Friday, September 12, 2003
HOW PROTECTED AM I?
Last month my computer at home was “hit” with the LOVSan, or “Blaster” worm that knocked out so many computers around the world. It seems it hit governmental agencies especially hard. A friend of mine eventually fixed my computer. He works in the Indiana Attorney General’s office with their computers. He worked about three days and 2 nights to get their computers corrected. Then he got to mine.
He “patched the hole”; re-set my McAfee to update daily, scan weekly (oftener if I tell it to) for new viruses and to protect my computer from foreign invasion constantly. He also installed Ad-aware (which is a spy-ware system to protect my computer from unwanted, objectionable advertising that could tempt me to buy something or look at something I should not see!) Oh yes, and a Firewall was installed . I should be well-protected but I don’t fell entirely safe any more.
All of this (that you readers could care less about) got me thinking about my spiritual protection. I pray daily for God to place a hedge of protection physically, spiritually and morally around my wife, my family and a number of young people whom I care about and a couple of them whom I love very much. (There’s more to my prayer for protection for these ones who mean so much to me, but you get the idea.)
Anyway, all this got me thinking, “How well protected am I spiritually and morally? What have I done to install a “McAfee anti-satanic attack detector” in my spiritual life? Have I installed a “spiritual Ad-aware” to keep me from looking at Porn or fantasizing about immoral things? Do I have a “firewall” installed to protect me against the unwanted attacks of Satan?
Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. I would say that I have “installed” some protection systems. I worship daily in some form or other and I participate in Corporate Worship each Sunday. I have a regular plan of Bible reading and study, besides what I study to prepare messages for Sunday. I have an active and regular prayer life. It is mostly for others. As I have analyzed my prayer life I have become aware that I don’t pray much about myself. Maybe that’s all right, I don’t know.
But I have to admit that I don’t have all the protection in place that God has provided for me. One of the “systems” God has given is the Armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-19.) I know I don’t have all the armor in place all the time. I must be more diligent about that. If I thought about it I know there are other things God has provided that I could use to be more protected from “…the wiles of the devil…” (Ephesians 6:11, King James Version). Paul told the Corinthians to not be ignorant of the way the devil works. Because when we are, we leave ourselves open to His devious attacks.
But neither am I totally unprotected. I know people pray for me. I have a good friend with whom I correspond via email almost daily who prays specifically for me to maintain moral purity. This friend encourages me to purity of thought and action and holiness by his prayers and emails. I am so thankful for him. God has used him to protect me from much sinfulness and impurity of thoughts and actions. I am so grateful.
I have noticed with my computer at home that in spite of all the protection I now have in place, “stuff” still happens. Hackers, viruses, worms, trojans, whatever, still occasionally get through to my computer and mess things up and corrupt it.
And I see that in my own life. No matter how much spiritual and moral protection I may have in place, Satan is allowed to slip in and corrupt and I sin. Oh how I hate it but it happens all too frequently. Porn is a terrific temptation, mostly via the computer internet, but there are other ways, too. I have to watch my eyes in daily activities, too, or Satan slips in and I began to have immoral fantasies because of what I have allowed my eyes to see.
Yep! It’s a constant battle and I don’t always win all the battles. But because of God’ grace and forgiveness, He has already won the war for me.
Paul said it best: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
Maybe I’ll have more to say about this later. Or maybe I won’t!
Jim
posted by jim 10:24 PM 0 comments
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