Month: December 2025

December 18, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

Sin Is Not a Pet

Opening Verse

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12 KJV)

Introduction

Many people do not plan to live in sin. They tell themselves it is under control. They visit it, enjoy it briefly, then lock it away again. They believe they are the master. Scripture warns us that sin never stays tame.

Devotional Story

A man kept a small animal in a sturdy cage behind his house. He told himself it was harmless as long as the door stayed shut. On certain evenings, he would unlock the cage, sit close, and let it crawl around his feet. He enjoyed the feeling of control. When it scratched or hissed, he laughed and pushed it back inside, closing the door once more.

Over time, the animal grew stronger. Its claws sharpened. The man began to notice marks on his hands, but he ignored them. One night, he opened the cage as usual. This time, the animal lunged. It did not want to return. The door slammed shut too late. What he thought he owned now ruled the space.

Sin works the same way. It never remains content with short visits. It grows in darkness. It waits for the door.

What This Means

God never tells us to manage sin. He tells us to flee from it and to kill it. Sin promises pleasure but demands control.

The Word of God says,

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15 KJV)

Jesus does not offer a stronger cage. He offers freedom. A locked habit still owns the heart. Only Christ breaks chains.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV)

Think About This

What sin do you keep returning to because you believe you can put it back later? Have you mistaken restraint for repentance?

God says,

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12 KJV)

Reigning means ruling. If sin has a schedule, it already has authority.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I confess that I have treated sin lightly. I have opened doors You told me to shut. I do not want control; I want cleansing. Break every chain I have allowed to remain. Teach me to hate what You hate and to cling to You alone. I trust Your power to free me completely. Amen.

Closing Verse

“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” (Genesis 4:7 KJV)

December 15, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

Two Ways the Serpent Comes

Opening Verse

“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19 (KJV)

Introduction

The devil does not attack in random ways. Scripture calls him a serpent for a reason. A serpent is patient, quiet, and deadly. It does not need many methods. It relies on just a few, but they work when people are unaware. Isaiah warns us that the enemy comes like a flood, but God promises something greater: the Spirit of the LORD rises against him.

Devotional Story

In the wild, a serpent hunts in only two ways. One is sudden. It strikes fast, injecting poison before the prey can react. The other is slow. Like an anaconda, it wraps itself around its victim and squeezes little by little. The prey often does not realize what is happening until breathing becomes impossible.

The devil works the same way. Sometimes he attacks with a quick strike: a sudden temptation, an explosive moment of anger, a sharp lie that sounds convincing. In one instant, poison is released into the heart.

Other times he chooses the slow squeeze. Compromise creeps in. Prayer fades. Small sins are tolerated. Convictions soften. Nothing feels urgent, but over time spiritual breath becomes shallow. Joy weakens. Strength fades. The squeeze tightens.

But Isaiah 59:19 does not end with the flood. It ends with a promise. When the enemy comes, the Spirit of the LORD lifts up a standard. That standard is not fear, effort, or willpower. It is Jesus Christ. The serpent cannot overcome the One who crushed its head.

What This Means

You must recognize the method to resist the enemy. A quick strike calls for immediate resistance through the Word of God. A slow squeeze calls for repentance before the pressure becomes deadly. In both cases, deliverance comes the same way: turning fully to Christ.

The serpent depends on delay. Jesus calls for urgency. The flood rises fast, but the Spirit rises faster.

Think About This

Is the enemy attacking you suddenly, or slowly tightening his grip? Are you breathing freely in your walk with Christ, or have you grown comfortable with pressure that should not be there?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the ways the enemy works. Break every quick strike and every slow squeeze in my life. I do not trust myself; I trust You. Lift up Your standard over my heart. Give me strength to resist, wisdom to repent, and grace to stand firm in You alone. Amen.

Closing Verse

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)