The sun is shining is southeast Missouri! Yay! We’ve had so much rain and clouds, that it’s nice to see the sunshine. On sunny warm days when they are going to be outside, most folks put on a little sunscreen, so they won’t get sunburned. Getting sunburned is NO fun! I’ve seen people ruin their cruise by getting sunburned on the first day – they are miserable for the rest of the week.
But, did you realize that you can also get sunburned on a cloudy day? Even though the sun’s rays are being filtered through the clouds – it can still happen. We know to prepare on a sunny day, but we usually let out guards down when it’s cloudy. In the same way, Christians put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17) when they see the devil approaching. They wouldn’t think of committing sins, such as murder, idolatry, or fornication. They stay away strip clubs, bars, etc… because they know that the devil will be working there.
But – as the sun’s rays can still come through on a cloudy day, the devil can still be working on us in ways that we may not recognize as easily. He’s changing our vocabulary through the songs on the radio (Do they all have to have a cuss word in them?) He’s using work relationships to encourage married people to confide in someone other than their spouse, which often leads to adultery. He’s using movies and TV shows that we willingly turn on in our own homes, to advertise sin as “normal” and make fun of those who are striving to live pure lives. He even uses magazines and stores to sell fashions that are not “fitting” for a Christian to wear. He makes sin look “fun!” The devil knows your weaknesses and uses them to take hold of your heart.
We need to be aware that the devil works on cloudy days, too. He’s sneaky. Protect or guard your heart, “. . .for out of it comes the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) God Bless, Courtney