SPIRITUAL GATEKEEPERS

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at My GATES, watching at the posts of my door. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord – Proverbs 8:34-35

There are door-keepers or gatekeepers into most places, spaces, and vehicles: gatemen to residential and institutional buildings; front-desk receptionists in hotels; cashiers in banks; prison wardens; and ticket agents into buses, trains, airplanes and other modes of movement.

The Bible speaks much about gates and gate-keepers. Heaven has gates and so does hell! Psalm 100:4 says: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” In Matthew 16:18, the Lord Jesus declares that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church. The “gates of hell” signify the authorities of hell, which are not permitted to obstruct the advance of God’s Army – the Church. God’s covenant with Abraham includes the promise that his seed “shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Gen.22:17). This meant that his seed would gain a position of prominence and power over the enemy. On the contrary, when the gates and walls of a city were torn down or broken down, the enemy had access to come in (Neh.1:2-3).

In the Old Testament days, the gatekeepers (or porters) were vital in determining the defence or destruction of the temple or the entire city. In 1 Chronicles 9:17-27 for example, they were mentioned in the companies of the psalmists, singers and musicians. As officers that were appointed and chosen by the King, they had daily responsibilities in the temple, especially relating to the protection of the temple and the safety of the city (2 Kings 7:10-11). These keepers of the temple gates and city gates had to be devoted, reliable, and trustworthy. It was in there power to decide whom to refuse or admit entry.

Just as there are gatekeepers in the natural realm, and many biblical references to gates, God has gatekeepers, and in some respects, He has called us to be gatekeepers in the spiritual realm. First and foremost, we need to be keepers of the gates of our bodies and our very lives: “Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor.3:16). We must filter and screen what comes through the gates of our ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and skin: what we listen to, hear, watch, see, taste, eat, inhale, and touch. We must also protect the gateway to our sensual and sexual intimacies – in satisfying the appetites of our minds and bodies.

It is only as you protect your body – the temple of God – and mind that you can be positioned to protect your home, family, career and other affairs. God desires that you be a Gatekeeper in all realms of life, especially the realm of the spirit: one who listens and watches continually at the Gates of Wisdom (Pro. 8:34-35). Are you watching daily at His gates? Are you a reliable and trustworthy gatekeeper?