How to Catch a Rat

By Andrea Merrell

The Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of 

fire and brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 NKJV

Rat droppings … the last thing I expected to see on my counter first thing in the morning.

Once I got over the heebie-jeebies—and the complaining—I devised a plan to get rid of the pesky varmints. Clean up the area. Check. Look for signs of where they’ve been. Check. Put out poison. Check. Make sure not to leave any food out where they can get to it. Check. Call an exterminator if needed. Check.

Since the Lord likes to use situations like this to teach me spiritual truths, He certainly did with this one. He reminded me of the biggest rat of all … the Devil. The ultimate enemy who sneaks about in the darkness to wreak havoc but always leaves a trail. Just like dealing with my unwelcome critters, I need to always have a plan.

• Clean up the area. Check my heart. Confess my sin (1 John 1:9).
• Look for signs of where he’s been. Do damage control. Recognize the thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
• Put out poison. Resist the Enemy (James 4:7). Combat him with the Word of God.
• Make sure not to open myself to attack. Don’t give the Devil a foothold in my life (Ephesians 4:27).
• Call the exterminator. Call on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance (John 16:33). And remember that the Enemy has already lost (Revelation 20:10).

A rat is a small animal that can do a lot of damage if we’re not on top of things. The Devil is a larger foe who can do minimal damage if we stay on top of things, armed with the Holy Spirit, the name of Jesus, and God’s Word.

That’s how you catch a rat.

(Photo courtesy of Microsoft 365.)

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To defeat the Enemy, arm yourself with the Holy Spirit, the name of Jesus, and God's Word. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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