While I was in Florida a few weeks ago, one of my colleagues went fishing in a pond near the hotel. He caught an alligator. Fortunately no one was hurt. Until my friend told me about his harrowing experience, I hadn’t given much thought to alligators. I am from the Midwest. Alligators are not on my radar.
However, after that, wherever I walked that weekend, I searched the streets and grasses for any signs of these dangerous reptiles. According to residents, alligators are always lurking about.
I am reminded how much sin behaves like an alligator. It is dangerous and always lurking in our lives. We have to be patrolling our hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit to guard against its deception and destructive forces.
Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Of course, we cannot master sin without the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We are too weak and vulnerable to its treacherous ways. However, when we keep our faith grounded in the cross of Christ and cling to Him, He defeats our sin with His righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“But if anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).
Photo by James Wainscoat
Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.
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