Spiritual Infection

Take the impurities out of silver, and a vessel is ready for the silversmith to mold. (Proverbs 25:4 GWT)

Some years ago, my computer was hijacked by a spyware called Ezula. According to Symantec, “Ezula alters Web pages viewed in Internet Explorer and can add extra links to certain keywords that advertisers target.”

That was exactly what happened. I started seeing links at my web site which I did not place, apparently created by the malicious program that had hijacked my Web browser. What I immediately did then was to install an anti-virus cum anti-spyware program to clean up my computer. Over 300 parameters containing malicious advertising software codes were detected, and as if that was not trouble enough, the operating system crashed while I was attempting to prevent further damage. Restoring the computer to its normal state of health was a real pain. I had to work through re-setting up my operating system, reinstall all my software applications, and redo a multitude of other things.

Much like a computer virus infection or spyware intrusion, our Christian lives are also vulnerable to spiritual attacks and ungodly influence, often creeping in unnoticed. By the time we discover our wayward behavior or un-Christian mannerisms, we are often left with little we can do on our own to repair or make amends for the colossal damage done. This is why it is very important that we are firmly founded in the word of God to understand God’s precepts and His ways (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:15-16).

Just as an anti-virus and anti-spyware program is necessary to prevent and repair infected computers, so it is with us that we need God’s word and His Holy Spirit in us to protect us from spiritual attacks. We may fall prey to the devil’s tricks or his insinuations at times, but we must not despair. Instead, we ought to return to the Lord and seek restoration (Jeremiah 29:13-14).

Let us therefore be of sober spirit and stay alert always, for our adversary, the devil, is constantly prowling around, seeking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Resist the devil, and stand firm in our faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by our brethren around the world (1 Peter 5:9). Allow God to restore to us the joy of His salvation, and sustain us with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12). If there be a need for us to go through a period of deep cleansing to remove impurities during restoration, let us not resist, but accept God’s molding willingly (Proverbs 25:4).

Dear Lord, thank You for always watching over us. Forgive us Lord for sometimes falling into bad behavior under the influence of the ungodly. Keep us firmly standing on our ground O Lord, deeply rooted in Your word to know Your precepts. Protect us Lord from the attacks of the evil one as we resist him with the full armor of God put on. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation O God, and sustain us with a willing spirit of obedience.