Teens Talk - A Life Behind Bars

Teens Talk
By Marcel Gamble

A Life Behind Bars

Millions of Americans are choosing to live with identical housing conditions as criminals. We place numerous locks on our doors and put bars that won’t bend over our windows. Some individuals are persuaded to believe that, if they live a life behind bars, they are invincible to all evil.

Numbers 14:9; “Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Evil is seeking protection, but God only protects those who are with him. So why are we as Christians placing locks on our doors when we shouldn’t fear evil, but when evil should fear us?

A three-year-old girl, from Indianapolis was shot in the neck while residing within the comfort of her secure and locked home. Living behind locks and bars didn’t save the little girl. How many others are allowing a life behind bars to fail them?The lives that people lead require them to adventure outside of the safe guard of the bars they live behind each day. If they put all their faith into believing that bars and locks protect them, then what do they do when they enact out their daily routines beyond the safety zone of their home?

In Detroit, Michigan, 29-year-old Calvin Tillie was arrested after shooting an 8-year-old girl five times and her mother several times at a Wayne County gas station. Tillie shot the girl five times because she jumped in front of the gun in fear of her mother being shot.

If evil is willing to overlook the innocence of a child and take the life of a child, then living a life behind locks and bars is not a safe life at all. Evil has no boundaries and will seek to prey on those who don’t see God as their protection.

The lost of jobs has forced some individuals to live their lives behind bars. Inflation on the necessities that people need to live has caused people to live their life behind bars.

These events that have been occurring in the economy have forced many to live in fear. They are living in fear that someone may break in their homes for money because thousands of people aren’t putting on the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:11; “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

When we put the safety of our lives in the hands of bars and locks, evil always finds a way to lay hands on us. When we take our faith and put the safety of our lives in God, then evil stands no chance against us.

We can’t rely upon padlocks and bars to save us from evil, because then we are putting our lives into their hands and we are stating that God’s protection is not needed. We need to stop living our lives behind bars and begin to live our lives behind God.

I’m going to leave you with this; Ephesians 6:14-16, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”