“Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.”
– Psalm 119:61
Like a creeping vine, in ways both subtle and obvious, the cords of evil are absolutely trying to wrap themselves around you. Your hands… your feet… your heart… your mind. Those opposed to God want to tangle you up. Trip you up. Tie you up. Make you one of them or at least leave you tied up on the sidelines. It may be people in your life who are pushing or pulling you toward their favorite form of sin. It certainly includes the pervasive presence of sin being demonstrated, normalized, and celebrated in practically every TV show and commercial. It’s our culture’s pressure (from many different directions) to fall in line with values and practices that go against God’s will, even when they sometimes present themselves as “Christian”. It’s in the algorithms that spoon-feed you content on various social media platforms.
Your best defense, if you’re a Spirit-filled follower of Jesus, is to know God’s Word for yourself. Read your Bible every day. Study it. Study how to study it. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Think carefully how to apply it to the situations and struggles of our world and your life today. The Bible isn’t just an interesting book from an ancient time. It isn’t just a beautiful thing to gather dust on your shelf. It’s God’s Word for you and your God-given defense against the relentless efforts of evil to entangle you. #FollowJesus