I recalled the words of a song, by Children of the day, “New Life”, that says, “I’m so glad you decided to turn your life over to Jesus. I’m so glad you decided to let Him in”. The Lord talked a lot about His Children being in Him and He in us. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:20). God is good beyond description, His glory and majesty are too marvelous for human eyes to behold. He is love, unlimited and unconditional. Therefore, without question having God come in and dwell in us must be desirable, but He stands at the door, knocks and speaks. Believer’s hear His voice and respond.

Consider the enemy, He is evil and wicked, bent on our destruction. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). He sets traps and snares seeking to capture the unwitting. He is a liar and the Father of lies, the great deceiver. The enemy does not ask or wait to be invited in, He tries to break through our defenses, and preys on any he can snare. Even to believers, perhaps especially, he invades with suggestions of disguised rebellion, accusations, and condemnation in order to sow seeds of pride, bitterness, offense, lust, greed, selfishness, thereby seeking to gain a foothold into our lives.

There is a book entitled, “The Battlefield of the Mind”. I haven’t read it, but I think the title is correct. We can provide some defense to our hearts and believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit, but it seems that about anything can pop into our head. This is part of our fallen nature – an openess to deception. Spiritual warfare often begins with an assault by the enemy through a suggestion. The “Screw Tape Letters”, by C.S. Lewis, is full of illustrations that Lewis uses to depict spiritual warfare, as he imagines from the enemy’s perspective. This book is full of a lot of sound theology, albeit presented in the reverse. It is in the mind that the battle is first engaged.

I cannot account for the difficulty we have in distinguishing good from evil. A distinction so obvious and unquestionable, and yet, so regularly confused, ignored, and questioned. However, note the differences in the approach of the Lord, versus that of the enemy. The Lord, Yeshua is patient and desires a relationship with us.  He is open and honest and loving. To the extent we better understand love, we will more clearly recognize His voice. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…”. (1 Cor. 13: 4-8).