Gates. I hadn’t given much thought to them until recently. It seemed every time I opened my Bible, there they were: Lot sitting in the gate, God promising Abraham he’d possess his enemies’ gates, David commanding gates to lift their heads, God breaking down gates, and Jesus calling himself “the gate.” Deciding to dig a little deeper, I found that the Bible mentions gates over 400 times, and that gates played an essential part in biblical life.
Ancient cities were surrounded by walls and within these walls were gates; these gates were the only way in and out of the city. The city’s security depended on the strength of its gates. Gates were made of stone and wood and reinforced with brass and iron bars. Gatekeepers guarded the gates, always on the look-out for potential threats and dangers from the outside world.
As I continued to study about ancient gates, I realized that we have gates of sorts too, gates that control access to our innermost being, our hearts. These gates are not made of stone or fortified with brass and iron but instead are made of flesh; they are our eyes, ears, and mouths. We are told to above all else, guard our hearts, for everything we do flows from them. (Proverbs 4:23) To guard our hearts, we must control what comes in and out of our gates.
Guarding the Gates of Our Heart
Being the only entrance into and out of the City, gates were particularly vulnerable to enemy onslaught. It is often said that whoever possesses the gates of the city, controls the city. When gates go unguarded, the enemy can come and go as it pleases until eventually, the city is under enemy control.
Just like ancient cities had a gatekeeper to watch over their city gates, we have a gatekeeper to watch over the gates of our hearts. Because God has given us free-will, we are our own gatekeeper: we each decide what comes in and what goes out of our gates.
Every day we choose what we see, what we hear, and what we say. How do you decide what you allow through your gates and what you keep out? Do you filter your choices through the world’s standards or through God’s standards?
The world’s standards are easy to spot. Just turn on your tv, listen to the latest pop-psychologist, or visit the trendiest night club and you’ll see them in action. These standards change from generation to generation and are based on the latest human wants and needs.
God’s standards look very different. They are set out in God’s Word, the Bible, and they never change. They are based on God’s love, fairness, and justice and were demonstrated to us by Jesus.
Does God’s word encourage things like sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, and jealousy? If the answer is no, then the things we let in and out of our gates such as the movies we watch, the books we read, or the words we speak shouldn’t either. We should allow the truth of God’s Word, not the lies of the world determine what we let in and out of our gates.
Although we are the gatekeepers of our hearts, we are not left to defend our gates on our own. God is on our side!
The Lord is our strength and our shield (Psalm 28:7).
The Lord is faithful and will establish us and guard us from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
The Lord himself watches over us (Psalm 121:5), and no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
We, as children of God, are led by the Holy Spirit; with the Spirit’s help, we can spot potential threats and dangers lurking outside of our gates and stop them before they enter. We can secure the gates to our heart.
Opening the Gates of Our Heart
The gatekeeper closed the city gates at night to protect the city from its enemies, but during the day the city gates were left open. Markets were set up near the open gates so people could buy and sell food, clothing, and other things they needed. Without open gates, the city would struggle and eventually die.
We also need to open the gates to our heart to that which sustains us. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). With Jesus, we are never hungry or thirsty, we have all we need. When we open our gates to Him, the King of Glory, we allow our hearts to be overwhelmed with all those qualities that come with Him like love, grace, and justice. David declared this truth beautifully in Psalms 24:7-20:
Open up, ancient gates!
Psalm 24: 7-20
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty;
the Lord, invincible in battle.
Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
He is the King of glory.
Possessing the Gates of Our Enemies
Not only do we control what goes in and out of our gates, but we also control what goes in and out of our enemy’s gates. God promised Abraham long ago that his offspring would possess their enemies’ gates (Genesis 22:17). Because we belong to Christ, we are heirs to this promise (Galatians 3:29).
Christ fulfilled the promise to possess the gates of our enemies through His death and resurrection. Jesus said of His church, “the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Death was Hell’s ultimate power over us, and Jesus overcame death leaving our enemy powerless and defeated. Jesus took the gates of Hell from the enemy and gave us the victory!
If we already possess the gates of our enemies, why do we walk around as if we are defeated? The only power that the enemy has over us is the power that we give it. When we allow the enemy to control what goes in and what goes out of our heart’s gates, we give the enemy power over us. Take back that control. Guard your heart as if your life depends on it because it does!
Prayer: Thank you Father that you give me the strength that I need through your Holy Spirit to guard the affections of my heart for they affect all that I am. Thank you for your Word as my standard, and my measuring stick for what I see, hear, and say. I close my gates to those things of the world and open my gates to the King of Glory, Jesus Christ. Thank you for Jesus, Your Son and what He did for me on the cross. I declare my victory in Christ! In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
