The NEW hole in our house made by flying squirrels.

The NEW hole in our house made by flying squirrels.

Are you a home owner? Owning a home is a blessing, but it can come with it’s fair share of challenges also. Our most recent challenge is flying squirrels. They’ve decided they’d like to live with us without paying rent. In fact, like any unwanted guest, they’re a bit costly.

I was getting ready very early one morning when I heard what sounded like a wrestling match taking place over my head. It was very obvious something was running around in our attic. After a quick call to Dixie Exterminators, it was confirmed that we had flying squirrels living in our attic. The guys set traps in the attic and found the hole where they entered and patched it up. It took a few weeks, but eventually the squirrels were gone.

We completely forgot about them and went on with life.

Fast forward almost two months. We now have a new hole and unwanted roommates again. Dixie is due to arrive this morning to patch the hole and set traps again. They told me flying squirrels are a real pest. They can be very damaging and costly. You have to be vigilant to get rid of them for good.

Sin is the same way. Satan is very sly. He doesn’t come blaring into  our lives with loud horns blowing and neon lights flashing. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says,

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

We have to know that as followers of Christ, we have an enemy [John 10:10]. If Satan finds success in an area of our lives, he will continue to taunt us there. Just because we’ve experienced victory over an area of sin in our life doesn’t mean he’ll leave it alone. Quite the opposite will happen. He will continue to poke that area again and again and again hoping to create a stronghold. His entry way may appear different, but if he can find a way in, he’ll reek havoc and do all the damage he can by luring us back to old ways [Proverbs 26:11].

Think about the things you struggle with in your life. Is it alcohol? Sex? Pornography? Or like Eve, pride? Or maybe it’s not something as obviously destructive like addiction to social media or obsessing over how you look. Whether you will admit it or not, I can assure you Satan knows and he will use it against you.

So how do you fight it? How do you keep Satan from having a hay day in your life? By securing your walls as Nehemiah did the wall around Jerusalem.

  1. Spend time with the Lord daily, talking with Him, but more importantly listening to Him [Mark 1:35].
  2. Surround yourself with people who are like minded who can hold you accountable and lift you up in prayer [Hebrews 10:25].
  3. Repent quickly when you feel a tug in the direction of sin and cry out to the Lord to deliver you from it [1 Corinthians 10:13].

When you notice a pest is trying to make a hole in your life, take action quickly. If left unchecked, the damage may be devastating.