Along I-76 near Sterling, CO, there are big, yellow signs that read, “Correctional Facility: Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers.” One of the last times I went through that area, a man was standing not 100 yards from one of those signs, his thumb up, holding a cardboard sign that read, “Ogallala, NE.”

I exclaimed, out loud to myself, “I’m going that way but not with you, Buddy!” Then I thought, “What kind of fool would stand so close to one of those signs trying to hitch a ride?” Then I thought, “What kind of idiot would pick up someone here?”

Then my thoughts turned to spiritual matters, and I realized that God puts up warning signs that we often ignore. But that is because our enemy doesn’t stand there looking like a convict in an orange jumpsuit. He disguises himself as a little lost puppy. We cry, “He needs me!” And we pull over to the side of the road, make a space in our back seat for him, and invite him into our vehicle.

When he whines from the back seat, we say, “It’s ok, Baby. As soon as I get to the next town, I will get you food, water, and a comfortable blanket to rest on.” Before we make it very far, Satan takes his true form, climbs over the seat, and pushes us out of the way. He takes over, and we’re not going to Ogalala anymore; we are headed over a cliff. Well, maybe not a cliff. There may not be any cliffs in Nebraska … headed into the Platte River.

Maybe you aren’t influenced by the needs of little lost puppies. But there is something that can distract you from God’s warning signs. Because you desire to get closer to God, you have gotten the attention of the spiritual world. The devil is looking for ways to tempt you. He wants to make you think you wasted your time by praying, that what you learned by studying the Bible is just a bunch of bunk, and that you can’t really count on Jesus to give you everything you need for life and godliness.

Truthfully, every single one of us, in Christ, has the potential to change our corners of the world for the glory of God. We are more of a threat to the enemy’s kingdom than you have ever been. So, the devil will attempt to destroy you and drag Jesus’ name through the mud. But in Christ, you have everything necessary to overcome him when he tries to hinder you. The more you know the Word of God and the God of the Word, the more you will recognize God’s warning signs and be able to perceive the enemy’s attempts to trick you.

The Scriptures instruct us to “Resist the devil, and he will flee from [us and] draw near to God, and He will draw near to [us]” (James 4:7b-8a). You don’t have to be deceived by the devil. If you stick close to God, you will know His voice and will be able to heed the signs He puts up. But if you ever find yourself with the devil in your driver’s seat or drowning in the Platte River, don’t go any further or continue to flounder. Call out to Jesus. He will rescue you and get you back on the right road again.

For more about what you have available to you in Christ, check out my commentary at  https://blueturtletrails.com/knowing-what-youve-got/ and Eric Ludy’s sermon at https://ellerslie.com/in-christ/