Neither Give Place to the Devil

On Sunday mornings I always make special prayer for peace in our household as we get ready for church. I know I'm not the only one who faces this. Sunday mornings in many Christian households resemble a battlefield. Satan loves to use this tactic to get our minds away from where they should be. By the time we get to church, our spirits are not ready to worship, and our minds are too full to receive what God has for us in the preaching. This morning as I prayed, God gave me this verse as an answer for how to have the peace I was seeking. Ephesians 4:27, "Neither give place to the devil." This is a great verse for anything that you struggle with. I really like to think of it in this way:

Imagine a hallway of doors. This is your hallway; it resembles your life. If you are saved, then you are not alone in this hallway; the Lord is always with you. No one is allowed inside unless you let them in. Each of the doors resembles something in your life. Some of these doors are good things, such as Christian fellowship, and Bible preaching. Many of these doors however have temptations waiting behind them. Satan will knock at the door, trying to gain entrance into your life. But you see, these aren't ordinary doors. These doors only have a handle on the inside. Satan can knock all he wants, he can beg and plead and try to convince you to open the door, but he cannot open it himself. Here's where Eph 4:27 comes in....once you open the door, Satan has a place. He has his "foot" in the door, and now the war is on. Eventually, you may decide that you want to close that door and be rid of Satan in your life. But, have you ever tried to push against a door that someone was trying to open? You can try to close the door, but as long as Satan has his "foot" there, he still holds his place. But, all hope is not lost. There is one who can shut this door for you. Jesus is your deliverer (2Sam 22:2); he will deliver you from your strong enemy (2Sam 22:18). Let Jesus do the work, and He will shut the door for you. But even after it is closed, that door will still remain. It is up to you to decide if you will leave it shut, or open it again.
For me, this morning, my door was banging with the sounds of kids arguing, shoes that could not be found, food being spilled, time running out...... but God prepared me today. I had the Lord on my side, keeping me from the temptation of opening that door and losing my temper; giving place to the devil.
What is your door? Will you open it and let the devil have his place? Or will you stay safe inside with your Lord?