Several weeks ago, my husband and I encountered something very frightening. We discovered evidence of an attempted break in at our home. As we opened our front door, it appeared that someone had tried to pry out each of the door hinges. We immediately called the police to file a report and began to install a security system. The past few weeks we have had several people ask us if we had noticed any other strange occurrences around the house. My typical response would include the statement, “We definitely have more peace of mind having a security system installed.”

Even though we have more peace of mind, I realized we must not become complacent. Just because we may have some “protection” at home doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t still be on the lookout. The same is true with our Christian walk. Those of us who have put on Christ through baptism (for remission of sins) also have a form of protection against a very lethal intruder – sin. However, as Christians we must be on the lookout as well. We must stand guard against possible dangers to our soul and others around us. It is very common for neighbors to watch over each other’s house when the other goes out of town. Many of us would hate to lose our possessions and memories due to a break-in, but our soul would be counted as an even greater loss.

Just like we take precautions to secure our earthly home, we also need to secure our home in Heaven. One way to go about doing this is daily study of God’s word. Growing stronger in the faith will make it easier to resist temptation. Just look at Luke 4 where Jesus is being tempted in the wilderness. Each time Satan tried to cause Him to sin, Jesus quoted scripture. What a great defense against sin, reminding ourselves whose side we are on and which path we should take. Not only does studying the Word make us stronger in our faith, but it helps us bring others to Heaven with us. It is a great source where we can read examples of how others came to Christ and reference scripture on how we are to live for Him.

So, I ask you…do you have a security system installed? If so, have you let your guard down due to having some protection?

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

By Amanda Key
Amanda and her husband, Trent, work with the Collinsville Church of Christ where he serves as the intern/associate minister. Amanda enjoys writing articles for her blog (AKeyMoment.wordpress.com), teaching adult ladies classes and speaking at Ladies’ Days. She has her own photography business (Key Memories Photography.com) and looks forward to starting a family with her husband.