The Grip

Our well went dry, so there was work to be done. My sons and I gripped the thick rope tightly as we helped their dad to pull the pump up from the 250-foot-deep well.

Our knuckles were white from straining to hold onto the rope, and we were very tired. The downward pressure from the pump caused our feet to slip forward on the ground, and we were careful not to let them get caught in the rope. We felt like the force of it was trying to pull us into the well. We strained and pulled, but the weight was too much for us. As the rope began to pull out of our grip, our fingers released their grasp.

The rope snaked quickly back into the well casing as the pump lowered, leaving us with painful rope burns on our fingers. The boys and I had used all our might, trying to pull the pump up and out of the well on our own strength, with no success to our effort.

Later on in life, considering that dangerous scene, I realized that just as we could not pull the pump out of the well without mechanical help, likewise, we cannot pull ourselves out of Satan's grip without God's omnipotent power. God knew it from the beginning. That is why He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us fully from sin, when He broke Satan's grip.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

God knew that we could not redeem ourselves from sin on our own, because sin is a spiritual matter between the Creator and His human creation. We may be the kindest of people. We may be able to break free from destructive addictions, and let go of false gods. But only Christ can overcome the entirety of man's fall from grace that separates mankind from God. For total release from the evil one's grip, we need the full gift of salvation, which includes Christ's triumph in the war against evil, and the empowerment through the Holy Spirit to obey God and resist the temptations.

Have you accepted Christ to be your Saviour? Are you a Christian who is struggling with an issue? Either way, could you be playing tug-of-war with God's enemy? Whatever the case, don't play the game — let go of the rope, and submit lovingly to God. Accept and believe on Him if you have not. If we have, Christ has already saved our souls, and Scripture gives instruction for us to live a victorious life.

The enemy can still annoy and tempt us to go against God's ways, but because Christ broke his grip, freedom from the control of evil allows us to serve God, and live a life of faith, peace, and joy, as written in the gospel.

Prayer: Dear Father, help us always to remember that we must rely completely on Christ's death on the cross and the power of His resurrection, to live a life free from Satan's grip. We thank You for His victory over sin, to Your honour and glory. Amen.

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