Take a look at this picture. The left side is a bed of strawberries that I planted and have taken care of over the past year. On the right side, I had some strawberries but pulled them all out and haven’t done anything with the spot. Notice all of the weeds growing on the right side? They weren’t there a couple of weeks ago when I had strawberry plants taking up the space. The strawberries were so dominant that they were keeping the weeds suppressed. Notice that weeds aren’t growing on the left side. I haven’t done anything different between the right and left side of this picture except removing the strawberries. But now that they are gone on the right, weeds have quickly sprouted up to take their place.

When we stay vigilant in our spiritual life, when we make time daily for prayer, Bible study, meditation, serving others, and so on, the Fruit of the Spirit grows thick in our lives. But if we remove them, sin quickly pops up to replace it.

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:25-27 emphasis added).

The saying ‘Idle hands are the devils workshop’ is a fairly accurate statement. Stay busy with the work of the kingdom because Godliness chokes out the sin in our lives and keeps Satan from getting a foothold.