Throughout the word of God, there are several references to the word “gate” or “door” used as a metaphor to describe how God and even Satan finds a way into our lives. With God, he wants us to open the door or make wide the gate as an invitation for him to come in and fill our lives with His presence. Satan wants the same thing too however, he uses seduction and deception (a distorted version of the truth) in order to gain a welcomed access.
Scripture Reference:
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Psalm 24:7
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
The Bible describes Satan’s kingdom as the “Kingdom of Darkness.” This is because his kingdom power is a sophisticated operation that keeps mankind living in blindness and ignorance to the things of God (Truth) John 1:1-14, Hosea 4:6. Just as there are doors in our earthly life that are designed to give us access to things and places (both good and bad) we would otherwise not have access to, so it is in these spiritual kingdoms. God and Satan gain access into our lives through DOORS.
The word of God teaches us how to identify these doors, how to “properly” access them and how to close those doors that bring unwanted irritants (ungodly spiritual influence) into our daily circumstances. To say they do not exist is foolish. To not do anything to address them is equally sabotaging. So without going into a whole discussion on spiritual warfare, the best place to start is to identify these doors.
Below is a Bible study approach to learning about some of the most common spiritual doors impacting our daily lives and how to properly address them through the power of prayer.
There are 7 common doors we have the ability to open and close throughout our daily lives.
Doors that Bring Calamity & Destruction
- Un-forgiveness (toward others/grudge)
- Pride
- Un-repentance
- Sin (disobedience)
- Greed
- Selfishness
- Irresponsibility
Doors that Bring Peace & Life
- Forgiveness
- Humility
- Repentance
- Obedience
- Self-Control
- Generosity (Self Servant)
- Responsibility
Karen Gaithers-Life Discipleship 