We want to concern ourselves with two main words in this lesson: place and devil. Paul wrote this verse of Scripture in the midst of many other verses containing counsel, advice, and admonition. This verse seemed to really strike me hard due to the very fact that the devil is taking advantage of people today, and he is doing it simply because they are letting him. We need to realize that the devil has no power against a child of God, except that which he or she allows him to have. We need to become persuaded that if we have Christ living in us, there is not one thing the devil can do against us, unless we make room for him.

God has given us a spiritual habitation, a place He took away from the devil and gave to us. When Christ came into my heart, the devil had to go; now he is as mad as he can be, and he wants to regain control of me. He desires to rob me, blind me, and cause me to turn from God’s love, the kingdom of righteousness, and the power of God. He is trying to do everything he can to get me to return to the kingdom of darkness; but thank God, he cannot do anything unless I allow him room to work.

It is in the simple things that people are losing the battle. For exaqmple, it is a simple thing to know that the devil cannot do anything unless you let him, but too many are always letting him. If you get a bad attitude, you have to let the devil put that on you. If you get ill will, you have to move over and make an opportunity for the devil to put that into your heart. He cannot do it unless you permit him to.

Now there is a difference between being tempted with a bad attitude and actually taking possession of it. We all are tempted from time to time to think wrong, to let ill will get hold of us, or to develop a bad attitude. You will not live for God very long and get into very many spiritual situations and problems, before you will be mistreated or somebody will take advantage of you. Then the devil will try to cause you to get a bad attitude toward someone. However, as long as you have not received those thoughts into your heart, it is not sin. It is not just the thought passing through the mind that is wrong, but rather your taking hold of it and making room for the devil to work in your heart. When you become a new creature, you are made a partaker of a divine nature. God has given you a special place. There is no way that you can live for God unless you have actually experienced the new birth and become a partaker of the Spirit of God. Once you have a divine nature, God can talk to you and instruct you in spiritual language that a worldly or unregenerate person cannot understand.

God can teach, you have to love your enemies and do good to those who despitefully use you, and He can show, you have to be kind to those who want to run over top of you. In your own human understanding, you may not be able to understand how you can live that way, but due to a divine nature, you can do things by the power and grace of God that you never could have begun to think about doing when you lived for the devil. [ The End ]