Ephesians 4:27
sin that you tolerate is an open invitation to the devil. Do not give him a platform to operate from. (Mirror Bible)

Do you have a virus?

There are signs when you have a virus on your computer: it runs slower; programs don’t function properly; the actions that are routinely performed don’t run right, etc. Most computers have software on them designed to get rid of viruses. Anti-virus software is designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove computer viruses, other malicious software, and more. These tools are critical because a computer without anti-virus software can be infected within minutes of connecting to the internet. The bombardment is constant. To keep your computer running smoothly, you need a maintenance program that runs all the time and, according to the schedule you set, cleans the entire system completely.

You have an anti-virus program for your life. It is the Bible. If you allow it to, it will:

• Prevent the devil from making you run slower than you should.

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord. (Amplified Bible AMP)

• Search for those things would cause you not to function properly.

Psalm 139:23-24a Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,  (Amplified Bible AMP)

• Detect what is causing you to no longer do what you know to do, the right way.

Hebrews 4:12-13 12 God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. 13 Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived. (New Century Version NCV)

• Remove all traces of the devil and his destructive forces from your life.

Psalm 51:2, 7 Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt And cleanse me from my sin. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Amplified Bible AMP)

You are not equipped to fight the devil alone; he began his attack before you were born. That is why the Bible is the only antivirus software or your soul. It is:
* Critical because when you are at a turning point, in a crisis, or about to do something that is extremely risky it is there to provide the solutions, directions and guidance you need.
* Necessary because you must have it to reach the goal o the high calling.
* Specific to you, individually.

Psalm 139:13-16 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (New Living Translation NLT)

Genesis 3:15 “I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring’s[a] heel.” (Good News Translation GNT)

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (KJV)

The devil works to infect your life and damage your witness by influencing how you respond to your trials, temptations, hurts, cares of life, desire for worldly gain, and more. Without the Bible, you are slower to obey; you don’t live a life that brings light wherever you go; you respond out of your flesh instead of being led by the Spirit; and ultimately, you move away from the things of God. You have a maintenance program set up for your life that can run constantly and routinely. It will make sure it washes you from head to toe.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. (The Message MSG)

It is not enough for you to have the maintenance program available to you. Make sure you are using it.

Father, I thank You for Your Word. Thank you for this revelation today. I repent for those times I would go along, knowing something was not right and giving myself credit for soldiering on. Though I prayed about it, I did not stop long enough for You to do something about it. I never thought I was walking around with a virus that was affecting my witness. Thank you for reminding me I have the Bible in my life. It runs continuously in the background. It is my foundation and my instruction. I have the Holy Spirit in my life, Who brings the Bible to the foreground when needed. He gives me notifications and an unction that pops up when my thoughts don’t honor You and my actions don’t bring You glory. Help me do a virus scan, daily,  for infections that have creeped in without me knowing it. I thank You for Your power; it’s able to wipe me clean and keep me protected. What a marvelous God You are. I don’t want to do things that draw me from You. I want to do things that bring me closer to You; I need You and I love You. Thank You for always being there and keeping me virus free…

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Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal His response as described here.