How Do I Stop The Thief

Mark 4:4-8 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

13-20 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But, since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-- thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (NIV)

Jesus said the farmer sows the Word. Some people are like the seed that fell on the path. The Word is sown and as soon as they hear the Word, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them.

Some of the seed fell on rocky ground. They hear the Word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word they quickly fall away.

Some of the seed fell among thorns, they hear the Word. And they soon get caught up in the worries of the world, trying to become wealthy and craving of other things the Word is choked out of their lives.

Some seed fell on good ground and produced an abundant crop. Some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred fold.

Protecting the seed
We must do everything in our power to protect the Word that has been sown in our hearts. Satan will not give up, therefore we must not give up. “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits”. His ultimate job is to steal the seed that has been planted in us. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (NIV)

We must also do everything we can to make sure that the seed is planted in ground that has been properly prepared. First we must break up the hardened, unplowed ground preparing it for the seed. Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you (NIV).

We must fertilize the ground. How do we do that? Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (NIV) Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, and hearing, and hearing, and hearing, ….. the Word. If we do not continually hear the Word we are allowing Satan an opportunity to steal the Word that has been sown in our hearts. After the ground has been prepared for planting and the seed is sown, we must keep the ground cultivated. That is we must keep out the grass and weeks out of the garden of our heart.

How does the enemy steal the seed?

One of the oldest and most used tools of Satan is to hinder people from hearing the Word. They will become offended by the least little thing to keep them from the Lords house, where the Word is going forth with anointing. I cannot tell you how many people have told me that they do not have to go to church to be a Christian. My response is, if you are a Christian, why would you not want to go to church. We need the spoken Word, the anointed Word, to penetrate our hearts, to be firmly planted in our heart, so the thief can not steal this Word.

The thief comes in the most vulnerable place he can. Where is that in your life? Only you and God knows where that is, oh by the way, Satan also knows the most vulnerable place in your life. So we must make that place sure. We must reinforce that area of our life.

If you knew there was a thief in your neighborhood, you would place more locks on your doors and windows. You would never leave anything unlocked. Are there areas in you life that is unlocked? Are there areas that Satan can easily get into?

He steals the word
by causing us to miss church, when we miss church we are leaving a door unlocked!
by causing us be easily offended, if allow offences in our lives we are leaving another door unlocked!
by placing anger in our hearts. When we become angry we are unlocking the door,
by intimidation, boy this is heavy artillery with the enemy. If we suffer from intimidation, we are leaving another door unlocked.
We must fight against intimidation, the Word says, We are the apple of His eye. We are children of the most High. We are His creation. We are His property. With His help, lock that door in your life!

How do we keep him from stealing the Word?

James 4:7-8 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NAS)

We do so by staying in the word as I have said before. We do so by resisting the devil. We do so by drawing near to God. We do so by cleaning our hands and repenting from our sins. We do so by purifying our hearts, for if we have an impure heart we are double minded, and Jesus said; “a double minded person will not receive anything from the Lord.”.

Additional Scriptures.

Job 1:6-7 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

1 Pet 5:6-8 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)

Heb 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (NIV)