A new colleague recently joined our team in Peru. He’s a rock climbing aficionado, thrilled to be living in the Andes Mountains. In fact, he has spent a few hours every afternoon during his first two weeks here scaling the local climbing walls.  

Michael’s enthusiasm for this sport reminds me of my one inauspicious attempt at rock climbing. Strong enough to scramble up several yards of the rock face, I envisioned myself becoming an adept climber, a vision that evaporated immediately upon looking down. My fear of heights kicked in, and every muscle in my body started quivering as I desperately tried to find new footholds so I could either advance to the top of the cliff or climb back down without falling off. Without that solid foothold, my anticipated climbing days were over before they had begun.

While not all English Bible translations use the exact same word, we’re familiar with the idea that hanging on to anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives. (Eph 4:26-7) Not too long ago, (and I’ll be honest and admit that it was during an extended argument with my husband), God directed my attention to 2 Corinthians 2:10, where forgiveness is described as a form of spiritual warfare. If holding onto grudges and resentments gives Satan a foothold, then choosing to forgive is a powerful way to outwit the devil instead of letting him outwit us. 

It seems like a simple concept, but in reality, fighting Satan by practicing forgiveness may be one of the most difficult things we’re called to do. After all, most of us will probably never fall into the “big sins” of murder or adultery. And while we might be tempted to lie or steal, we usually avoid these sins because we know we could easily be found out. But hold a grudge against a colleague for some perceived slight, or refuse to apologize after an argument unless my husband apologizes first? Guilty as charged! 

Have you, like me, fallen into this scheme and allowed the devil to outwit you? Let’s use our weapon of forgiveness to demolish every foothold that our resentments have chiseled into our hearts.