Did you see it on Facebook? "Ten Reasons a Southern Woman Will Always Survive a Horror Film," put out by "It's a Southern Thing." It was cute, funny even, in spots. Of course a Southern woman would never be caught in high heels in the woods. Of course her car would always start because her daddy taught her how to maintain it. And on it went. I had thought of much of this before and I am sure you have too. Why in the world would anyone go down in the basement alone when they heard a scary noise? Why would any idiot open the door at night without looking to see who it is when there is a serial killer on the loose?
But then I started thinking about spiritual things. When we get caught by the snares of the Devil, aren't we being just as dumb? God has already given us a list of reasons that we should survive. Let's look at a few of them.
1. Exercise your faith. If the car won't start, it's usually due to poor maintenance. How am I doing at maintaining my faith? But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14). Are you training your ability to tell right from wrong? To know what you ought to do in a difficult situation? To avoid the traps so many step right into? If you never even think about how to overcome and make some definite plans, how do you expect that "car" to start when you need to get away quickly?
2. Don't hide in the closet, or on the rooftop or any place where there is no escape. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1Cor 10:13) God will always provide that escape plan, but you will have to look for it, and you certainly have to avoid those places where you cannot get away no matter how hard you try.
3. Be on the alert, be ready, be prepared. High heels in the woods make no sense at all. Too many times we make the same mistake, always planning for things to go perfectly instead of planning for the times when they do not. Put on your sneakers instead of your stilettos. There IS a serial killer on the loose and you WILL need to run at some point. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38).
4. Don't go wandering around in the dark. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Look where you are standing. Is it a place where the Lord is shining? If where you are is not where the Lord is, you need to leave and leave now. Just look for the glow and head there.
5. When the lights goes out, flip the breaker! Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1Thess 5:11). Sometimes you become tired. Sometimes you wear completely out. That's when you look to the support of brothers and sisters who love you. That is why God planned the church. He knew better than we do, that sooner or later the power will go out simply because we become weary. When you get tired, find that fuse box (your brothers and sisters) and flip that breaker. I guarantee you, the power will come back on.
6. When you run by a shed full of tools, stop and get one to use as a weapon. We are blessed with a whole suit of armor. (Eph 6). Put it on and use it. You are not being corny, or pessimistic, or absurd—you are being smart.
7. Don't stand there screaming—RUN! Flee fornication, idolatry, the love of money, youthful lusts (1 Cor 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim 6:10,11; 2 Tim 2:22)—and anything else that can trap you and take you down. It isn't brave to stand there and fight a monster—it's stupid.
8. Don't go in the basement, people. If you use your head, you can come up with a host of places a Christian has no business being in, and many more situations he has no business participating in. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Rom 13:14). "Making provision" meaning planning. It's like being on a diet but loading the cookie and candy jars the day before you start. Don't plan to fail, because that is exactly what will happen.
I hope doing this in a fun sort of way will help you see these things more clearly. If the Devil were Freddie Kreuger, too many of us would walk right into his waiting arms.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:6-10).
Dene Ward
But then I started thinking about spiritual things. When we get caught by the snares of the Devil, aren't we being just as dumb? God has already given us a list of reasons that we should survive. Let's look at a few of them.
1. Exercise your faith. If the car won't start, it's usually due to poor maintenance. How am I doing at maintaining my faith? But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14). Are you training your ability to tell right from wrong? To know what you ought to do in a difficult situation? To avoid the traps so many step right into? If you never even think about how to overcome and make some definite plans, how do you expect that "car" to start when you need to get away quickly?
2. Don't hide in the closet, or on the rooftop or any place where there is no escape. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1Cor 10:13) God will always provide that escape plan, but you will have to look for it, and you certainly have to avoid those places where you cannot get away no matter how hard you try.
3. Be on the alert, be ready, be prepared. High heels in the woods make no sense at all. Too many times we make the same mistake, always planning for things to go perfectly instead of planning for the times when they do not. Put on your sneakers instead of your stilettos. There IS a serial killer on the loose and you WILL need to run at some point. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38).
4. Don't go wandering around in the dark. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). Look where you are standing. Is it a place where the Lord is shining? If where you are is not where the Lord is, you need to leave and leave now. Just look for the glow and head there.
5. When the lights goes out, flip the breaker! Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1Thess 5:11). Sometimes you become tired. Sometimes you wear completely out. That's when you look to the support of brothers and sisters who love you. That is why God planned the church. He knew better than we do, that sooner or later the power will go out simply because we become weary. When you get tired, find that fuse box (your brothers and sisters) and flip that breaker. I guarantee you, the power will come back on.
6. When you run by a shed full of tools, stop and get one to use as a weapon. We are blessed with a whole suit of armor. (Eph 6). Put it on and use it. You are not being corny, or pessimistic, or absurd—you are being smart.
7. Don't stand there screaming—RUN! Flee fornication, idolatry, the love of money, youthful lusts (1 Cor 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim 6:10,11; 2 Tim 2:22)—and anything else that can trap you and take you down. It isn't brave to stand there and fight a monster—it's stupid.
8. Don't go in the basement, people. If you use your head, you can come up with a host of places a Christian has no business being in, and many more situations he has no business participating in. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Rom 13:14). "Making provision" meaning planning. It's like being on a diet but loading the cookie and candy jars the day before you start. Don't plan to fail, because that is exactly what will happen.
I hope doing this in a fun sort of way will help you see these things more clearly. If the Devil were Freddie Kreuger, too many of us would walk right into his waiting arms.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph 5:6-10).
Dene Ward
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