What you give access to directs your life.

Acts 16:14
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that you may have life and life to the full.

When you go shopping, you look for the sign that says “OPEN” to see if you can go in and look around. This “open” sign tells people that the door is open—that they can gain access to that store, office, or space. In a similar way, our heart is either closed or open to outside forces.

God sent Jesus into the world to gain access to our heart so that we might be saved and so that we may have life abundantly.

But God isn’t the only one trying to get access.

The enemy is also working tirelessly to gain access to our heart. Why? Because he knows this is where your life flows from. The enemy operates through deception, through evil spirits, and through worldly influences in order to get inside your head and ultimately your heart.

He knows that if you “open up” to him, he can influence your thoughts, your beliefs, your actions, and ultimately—and this is what he really wants—to control your identity. He knows that if you see yourself a certain way, the rest of your life will follow.

Identity informs multiple realities. Whether you see yourself as a victim or a victor, strong or weak—it informs who you believe you are. The enemy knows that if he can get into your heart, he can influence the way you view your roles, your relationships, and, to use some terms popular today, your gender, your orientation—everything.

And when he can control identity, good people get confused and deceived into believing and living a lie.

So guard your heart—for out of it flow the issues of life, the understandings of life, life itself.

But here is the deal: God wants access so He can improve your life. The enemy wants access so he can rob you of life.

Prayer:
Father God, I pray for my kids who are constantly under assault by the enemy. The enemy wants to control their thoughts, their beliefs, and their identity. I am asking You to protect them and guard their ways as they guard their hearts. Help them see when the enemy is trying to deceive them. Help them be aware in those times when things feel right, look right, and seem right but are actually a trick from the enemy. Give them wisdom as they make choices, as they make friends, and as they pursue paths in life. Help them choose to open their hearts to You and not the enemy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.