Unguarded Approach

Articles

Kevin Cauley
02/16/16 - Miscellaneous

Unguarded Approach

The Christian soldier fights his battles on a daily basis. While the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual (2 Cor 10:4), we must still keep an eye open on all avenues through which Satan would seek to take advantage of us through his devices (2 Cor 2:11). If we leave any approach unguarded, Satan will surely use that to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). What are some of these unguarded approaches that Satan may use?

One often unguarded approach is the television set. Hollywood loves to influence the nation toward its liberal philosophy by means of broadcast media. Television allows the liberal media to control the information that most households receive thus being able to influence them toward the desired perspective. Homosexuality has made favorable inroads into the American consciousness largely through television programs that desensitize the subject through humor and sympathetic characters. Television has also undermined the place and authority of the husband and father in the home by casting husbands and fathers as ridiculous and unnecessary relics of the past. Television also has a great effect upon our personal speech; what is said on television is often imitated by those spellbound by its mesmerizing tube. Satan has slowly and insidiously flanked us through this unguarded approach.

Another often unguarded approach is personal modesty. When the sun comes out in the summer, the temptation for many is to disregard decency and reveal as much of one’s body as possible exposing breasts, buttocks, and bellies for the world to gawk over. Is it any wonder that our country has problems with unwanted pregnancy, venereal disease, and unwed mothers given our lost sense of modesty? According to some recent studies, the average age for a girl losing her virginity is 14.9 years old. And if you ask the average teenage boy what is most attractive to him in a girl, he’s likely going to mention some protruding body part. Again, Satan has outwitted many of our youth through this unguarded approach.

Finally, how many of us are so consumed with managing the details of our own personal lives that we never find the time to do any work for the Lord? We wake up, eat a quick breakfast and then are off to work. We get home, eat dinner, plop down in front of the television and the day is over before we’ve even had a chance to read our Bibles, spend some time in prayer, or talk to a friend about the Lord. This process repeats itself for many of us six days out of the week until Sunday when we have to take the day off because we don’t have any time “for self.” Satan has conquered us through this unguarded approach.

How many other unguarded approaches do we have in our life? I’m sure we could all fill in our own blanks. The question at this point isn’t do we have them, but what to do about them. We must be vigilant in not giving Satan any advantage over us. We need to keep a close watch on those approaches that we often take for granted and leave unguarded. Let us also be sober minded, realizing that Satan can use any avenue we leave unguarded to sway us. We have a good fight to fight; let us fight it with perseverance and truth.

by Kevin Cauley