01/07/2011 - The enemy leaves his idols behind

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“And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away.” (II Samuel 5:21)
The enemy has his idols. When Lucipher was the seal of perfection (Ezekiel 28:12) he let himself be carried away by pride, coveteness and by other bad feelings that came up in his heart and which turned him into the devil. He is so harmful that we must not give him the slightest opportunity because those who get in touch with the devil end up being contaminated. In fact, even a quick thought inspired him serves as an open door for his destructive entrance. When the opponent loses a battle one of his strategies is to leave his idols. So, whenever we are helping someone to be delivered from sin we must remain alert to what we are hearing from them for us not to get contaminated.
The eternal enemies of God went against His people with all their power but David – who, at that time, had just been crowned king – and his men put an end to that evil practice. David prayed to the Lord who gave him victory. Well, leaving those idols in that battlefield was a hellish strategy, but those who belong to God do not go astray from the Word and, consequently, they do not fall in transgression. Today the devil uses all means to corrupt those who serve the Most High. So, let us be watchful when we are told either a sad or happy story, and let us judge everything according to the Scriptures because as we stand firm in Them we will not get contaminated!
The example of Job is good to be followed. He got angry, he said things he should not have said, but he did not go beyond that to the point of becoming a trangressor. In all his attitudes Job did not sin. My brethren, we do not need to get to that point because we have more knowledge than that patriarch did; we have the revelation of God to prevent us from stumbling and to deliver us from temptation. So in everything and for everything we must not sin.
Fearing idols is giving glories to the devil. Never mind about his suggestions or what he puts before us: we must rebuke it immediately. We cannot be tormented by any suggestion of the enemy or pay heed to what he shows us; rather, we must listen to what the Lord tells us and we must never keep our eyes off of Him. If those idols failed to protect the Philistines what was their use then? Worshiping idols is ignoring a divine ordinance (Leviticus 26:1) and those who fear them are signing a quite sad sentence for themselves (I Corinthians 6:10).
Get rid of all the trash left behind by the defeated because if it was of any value it would have been useful for them. We must examine what happened to those that fell for temptation and suffered in order for us not to stumble. What was the point of David having had sinful moments of pleasure with Bathsheba? What happened to him next cost him a lot (II Samuel 12:9-12) – and it will not be any different with anybody else that might make the same error.
My brethren, when you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord you became His living letter (II Corinthians 3:3). So, do not let the enemy rub off the Good Message written in you.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares