Ephesians 4:27
The Kite
When a suspension bridge over the Niagara was first proposed, the question arose of how to get the first cable across. With a favoring wind, a kite was sent aloft. When it landed on the far shore, a cord was attached to its tiny line. The cord was drawn over, followed by a rope in the same way. A larger rope followed, then a small cable, then the iron cable which would support the bridge. Through the small beginning of a seemingly insignificant kite string, the builders overcame a major obstacle.
The Door
It is startling to think that Satan can actually come into the heart of a man in such close touch with Jesus as Judas was. And more—he is cunningly trying to do it today. Yet he can get in only through a door opened from inside. Every man controls the door of his own life. Satan can’t get in without our help.
On a recent trip to Haiti, I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. His parable:
A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn’t afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door.
After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail.
The Haitian pastor’s conclusion:
“If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ’s habitation.”