Don't Give The Devil a Nail

"...nor give place to the devil..." (Ephesians 4:27)

There was a Haitian pastor who was looking to buy a house. A man was selling a nice place on a nice piece of land for $2,000. The pastor couldn't afford it, so they began to negotiate. Finally, the seller agreed to come down to $1,000, but with one condition: he would maintain ownership of a single nail on the outside of the front door. Just one nail. That would still be his. The pastor figured he was getting a good deal, paid the thousand dollars, and moved his family in.

Years later, the original owner came back and said he wanted the property back. The pastor refused. Their family had grown up there. This was home. They went back and forth over it. Finally, the original owner found the dead carcass of an animal and hung it on that nail, then walked away. It was his nail. The house became unlivable. He kept replacing it with carcass after carcass. When they tried to force him to remove it, he pointed out that he owned the nail. Eventually the pastor's family had to sell the property back because they simply couldn't live there anymore. They had given access. It was just a nail.

Just a little bitterness. Just a little unforgiveness. Just a little gutter talk. Just a little. But that's all it takes. None of these things seem particularly dangerous in isolation. That's exactly the point. The devil doesn't need a wide-open door. He just needs a nail.

Have you ever had a stray cat show up at your house? Your kids want to keep it. You say absolutely not, don't feed it. But your sympathetic child, when you're not watching, gives it a little water, a little milk, a little food. Next thing you know, your kids are calling it by name. That's how it starts. Little by little, you allow a little white lie, a little unresolved anger. That thing grows. What started as a foothold becomes a stronghold, like cords wrapping around you one by one. Now you are in bondage.

Put away the bitterness. Put away the wrath, the clamor, the evil speaking, all of it. Don't let the devil have that access to your life. Whatever you've been stuffing down, whatever you've convinced yourself is no big deal, bring it to God. Because everything the enemy needs to make your life unlivable, he can hang on a single nail.

Paul's answer is simple and found in verse 32: be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. God's people should be the best forgivers in the world, because they have experienced ultimate forgiveness when they asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Anything one person can forgive another in this life is nothing compared to what we've been forgiven of against a holy God. There is simply no comparison. And so we forgive as Christ has forgiven us. Hallelujah!

Reflection Question: What access are you currently giving to the devil?

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to forgive the way You have forgiven me. Where I've held on to bitterness and given the enemy access, I ask You to forgive me today. I want my actions to reflect the life of Christ. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from: Enemy Access Denied (Ephesians 4:25-32): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/3vjtypj/17-enemy-access-denied-eph-4-25-32