Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. --Proverbs 4:23-27

A former police officer once told of the tactics of roving bands of thieves. The group of thieves would enter a store in a unit. One or two of them would separate themselves from the group, and the others would start a loud commotion in another section of the store.

This grabbed the attention of the clerks and customers. And as all eyes were upon the disturbance, the accomplices would fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, and leave before anyone suspected anything.

Hours—sometimes even days—later the victimized merchant would realize things were missing from the store and call the police. Too late—they’d already been deceived and robbed.

This effective strategy is often used by Satan as well. Believers are seduced into paying attention to the distractions, while evil agents ransack our lives and ultimately leave us confused, lost, and devastated. So what does the Bible say about this? Always be on guard!

Paul warned believers several times about this scenario:

·         “…I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

·         “…Be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (Romans 16:19).

·         “So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:31).

·         “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Don’t be distracted by Satan and his roving band of demons. Instead, “be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to guard your heart and mind, so that you won’t be seduced and deceived by Satan.