Home Invasion

No big secret here…in the last days, difficult times will come.

The question is, are we ready? God did not hide this fact from us – He put it right under our noses in 2 Timothy 3 as Paul wrote to Timothy,  who was pastoring the church at Ephesus.

Paul laid out quite the scary laundry-list of people who would love nothing more than to invade unsuspecting homes.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.  2 Timothy 3:1-7

The fact that Paul singles out women in this passage kind of blew me away. But before you think Paul is bashing women, consider the context

For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women… In the city of Ephesus, there were gullible women who had been enticed by the propaganda of false teachers. And they were causing all kinds of confusion in the city.

But all Scripture is God-breathed and we can learn general principles from it. Paul was waving the warning flag! Hey ladies – do not allow the people I described in verses 2-5 to invade your home and take you captive.

Take a look at how Paul described the women who were susceptible to these home invasions. There are 5 descriptors in verses 6-7…weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1. Weak, idle, or silly (depending on your Bible translation). Now don’t misunderstand Paul – he is not saying all women are like this. He is saying women who allow home invasions of this type are likely spiritually weak, not using their time wisely (idle) or just have a silly attitude toward spiritual things.
2. Weighed down with sins. A woman who is weighed down with her own sins is unlikely to notice these sneaky home invaders and will not be able to shut the door on them.
3. Led on by various impulses. This describes a woman who is prone to impulsiveness, acting before thinking.
4. Always learning. Now Paul is not advocating that we do not continue learning. What he is getting at is a woman who is constantly seeking the newest fads, trends, self-help, or maybe even the newest Bible study. She thinks the next big thing is going to be what makes her truly happy and whole but never applies the truth she has already learned.
5. Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. As much as this kind of woman seeks after new learning, she never feels like she can grasp the truth. It is because she is seeking it in all the wrong places. Jesus says in John 17:17, “Your word is truth.”

Take a quick inventory around the home.

Do any of those descriptions sound like us? What people or media have we allowed to influence our minds with the toxins Paul laid out in his laundry list? Evil is insidious and it CREEPS in so unexpectedly.

So how do we avoid a home invasion? Paul gives us some help here too.

“Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15.

Let’s not fall victim to these kinds of influences by being spiritually lazy people. We have to be prepared to recognize and combat the “creep” of sin. The insidious creep of sinful influences is hard to detect unless you are in regular fellowship with God. Keep Him close so Jesus can whisper in your ear when these kinds of people are knocking at your door. Be strong in the Word.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13