A few weeks ago, my pastor made a statement about “spiritual vampires”. Those people that love to “suck the life” out of you. They want to just spread their poison in you and weaken your faith. I jotted those words down on the back of my bulletin and knew I would come back to them.
Since it is the first day of October, I thought I would sink my teeth into spiritual vampires this morning. If anyone knows me well, they know I do not like scary stuff. I don’t watch scary movies, I don’t visit haunted houses and I don’t allow my kids to dress in scary costumes…so I struggled with the thoughts of putting a vampire in my Bible. Nevertheless, I needed it as a reminder to watch out for those that pursue evil against me…to be a discerner of what is good and what is not.
Have you ever met someone who just drains you? Physically draining.
Emotionally draining.
Spiritually draining.
They say, “I love you!” “I am your friend!” “I have your best interests in mind.” I’ve heard that on more than one occasion by so-called friends…but in actuality they are just spiritual vampires who have their own agenda…wanting nothing more than to infect you with the poison of doubt, despair and depression. When they have sucked the life out of you, they move on to someone new.
How many times have you seen the way to keep a vampire away was by holding up a cross? When we hold up the cross of Jesus in our life, it is easier to keep those spiritual vampires from getting close enough to try and destroy our faith. When we let down our guard and take our focus off the blood of Jesus, then we are susceptible to be sucked into the lies that come from those that want nothing more than to see us fail. Sometimes we don’t recognize the vampires in our life until we are drained, but pray for God to reveal those people in your life that you need to run away from…the ones that keep you from living a life that walks in the faith and knowledge of the One who GAVE His blood for you.
Surround yourself with grace, like garlic! You will smell different…which is what you want as a child of God. It keeps those spiritual vampires from getting close enough to ingest their evil upon your life. Just because someone says they are your friend, doesn’t mean they are. Not everyone who calls you a friend has your best interests in mind.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
