Choose To Avoid the Traps
So, David shows God as his rock and his fortress, and in verse 4 he says, "Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge."
Now, of course, he was talking about real traps that had been laid for him. People wanted to kill him; people wanted to take him out. So he was saying, "Lord, keep me away from these traps."
Spiritual Traps and Temptation
But I want to talk today about the traps that our spiritual enemies set for us. The New Testament talks about how we don't fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, rulers of darkness, and forces of evil. And you know what? These principalities—these evil forces—are always trying to set traps for us to fall into.
Think about your own life. You probably know some destructive patterns you fall into, some sinful tendencies, some traps. So often, we find ourselves walking straight into these traps and then giving in to temptation.
Choosing God's Path
But if God is our refuge, as David says in this verse, we can be free. We can walk around these traps. We don't have to give in to them or step into them. We can resist them and not go in that direction.
We need to be aware, friends, that our enemy is clever and tries to hook us into things that pull us away from God. He lays these careful traps where he knows our feet will walk. But, oh friends, if our eyes are open and fixed on God, we will see those traps a mile away and give them a wide berth!
We need to choose to see life this way. We need to choose to be on the lookout for these traps and then avoid them. I pray that you and I will make a decision today to avoid those tempting situations—those traps that the enemy sets for us. We're called to be holy. We're called to live good lives that glorify God. We're called to avoid those traps and to walk in God's ways instead.
So, choose today, friends, which way you're going to walk. Are you going to walk into the trap, or are you going to walk in God's ways? The choice is yours.
