Just When I Thought I Was Out... They Pull Me Back In.

I've been walking with Jesus now for close to twenty-five years and it still amazes me that with all the He has brought me out of, I still get pulled back in to the old ways every now and then. It's at times like these that I feel like Michael Corleone from the Godfather movies.
Michael: "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."


And it's the little things, subtle things that most people would overlook and dismiss saying, "Hey Dave, you are a good person, this one little mistake doesn't really matter." And all at once, to pull an image from another movie, I feel like George Bailey after he shook hands with Mr. Potter.

I want to scream, to shout and to confront the entity that tempted me to sin in the first place. I'd love to place the blame squarely on it's shoulders, but I do understand that when I sin, it is because I chose to do it, and there is no one to blame for that but me.


While I do believe that there are influences constantly coming in the form of various temptations, we do not have to succumb to them. I think that is why it bothers me the most, because I know better. Yet there is a Scripture that comes to mind; Song of Solomon 2:15a "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines..."

It's the little things that generally trip us up. It's not the big major things in life where we find ourselves failing. Our enemy, the devil wants to cause us to stumble in our walk with the Lord. To that end, he doesn't usually show up in a big major way though. It's subtlity that he uses, and he is a master at it. Now this is not to give him any more credit than he deserves, he is after all just a fallen angel, and destined to spend eternity separated from God.

If the devil showed up in your face with something, you would use the Name of Jesus and command him to leave, and he knows this. Instead, he will bring something into your life that will cause just a little compromise, something you might think is really nothing too important, yet that one little thing can cause the relationship you have with Jesus to be compromised. And in that place, we will find ourselves in a mess.

So this Christmas, let's find ourselves in the best place we can be with Jesus, and don't let your family, or the hubbub of the season be one of the "little foxes" that the enemy can use to bring your relationship with the Father into a bad place...don't let them pull you back in. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!