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When the Roman emperor Constantine I dedicated a “new Rome” in 330
A.D. to the Greek-speaking colony of Byzantium, the Byzantine Empire was
born. Constantinople (modern-day
Istanbul, Turkey) would be its capital that would include much of the
Mediterranean and Middle East as well as the seat of the Greek Orthodox church,
a spiritual rival to the power of popish Rome. By 476 the western half of the
Roman Empire fell, but the eastern half survived for nearly 1,000 more years.
During most of its existence, it remained a very powerful economic, cultural,
and military presence in Europe, and served as a buffer between Europe and the
threat of invasion from Asia, reaching its zenith by the 11th
century. Its empire included most of Eastern Europe and large portions of Asia
and North Africa.
During the 12th century it suffered a major setback from Crusaders out of Western Europe and was left in ruins; no longer would it be a dominant force in the world. In 1347 a third of the population was wiped out by the plague referred to as the Black Death.
By the middle of the 15th century, the Byzantine Empire had shrunk to the city of Constantinople and a few Aegean islands. Overshadowed by their own economic problems they had overlooked the ominous threat growing in the East.
During the 12th century it suffered a major setback from Crusaders out of Western Europe and was left in ruins; no longer would it be a dominant force in the world. In 1347 a third of the population was wiped out by the plague referred to as the Black Death.
By the middle of the 15th century, the Byzantine Empire had shrunk to the city of Constantinople and a few Aegean islands. Overshadowed by their own economic problems they had overlooked the ominous threat growing in the East.
In 1453 Constantinople was under siege by the Ottoman Turks led
by Mehmet II during the reign of Constantine XI. During the onslaught, a small band
of Turks discovered a small open gate left unguarded. A handful of men rushed
through before it could be closed, seizing a tower and raising the sultan’s
banner in the wind on the north side of the city. This demoralizing influence
may have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. When the flag became
visible the defenders began retreating within the city thinking the northern
flank had fallen.
Mehmet exploited the situation and was able to capture what was
called the Adrianople Gate on the north side of the western wall. As the
Turkish troops poured through the gate into the city, it is said that Constantine
XI led his last remaining troops into the fray and perished (source on the gate:
everyhistory.org). The fall of Constantinople had secured a corner of Europe
for the Muslim hordes and sent a message to the Europeans; the Turks were
coming.
From Constantinople’s
history, we can see how a tiny opening in a wall, an unsecured and unguarded
gate, unraveled its defenses at a critical moment in the heat of battle and invigorated
the invader to continue to push until resistance was futile and defeat was
imminent. Now, let’s shift from the physical to the spiritual and see how
dangerous it is to leave our heart gate unguarded and unprotected from an unwelcome invader while
keeping Constantinople in mind.
Even among
true believers, because of the deceitfulness of sin, many Christians fall prey
to the enemy because they leave their hearts wide open to attack. They think
they are being intellectually honest by being open-minded to the truth. Hey, my
mind is like a parachute, it only works when it’s open, but that has nothing to
do with intellectual honesty or be opened minded to shape-shifting of the truth by the adversaries
of God. I am open to learning new things as long as it doesn’t conflict with the
principles of Scripture.
The problem is that those advocating anti-biblical
truth are not intellectually honest or open-minded; they are predators of
unsuspecting minds that have left their hearts unguarded, and by the way, this
has no age restrictions! They ridicule the truth of Scripture and despise the
thought that truth could be absolute. So offended are they by the thought of
absolute truth they come across as absolutely sure of their position! We are
considered just a bunch of right-wing, narrow-minded, dumb Bible thumpers on
God-crutches, stuck back in the Dark Ages rather than coming of age because we are too weak-minded, lacking
drive, and unable to cope with life, needing desperately delivered from our abysmal ignorance! That's some resume, yes?
These unsuspecting and unwise opened-minded believers eventually become close-minded to the things
of God by leaving their heart gate unguarded or opened to the things of the
world, and the enemy pours in to defeat them. Instead of being in the Word and
transformed by the renewing of their mind, their unguarded hearts are being
conformed or molded to this world through secular influence so that they are
unable to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom
12:2) and wind up thinking and behaving like a lost person having forgotten they
had been redeemed (cf. 2 Pet 1:9)! They become full-blown worldly believers or
having one foot in the church and one in the world (HI-HO, half in and half out) and comfortable with it!
Solomon
addressed the dangers of an unguarded heart three thousand years ago. His instruction
(Prov 4:23) was to keep or guard your heart, which is the seat of our thoughts,
feelings, and will; for out of it spring
the issues of life. All of the elements proceeding from our intellect,
emotions, and will, such as our thoughts, beliefs, motives, feelings, desires,
values, behavior, and so forth flow from the heart.
“Be careful how you
think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Prov 4:23, GNB).
To what effort
are we to put forth in guarding our hearts? Solomon stated, “with all diligence”
(Heb, “above all keeping”). It is translated as “with all vigilance” (ESV, NET),
“more than anything guarded” (Darby).
In the
computer world, there is a common saying, “garbage in garbage out.” We need more than ever to guard against
the garbage entering our hearts and minds by renewing our minds and guarding our hearts “more than
anything guarded” or above all else, for it is the source of our very life. An unguarded heart is an invitation to the enemy. Why in the world would we let the enemy overtake us with
garbage? The problem is that ignorance of the Word is so pandemic that many who claim to be Christian have real problems with discerning between what is garbage and the Gospel nowadays… Beloved, an unguarded heart gate is a recipe for
disaster. Constantine XI found that out.
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places.
Eph 6:13 Therefore take up the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand [firm or hold your ground].
"Above all else,
guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov 4:23, NIV). <><
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