Have you ever felt like you were under spiritual attack or that the devil was trying to wage vicious warfare against your very existence? Today I’m going to reveal what you can do to keep every door shut to the enemy so he cannot find easy access to your life.
I can personally testify to a number of attacks that have come against our family and ministry as we pressed forward to claim new territory for the Kingdom of God over the years. I have learned that the enemy is always looking for ways to sabotage anything that is of significance to the plan of God. Therefore, we must stand our ground and continue fighting to ensure that we don’t give the devil a single inroad into our lives.
…Neither give place to the devil.
— Ephesians 4:27
One of the most important ways to protect yourself from the attacks of the devil is to ensure that no doors are left open for him to find access into your life. Believe me when I tell you that the devil is always trying to find ways to sabotage every good thing, so we certainly don’t need to help him by leaving a door open for him!
When Paul wrote, “…Neither give place to the devil,” in Ephesians 4:27, it was not a suggestion — it was a command. If you have ever come under spiritual assault and found the devil in the middle of your affairs, you know it’s much easier to stop the enemy at the doorway than to try to extract him once he has found an access point to worm his way into your life.
That is why Paul so urgently warned in his writings to give the devil no place. In other words, you should always be on alert so the enemy can’t freely access you because the devil will linger for a long time to see if you’re truly serious about keeping him out of your life.
The word “place” is the Greek word topos, which describes a specific, marked-off location. When Paul told us to give the devil no place, rather than a physical location that can be identified with a map, this “place” may refer to a rough spot in our relationships, finances, thoughts, personal habits, or lingering areas of disobedience. Wherever it is, it’s an identified location the devil uses as an open door into our lives.
If the door is closed, you’re already in good condition. And if it’s locked because you’re living a life of holiness and obedience to God, you’re in an even better condition. But if you are living loosely, you need to be aware that the door isn’t only unlocked — but it’s likely standing wide open, literally inviting the enemy to come in and wreak havoc in your life! This is why you must be honest with yourself and answer the question, Are there any open doors I need to close that allow the enemy access to my life?
We need to be serious about how we live our lives because the devil is always lurking around, trying to find an entry point through which he can access and influence us. It’s vital that we look at our lives and assess if there are any areas we have left vulnerable, open, or unguarded that could allow the devil to attack us. These places are the open doors he seeks in our lives.
The devil is more committed to attacking us than many believers are committed to withstanding him. That’s why he is often successful in the warfare he wages against us — and that’s why the apostle Paul commanded us to give him no place.
Since we know the devil is going to try to find ways to gain entry into our lives, we must utilize the weapons of warfare God has given us to resist him (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Likewise, it is essential that we diligently keep watch over our lives, looking continuously for any open doors we may have left open that would enable the enemy to find an entrance.
One thing is certain: Living a life of obedience shuts every door and makes it extremely difficult if not impossible for the devil to find entry into your life. On the other hand, you must also acknowledge that if you are living in disobedience — in any area of your life — those areas may become the very entry point by which the devil can gain access to try to disturb your peace and stop your forward momentum.
It’s true that many attacks we experience can be attributed to the devil acting in accordance with his own evil nature. But many times, it’s a door that we have left open that allows the enemy to find his way within our lives to launch his fiery darts from an inside position. It’s up to us to do all we can to shut every door and make sure they stay shut.
If you find yourself under attack, call out to the Greater One living inside you. Ask Him to help you identify the areas in your life you may have left open and vulnerable, allowing the enemy to intrude into your life. Before you take authority over the devil in the name of Jesus, it’s important to do all you can do to find the access point and STOP him at the door!
When the devil tries to infiltrate your life, you can stand strong in the Lord, confident that the weapons of warfare given to you will enable you to successfully repel the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ. But if you have knowingly, negligently, or ignorantly left a door open that allows the enemy access, there is always the possibility of a successful attack against your life. So I urge you to spiritually close the door and keep it locked so that no demonic attack will find its way into your affairs!