Don't Let the Enemy Keep You

When I was first stationed in Hawaii, I remember one of the first things that they told as at orientation, “Don’t go out and buy a car right outside the base,” the sergeant warned, “You will get duped into a terrible deal that you won’t be able to get out of.” Despite this wise warning, my friend went car shopping the very next day at a local lemon lot and asked me to go with him. He didn’t intend to purchase a car that day, but somehow, he found himself in over two hours of intense negotiations. He was in way over his head.

The saleswoman played him like a fiddle. She regaled him with imagery of freedom of going wherever he wanted, admiration from his peers, and establishment of credit. Despite me trying to drag him out of the sales floor at every stage, he drove off the lot with a zero down, $50,000 used Mercedes SUV with a 20% interest rate.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” - Ravi Zacharias

I lost contact with him in the following weeks, but I eventually caught up with him after I spotted him walking to the base exchange. I asked him why he was walking instead of driving his fancy new Mercedes. With much regret in his voice, he said that because of the high interest rates, the cost of insurance, and the rising cost of gas that he was relegated to walking instead of driving his beautiful new car. All of his disposable income was tied to that vehicle to the point that he couldn’t afford to actually drive it.

That is exactly how sin works in our lives. As theologian Ravi Zacharias says, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Never negotiate with the enemy. Walk away from his deception.

We as believers need to walk in the Spirit of the Lord and dwell on His truths. Jesus says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” When we do so, there are no false promises or lies that the enemy might will be able to use to deceive you.

I encourage you to counter the lies of the enemy with the infallible truth of the Word of God which says, “For whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” It’s time to live in true joy and freedom in Christ.

May the Lord Richly Bless You,

Pastor Evan & Lucy Palmer