A Day-by-day devotional

April 29, 2023

Under the rug

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: 2 Samuel 1-4

Scripture of the Day: Ephesians 6:10-13

Nobody in his right mind sweeps the floor of his living room, only to shove the dust and dirt under the rug. When the floor is swept, the intention is to clean it. Even though the floor looks clean after sweeping, if all the dirt were put under the rug in the first place, the living room is not really clean.

Whenever we clean our house, the hard-to-reach spots such as the spaces between the legs of furnitures oftentimes remain the nooks for dust and dirt. Moving the furnitures away could reveal a pile of mess that has built up over the years.

In his book Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote that the safest road to hell is the gradual one. He described it as a gentle slope that is soft underfoot, with no sudden turnings, nor milestones, nor signposts. Since the devil would try everything in his power to tempt us to sin and restrain us from obeying God (1 Peter 5:8), often, for the Christian, he uses subtle tactics. When his attempt is successful, the Christian falls into sin. If the Christian is not careful and watchful, this sin has a fair chance of getting repeated all over again. He then could enter into a cycle of sin, gradually leading to addictions like alcohol, pornography or gambling.

Whenever the devil becomes victorious in his attempt to mess up your life, as a follower of Christ, it is possible to be spiritually oppressed (Ephesians 6:12). If you are a follower of Christ, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4). Therefore, the demonic spirit controls from the outside. It cannot possess you, but it can oppress you.

Just like when one sweeps the floor of the living room but shoves the dust and dirt under the rug, your life as a follower of Christ may look clean and in order from the outside. You go to church every Sunday and are active in ministry. You pray and read your bible. However, whenever you engage in things (e.g. yoga, tarot reading, pornography), or visit places (e.g. strip clubs, brothels) influenced and inhabited by demonic spirits, you open an entryway for oppression to take place in your life. It comes in subtle ways, like the gentle sweeping of dust, tucked underneath the rug. Unless the rug is removed, the dirt and dust would not be exposed. The longer it is left in place, the longer the hidden mess remains.

The good news is, there is freedom in Jesus. Pre-requisite to this freedom, however, is repentance. True repentance is ridding one’s self of sin, and the objects that lead to it.

We have to sweep the dust from underneath the rug and never shove dirt back under. Then, the living room becomes truly clean.

Reflection: You may be wondering why so many unexplained bad things happen in your life. You probably ask why your spiritual life is stunted even when you attend church, read your bible and pray. Examine the activities you engage in. Is it possible that you have opened a door for spiritual oppression to come in?

Prayer: Sweet Holy Spirit, please reveal to me places and spaces in my heart and life that are not fully submitted to God. If I have opened an entryway for spiritual oppression to take hold of me and my life, help me to realize it. Enable me to get rid of these things, these sins. Father, I ask for your forgiveness. Lord Jesus, thank you for my freedom. Amen.