Jesus gave us "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" to put on (Isa. 61:3 KJV), If we don't use what He has given us, we will sink lower and lower into the pit of depression and could end up in real trouble.
When we know to do right and we don't do it, we are what I will call "flirting with the devil." In the world a man or woman might flirt with someone at the office, yet never move into a full-blown adulterous affair. But we cannot flirt with the devil like that.
Once we open a door, he may get a foothold. Once he gets a foothold, he can obtain a stronghold. He is progressive and aggressive in his action against us, and we must be aggressive against him.
I remember when God revealed to me how wrong self-pity was. He told me that I could not be pitiful and powerful. I had lived in self-pity most of the time. At that time, I made a real commitment not to allow that negative emotion to rule my life any longer.
When something didn't go my way, and I felt like feeling sorry for myself, I resisted the feeling right away. If I had let it go on, I would have moved deeper and deeper into it.
I recall one time thinking that I wanted to feel that way only for a while and then I would pull myself out of it. I was sitting in my prayer chair drinking my morning coffee.
Dave had hurt my feelings so I wanted to feel sorry for myself. I knew I could not stay that way but was not ready to give it up just yet.
The Lord showed me that by my not wanting to give up that feeling immediately, it was as if I wanted to have one cup of coffee with Mr. Pity. That may not sound too harmful, but it might be all the time the devil needs to get a stronghold that cannot be easily broken.
God covers us to a greater degree when we're ignorant and really don't know that we're doing. But once we know what is right and we willfully choose to do wrong, it puts us in a different arena.
God still loves us and still wants to help us, but we have a greater degree of accountability. Knowledge gives us accountability.
Someone handed the following story to me during a conference where I was teaching on sin and how to handle it. It really brings across the point I am making.
A young girl was walking along a mountainous path. Making her way up the mountain it became very cold. While on her journey a snake approached her.
The snake said, "Please pick me up, I am cold."
The girl said, "I can't do that."
The snake said, "Oh, please make me warm."
She gave in and said, "You can hide inside my coat."
The snake coiled itself and became warm. The girl thought everything was O.K. Suddenly the snake bit her.
She dropped the snake and said, "I trusted you; why did you bite me?"
The snake said, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
If we flirt with the devil, we will always get hurt. Refusing to put on the garment of praise because we don't feel like it or don't want to is dangerous. It opens a door for deeper problems that can cause serious consequences.
by Joyce Meyer
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers