Well now I feel bad.

The trap worked and I removed the squirrel from it’s familiar surroundings of 100 Mile House … the Hardware Store said it had to be over 5 kms away so I went about 9 and let him loose into a beautiful forested area. But I have to say I felt like the mafia transporting an old enemy to “swim wid da fishes” if you know what I mean. Poor little guy. He just walked out of the cage, didn’t run, just walked up the nearest tree and looked back at me with a forlorn look on his face…it was raining… then he hopped to another tree and then another then headed off into the mist as I picked up the cage and walked back to my van. I turned back to see if I could see him… he was still looking at me. I threw him a peanut.

So here we go: Scripture says “catch the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vine.” (Song of Solomon 2:25). I think it would not be far off to say “catch the squirrels, the little squirrels that spoil your wires and stuff in the attic… or something to that effect. The point is that little critters can be a big problem just like little sins can wreak great havoc as well.

The best way to prevent little critters from moving into your house is preventative medicine. Guard the gate, so to speak. Make routine checks to see if there are avenues into your home and fix them up before something decides to squat on your property. I’ve learned this first hand.

You know what… demons are like that, according to Jesus. They like to look for ways, even the smallest crack,  into people’s lives. When one is tossed out on its ear, Jesus said in Mat 12:43  ” it passes through waterless (arid, dry or desolate) places seeking rest, but finds none.

Mat 12:44  Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

Mat 12:45  Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

That’s pretty serious stuff. Is your house guarded well? Do you have open spaces or little holes that the adversary can sneak in and do some nesting? Do you need to put up a strong wall of defense somewhere? A little slumber, a little apathy and before you know it, you could drive a spiritual truck through the gateway to your soul. And a lot of times those trucks are carrying explosives if you know what I mean.

Take a moment today and do a ruthless spiritual inventory of your life. Have you unknowingly or knowingly participated in any false religions or occultic practices? Everything from astrology to dowsing, to clairvoyance to yoga stuff can give your enemy legal access to your soul. Am I making too big of a deal of little cracks opened up in the wall? Well  I’ve seen too many people bound up in demonic oppressive issues because they gave up ground to the enemy at some point in their life – and never repented.

Topos. That’s the Greek word for “ground” where we get the word topography from, and it means ‘space’, ‘spot’ or place but limited to occupancy as well. In Ephesians 4:27 it says “neither give the devil any “topos”. We do that in a variety of ways and God is saying for your sake protect your own “home” from the little critters that wreak havoc.

We give the enemy a place or an opportunity in our lives by using anger, manipulation, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, lusting after people or things or images – and  it all gives the devil ground. I’ve seen people renounce the ‘casual’ or ‘innocent ‘ use of Ouija board, astrology, phony religions, and many other supposedly mundane or benign things but then quickly find that many of their problems and issues seem to dissipate as a result.

The prayer to pray is “Lord, forgive me for participating in ________ I renounce it as being sinful and against Your will. I give YOU  back the ground that I gave to the enemy. Thank you for your forgiveness.” And then tell the enemy to take any of his claims he has on you to the cross of Christ where Jesus triumphed over Satan, making a public spectacle of him before all of heaven and earth. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!!