I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. – Psalm 101:3
Garbage is something that no one likes. We do not want to see it, touch it, or especially smell it. And in my mind at least, once something has been in the garbage, it is forever tainted. It does not come back out except under extraordinary circumstances! Imagine if you looked out your window and saw a garbage truck about to empty its load on your front lawn. You would be out the door in a hurry! You would make it clear to the driver that his garbage is not welcome in your yard.
Satan has acres of garbage he wants to bury us with. If he can get us to accept a load, he knows that he will have gained a foothold in our lives. Since his goal is our total spiritual overthrow, we must make an effort to move decisively when his truck comes around. We want to make it clear that his trash is not welcome in our lives.
Exactly how does Satan dump his garbage on us? Our eyes, ears, and thoughts are his targets. He will daily tempt us to look at or read things that are at odds with holiness. He will try to pour music or conversations into our ears that will draw us away from God and toward the world. He will attempt to direct our thoughts onto any number of subjects that he knows will grieve the Holy Spirit and please the flesh. These are the same tricks he has been using since man was created.
To overcome the devil’s attacks, we need to determine that we are not going to be defiled by his garbage. We must purpose, like the Psalmist, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” If we have some doubt as to whether something is garbage or not, we should not take a chance—stay away from it. We can also pray that we will be sensitive to what is good and what is harmful, and ask God for the strength we need to resist the enemy.
It is all too easy to get desensitized to a little filth, and before long begin to take in more and more. We need to draw the line for holiness in our lives and maintain it!