Editor’s
journey
See
no evil?
LAS VEGAS — Long known for
its neon billboards that peddle pleasure and the promise of riches, Las Vegas
has a new public relations campaign: “What happens here, stays here.”
In other words, “You can do whatever you want here without guilt or
worry.”
Sin and temptation are certainly
rampant in Las Vegas. But they also pervade the community in which you live
— they just may not be as visible. Whether you reside in a small town
or a gated community, the enemy is at work. First Peter 5:8 says, “Your
enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”
(NIV). In the spiritual realm there are no sanitized, evil-free communities.
Some believers, however,
go through their daily routine as if evil doesn’t affect
their personal world. They forget that Satan is trying to destroy
their families, finances,
health, relationships and churches. Consequently they don’t
fully appreciate the importance of consistent prayer; nor do they
recognize their need for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to
overcome temptation and to defeat the schemes of the evil one.
First Peter 5:8-10 says, “Be
self-controlled and alert…. Resist [the devil], standing firm in the
faith…. And the God of all grace … will himself restore you and
make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
No one is exempt from spiritual
battle, but there’s no need to walk in fear. God, our Protector and
Deliverer, goes before us and is victorious.
Our duty is to stay “alert”
and to “resist” temptation. But we cannot be on alert if we ignore
the existence of the enemy. In the end, closing our eyes to the threat of
evil only makes us more vulnerable to temptation and sin.
Hal Donaldson
E-mail your comments
to pe@ag.org.
