of Them, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

4. Repent and ask for guidance. If you have already been conditioned to allow sin to be entertainment in your life, it’s not too late to stop. Ask God for forgiveness and ask Him to help guide you to where He wants you to be. Ask Him to help you see evil as He sees it and to help you hate sin as He hates sin.

Something to consider

You may think Satan could never deceive you. You may feel your faith in God will protect you. Let’s consider the demons. They once were angels. They were with God and knew His majesty, power and glory, and yet Satan convinced them to follow him and not God. How scary to think if it could happen to them, it could happen to us. That’s why we need to always be on guard and not let evil in when it comes knocking.