Protecting the Gates

Proverbs 1:20-23 In ancient times most cities were walled cities. Jerusalem, for example, had twelve gates and high, thick walls. These walls were created to keep the enemies of the city from entering and destroying the city. Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 25:28 says, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”

Our inner person—soul and spirit—is compared to a city. The outer walls of this city are our bodies. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are the outer gates to the city, and the inner gates to the city are the five senses—touch, taste, see, hear and smell. The place of chief concourse of Proverbs 1:21 is the mind.

Our enemy, Satan, can only enter the soul—mind, will and emotion—through the outer gates. We hear his voice daily shouting at us through the radio, television, Internet, reading material, movies, music and thoughts. There is a voice, however, that is also shouting at the gates of our inner person. That voice is the voice of wisdom, and this voice needs to be heard above the roar of the enemy. Wisdom will tell us when we need to shut the eye, ear, nose, tongue and touch gates to our minds. We need to listen carefully to this voice, and if we obey, we will keep our souls from many troubles. For example, there is another proverb that says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Prov. 10:19).

Our daily commitment should be to listen to the voice of wisdom. If we will listen to this voice and shut out the voice of the enemy, we will be able to rule the city within us—our souls and spirits. Satan is a thief, and he sometimes even tries to climb over the walls and sneak into our thought life.

One night when I was going to sleep, I heard a voice saying, “There is a thief in your house.” I woke my husband immediately, and he said, “I hear nothing.” Then I recognized the voice of wisdom. “Lord, is this You?” I asked. Then He spoke to me the following: “The thief in your house is your television. It is robbing you of valuable time with your family, and it is distracting your children from their call.”

The next day my mother called to tell me her television was broken. I offered her ours, and we have been without a television since that time. Our children were all under twelve years of age when we heard the voice of wisdom, and our children thank us today for hearing that voice of wisdom. Jesus is wisdom personified. First Corinthians 1:30 says, “Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” When we listen to the voice of Jesus Christ within, we will always hear wisdom speaking to us.

READ: Genesis 8:1-10:32; Matthew 4:12-25; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 1:20-23