The walls, doors and windows of our homes protect us from many things. They keep out the wind, the rain, the snow, the heat, the cold, the dust and debris of the air, the darkness of the night or the light of the day, and unwanted animals or people who we are uncomfortable with, or who might harm us or our property.
At the same time, these walls, doors and windows keep us inside, free to move about to do what we choose to do in our own space. We can relax in security and safety, eating our meals, enjoying our families, enjoying a good book, or sleeping soundly without fear.
Outside there can be danger. Inside there is safety. Yet, we must venture outside to give another man our labor, in exchange for the money to provide our housing.
We hear on the nightly news that someone broke into a home, because a window was left open, or a door was left unlocked, or they were able to breach a wall. The people come home to find their home and possessions violated and seem so surprised. I think they are the same ones who leave their packages and laptops in their cars, failing to hide them, or even to lock the doors.
Walls, windows, and doors only provide an element of security if they are secured and locked. Sometimes locks are not enough. Sometimes you have to be vigilant about watching and listening for anything that could be a sign of danger. Sometimes you need the help of a dog, or your neighbors when you have to be away.
If everyone was trustworthy, seeking the good of their fellow-man, then we wouldn’t need locks. There was a day when you could leave your doors unlocked, but that day is gone. Grandma can get mugged going to the store by herself, or just driving through McDonald’s, let alone staying at home alone. Respect for others, especially the weak and vulnerable, is not a high priority in our society.
In times past, cities were built inside of walls with gates of iron. Americans even built forts with walls and gates. There were always ‘watchmen’ posted on the walls to alert those inside of any perceived danger. The walls and gates provided a large amount of safety, but they could also be breached by an enemy, and sooner or later, you had to leave the walls for supplies, or allow others to bring them inside to you. The enemy was always aware of the times when the gates were open. These times required extra alertness and readiness to be able to defend the gates.
The walls, gates, and windows are still needed today in our own personal lives.
We as humans are composed of spirit, soul and body. The largest organ of the body is the skin, which protects the body from germs and disease. As long as we bathe the body, avoid handling certain things, and remember to wash our hands, we can stay pretty healthy. The skin is a major wall of defense from germs and disease.
The soul and spirit become more difficult to protect.
The mind takes in data non-stop via our sense gates (there’s that word – gate), the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, and the touch. We also sense danger or safety with our spirits. All this input has a positive or a negative effect on our emotions and thought patterns. The intellect, emotions and the will of man help make up his soul. There is a need to filter out unwanted input, yet most people choose to leave the gates wide open to whatever wants to come inside. It seems that they are intent on inviting harmful agents of destruction into their minds.
Our sensory gates are open to many negative things today, and these things are taking an adverse effect on our spiritual health. Hollywood, the media, music, movies, and books propagating a fascination with the paranormal and the New Age Occult teachings, all bombard the walls and gates of our minds with the darkness of this world. Our only protection against these things is the ‘will’ of man. We have to ‘choose’ to guard our eyes, our ears, as well as the other sensory gates, against unhealthy input.
Our spirits are closely tied to our souls, so if our souls are dark and carnal, then our spirits are also dark and carnal. The spirit of man takes on the flavor or the shade of the soul. To guard the spirit, you have to guard the soul. To guard the soul, you have to guard the sensory gates. To guard the sensory gates, you have to use your ‘will’ to choose what is right and pleasing to your Creator.
I grew up with suicidal parents, who not only tried to take their lives several times, but who argued constantly. This left me fearful of anyone who exercised authority in a harsh manner. If my teachers were kind and gentle, I did well in their classes. If they were harsh and stern, I didn’t do as well with the lessons. I transferred the sternness and harshness of my dad to my teachers. Fortunately, when I had my personal experience with my Heavenly Father, it was an experience full of gentleness and love. He helped me to grow up and out of my harsh background. When I entered the ministry, I soon ran into ministers who were very stern and harsh, but because of my personal experience with the Father I was able to speak what I believed to be right with a confident, firm voice. God was full of love and gentleness with me, and when others were not, something rose up in me, and I had to say something about it.
I soon learned that God was my safety and my defense. His Holy Spirit became my spiritual walls around my spirit, soul and body. His Word says that He has His angels encamped around those who revere Him with their obedience. His angels are agents of flaming fire, sent forth by God to minister on behalf of those to be heirs of His salvation. This includes all who will believe in Him and ask Him into their hearts. These angels have swords to defend people or places, as the Garden of Eden. Nothing can get through them to harm what they are protecting. There was a group of angels who defended my family and I while in Africa. The angels of God are very real, and God has placed them around those who believe in Him, for their protection and well-being. (It is important to point out here that all angels are not from God, nor placed there by God. Satan has his own demons who are able to transform into angels of light. John told us to test the spirits [angels] to see where they originate from. Any angel who cannot confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is from the devil, and is a demon. Any angel that can’t agree with your personal confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is of the devil, and is a demon. Don’t be deceived by angel-guides of the New Age teachings, as they are demons pretending to be God’s angels. God’s angels will always agree with His Word.)
Job was a man who was righteous in all his ways, and God protected him, his family, and his property, with angels. Satan accused Job of serving God because of these blessings. Satan said if Job was not protected by angels (hedge), that he would curse God. God allowed Satan to touch all that Job had, and to afflict his body with boils. There was only one restriction, Satan couldn’t take Job’s life. In the end, Job, of course, didn’t curse God, and Satan went away defeated. Because of this scenario, preachers say that the devil is a dog on a short lease. The devil is limited in what he can do to man, which seems to be a lot. We will get into some of this as we study about the gates and walls around our souls.
When my parents were arguing and threatening suicide, I would run to my room and hide, or sneak out of the house to the woods, until things settled down again. When a teacher was harsh, I would quietly submit the required work, and be the first one out of the room, dreading the next time I had to be in that class. When I found the Lord, I learned that I could escape from the harshness of life, in prayer, study and worship. I became an intense worshiper of God, and saw Him do many miraculous things for me and my family. Some of these are expounded on in my posts about My Spiritual Journey and The Mission Years.
Jesus told us that He is the good shepherd and the door to the sheepfold. When the shepherd brought his sheep together for the night, he would lead them into an enclosure for safety from the wolves. The enclosure could be made from nothing but sticks and brush interlaced together to form a wall in the shape of a circle. There would be one opening to this circle where the sheep were led in and out. The shepherd would corral the sheep at night, and then he would lay down in the opening of the circle. The good shepherd became the gate, or the door to the sheepfold. Jesus says this is what He is for those who believe in Him as their personal shepherd. He is our protector from wolves.
When the wolf came to attack the sheep, it had to get past the shepherd first. The shepherd was there to protect the sheep from the wolves who tried to get into the sheepfold by the gate or door. Jesus says no man can pluck His sheep out of His Father’s hand.
Jesus said the devil is a thief and a robber who tries to get into the sheepfold some other way. He tries to climb up over the walls, looking for an opening to be able to get at the sheep. He is hoping the shepherd will be asleep and not hear him break through the wall or the hedge.
Ecclesiastes 10:8 says, “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.” ESV
These walls or hedges, and gates or portals, are what we want to take a look at in the following lessons. These are important to understand if we want to protect our souls from the devil, and his demons who masquerade as angels of light. We have in the previous studies looked at the power of the tongue of man, and how it can invite blessings or curses. Now we are taking it a step further to see how we open gates and doors to the devil’s kingdom, thereby causing undue bondage and destruction in our lives. The devil came to steal, to kill, and to destroy. This is what you are seeing in the world around you today, with so many people living in one form of bondage or another.
Click here to go to The Portals To the Souls Of Man-Part Two