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Most of us that are of a sound mind would immediately agree that we want our family to be protected. We would passionately assure others that making sure our family is safe is definitely a big deal to us. I would dare to bet that most of us lock our doors at night and most likely none of us leave the front door open as we sleep!
I found something in the Bible this week that was amazing to me! It showed me exactly what protects my family more than anything else:
Ezekiel 22:30
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.”
Wow – what acted as a guard was righteousness. Righteousness is compared to a huge wall that encompasses and protects.
We would never leave our little child unattended. We would never drop off our spouse in a bad part of town and drive off with a clear conscience. So how could we ever open a door in our home for evil to enter in and wreak havoc on our loved ones?
Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
There are unseen forces coming against our family every day. These forces may use things in our physical world to slowly destroy the family God has given us, but please know there is a greater evil at work than what we can see with our eyes. Just like we would fight with all our might to protect our family from a home intruder, we have got to fight with all our might every day to keep the wall of righteousness up around our home!
In the marriage devotional, Sacred Marriage, the author relays a story that confirms everything that we just talked about:
While Francis of Assisi prayed for his Order, “by divine revelations he saw the whole Place surrounded and besieged by devils, as by a great army.” Much to Francis’s satisfaction, the demons couldn’t find a place to enter, until one of the friars was stirred to anger and began to plot revenge on a brother. “As a result, the gate of virtue being abandoned and the door of wickedness being open, he gave the devil a way to come in.”
Francis called for the offending brother and confronted him. The brother confessed that he had, indeed, been making vengeful plans; he repented, and the gate to hell slammed shut.
As a mom, as a dad, as a wife, as a husband, when we toy with sin in our lives, we are in essence opening wide the door to our home for devastation. Some examples that the previous author sites are: flirting with co-workers, viewing pornography, too busy to focus on our spouse, refusing to forgive, holding a grudge, and neglecting to build up our marriage spiritually together.
Are any of these things or others like them really worth it? Are these things worth seeing the desolation of our family or the ripping apart of our children’s home? Our doors, locks, and security systems protect our family from burglars - Our righteousness protects our family from the plans of the ultimate evil one.
My husband shared this with me about what Ezekiel 22:30 means to him:
This verse was amazing for me, because it is what I am experiencing now in my own life. It helped show me that even in times of trials; as the man of the house it is imperative to rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. To keep the darts of the enemy from penetrating our families. God is looking for someone who is willing to stand in the gap for his family and do this. America needs men who will rebuild this wall in their homes. Our families today are attacked like never before by the lusts of this world. Men need to be righteous leaders and lead by example to repair the righteous walls that have been torn down across this nation.
Father God, thank You so much for showing me how the sins I excuse in my life can actually represent me opening a door to the enemy to have his way with those I have been charged to protect. I would never let an intruder hurt my family without a fight! Please help me not be the one that tears open a hole in our wall of protection by my worthless sins. I see the gravity of how my actions affect the eternal lives of my spouse, my children, and my grandchildren. By Your Spirit, please give me the strength to always live for You in every situation and rid my life of anything that would open the door to the enemy!