“Snake!” I yelled “Stephen, get in here quick.”
My brother ran in, “What’s the matter?”
“I was laying on the floor, drifting off to sleep, when I felt something crawl along my arm. I opened my eyes and I was staring into the face of a snake. I jumped up and the snake rapidly slithered under the couch.” I explained. Since we lived in the desert of the Southwest, this was not a surprising problem.
Together, we started hunting for the snake. First, we closed all the doors so he could not escape into another part of the house. Then, we began moving furniture. There was nothing under the couch. We moved the speakers to the entertainment system. No snake there. I looked under the desk but did not see anything.
After several minutes, we still had not found the snake. My brother started to doubt I had really seen it. “Perhaps it was just a dream,” he said. “No, I am sure I saw a snake.” I persistently told him.
Finally, behind a cabinet, we spotted the snake. Using long sticks, we managed to scare the snake outdoors. Because he was poisonous, we used a shovel to chop off his head.
Afterwards, we tried to figure out how the snake had gotten inside. I realized that just before I had laid down for my nap, I had opened the front door to let a breeze into the house. The snake saw the open door and decided to curl up with me.
The Bible compares Satan to a serpent. As God’s enemy, he crawls around looking for an open door of opportunity. These doors can be bad movies, words of doubt, dishonest friends, a lust for money, little lies, or a multitude of other small compromises. Have you opened a door to the devil in your life?
Once Satan finds an open door, he starts looking for a sleeping Christian to curl up with. Eventually, if the believer stays asleep long enough, the snake bites and injects poisonous venom. We need to stay spiritually alert to make sure there are no demons lurking around. Are there any snakes in your house?
Once I saw the snake, my brother and I hunted diligently until we managed to get rid of him. If we had become complacent and waited for him to come out into the open, the snake could have caused serious harm to a member of the family. If you have discovered a demonic influence, are you working hard to break its power over your family?
After we discovered the snake, we broke its back and cut off its head with a shovel. Afterwards, the head kept biting and the body kept moving for several minutes. Even after the devil is defeated, he is still dangerous. Are you keeping your distance from evil?
What is the best way to keep the devil away? First, close all the doors that might let Satan into your life. Second, make sure there are no snakes (past temptations or bad influences) lingering around your life. Third, go out of your way to hunt the devil down (confess scripture, claim God’s promises for your life, sing songs of praise, etc.). Fourth, break the devil’s back (anytime he reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future). Finally, keep your distance from the devil by submitting to God’s will for your life. “Submit…to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 – KJV).
ABOUT DANIEL KING
Evangelist Daniel King, D.Min is on a mission to lead people to Jesus. He has visited over seventy nations preaching good news and he has led over two million people in a salvation prayer. To support King Ministries in our quest for souls, click here!
