In the past week, there’s been an influx of junk email in my office computer. I think the people that do our technical stuff made some adjustments to some thingy-muh-jigger and it has temporarily let in some spam.

Spam isn’t all bad. Well…most of it is. The only spam I think I like is the kind my Mom used to make, diced and stirred together with diced potatoes and fried in a skillet. Mmmmm. Spam.

But today I got a piece of spam email that just made me laugh; and the funny thing is I never opened it. The subject line read: “Spam, Please Reply!”

In just those three words, the sender let me know that they were sending me unsolicited garbage as well as a genuine plea to respond to it! Deleted.

Are we able to see the enemy’s schemes so easily? We should be able to, if we’re “walking by the Spirit” as Paul instructs us to do. But I’m continually saddened to hear about people falling for Satan’s pathetically predictable, and yet all too effective traps. They come in all flavors: dishonesty, pride, laziness, fearfulness, gossip, hatred, addiction, pornography, infidelity…the list goes on and on. But they all boil down to one thing: me getting what I want because that’s what I want.

But we’re told in God’s Word that not only can we escape the snares and traps of the evil one, but that we can live victoriously continually. What stops me? Vacancy. When temptation comes along (sometimes it seems non-stop), and it gives way to sin, its only because I have left room for it in my spirit. In one way or another, I’ve decided either instantly or over time to carve a niche for the devil to offer suggestions.

This issue used to be called “Lordship”, but I don’t hear that word much anymore. Giving Jesus Lordship means that He is in and over and empowering and guiding every area of my mind, thoughts, heart, and actions. Not in a robotic sense or in a way a puppeteer pulls the strings of the marionette, but in a way that is only brought about by my will fully surrendered to His will.

Surrender fully to God and Satan won’t have any room to work. He’ll try until he dies, but that’s only because he’s that stubborn. And when I’m that stubborn in wanting and living for my own way, I’m actually emulating the character of the devil. Yikes. Got to chew on that one for a while. That one’s tough to get down.

So, I pray that I’ll have the mind and eyes of Christ next time Satan dangles some bait in my face. I pray that we’ll be able to see it for the garbage that it is. And……deleted.