I hate bugs. More than once, I have received a speech about the importance of bugs. I do not care! I hate bugs that fly, jump, crawl, Samba, Waltz or do the two-step! I hate bugs. I am so grateful for a husband who will rescue me when he hears me scream because a bug startled me. Have I told you that I hate bugs?

When Gaylon was on a mission trip to India, I was about to go to bed alone one night. When I turned on the light in my bedroom, the ceiling was covered, as in COVERED, with small Asian beetles. They were even on my bed. There was no way I could go to bed and sleep with the enemy!

I wondered how so many of those beetles got in my room. There were three windows in the room, and they were raised so fresh air could come inside. As I examined each window closely, I discovered that the screen on one of the windows had come loose on the corner. When Papa Beetle saw the opening, he made his way in and called all his family and friends to join him for the party. They wanted to take up residence.

What a job it was to get rid of those lady bugs before I could even think of going to sleep. The root of the problem was a small opening that allowed the enemy to take up residence and wreak havoc on my peace and rest. If I had just paid attention to that small opening!

“Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:25-27)

Ephesians 4:27 instructs us not to give even a foothold to the devil. If you take time to read that portion of scripture in its entirety, you will see the Apostle Paul instructing the Church in ways that the enemy makes entrance into our lives. A good rendering of that word “foothold” is not to even give him a place in your life to gain power.

A foothold can be best understood by imagining yourself being chased by a bad person. You run up to your room and try to close the door, but the person sticks his shoe at the bottom end of the door so you cannot close it. That part of his foot that prevents you from closing the door effectively is called a “foothold.”

I have seen too many believers over the years lose ground spiritually or even walk away from the things of God. Most often, falling away did not start with a large overt sin. Most often, it started with a small opening that allowed the way for Satan to creep in and begin a campaign of destruction. He will take any opportunity.

God has given us all authority to live a victorious Christian life. Living victorious boils down to the instructions we are given in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Victory is always available for the believer. Submitting and resisting are the keys to living an overcoming life.

We must be alert to the little things that open us up for pesky issues. Not dealing with the little things that do not belong in the Christian life can lead to an inability to walk victorious and to have peace and rest in Christ.

When we provide the devil with a foothold, and we do not slam the door on his foot, he will push his way into our abode. Once inside our home, he is no longer a foothold but rather a stronghold. He has gained more control. It will take a lot of work to evict him. So, the better option is slamming the door on footholds and bolting the lock as soon as the devil withdraws his bruised foot.

Do not give the devil a foothold” is a call to arms—to engage in the battle that will define our lives. Are you ceding ground? Take back the ground today. Submit to God today. Resist the devil today. Walk in victory today!