Cremate the Skeletons in Your Closet Before They Jump Out

"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed,
or hidden that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the dark
shall be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered in private rooms
shall be proclaimed on the housetops."
Luke 12:2-3

Satan loves concealed sin. In his hands, it's a lethal weapon. 

You've gone to great extremes to securely hide your sin. No one has found out; no one will ever find out. You're safe. Or so the enemy would have you believe. Oh wise Child of the King, don't be fooled. 

Unconfessed sin is a ticking time bomb
Hiding sin is much like handing over nuclear weapons to North Korea. Satan uses such weapons to his advantage. Hidden, even you are tempted to forget about your sin--but Satan won't. He is strategically biding his time. He will wait until you have risen to a greater position of leadership and your sphere of influence has broadened. That's when he detonates. (Luke 4:13 states "[Satan] departed from [Jesus] until an opportune time." Luke 4:13)

Satan's mission is to kill and destroy (John 10:10)
The enemy knows exactly when to trigger the explosive devise (concealed sin, which, remember, you have yielded to him.) He discharges at a time when it will do the greatest damage--when your life is highly visible and your spiritual ministry is flourishing. It is then that you take a direct hit and flying shrapnel impales countless victims. An explosion at such a time could damage or end a friendship, marriage, family, and/or ministry. 

Peter says the devil "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." That someone is you. He doesn't want to simply hurt you, he wants to take you out. And if waiting to expose your sin will maximize the effects of his bomb, he will wait.

Sin will be exposed: to disarm or detonate
Sin will be exposed. It must be. It will be, in one of two ways:

1. Hide it in a safe and hand Satan the keys, granting him the privilege of choosing the time to expose it. Don't let the sun go down on undealt sin. "...do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity [foothold] to the devil." Eph. 4:26, 27
2. Find a bomb squad (trusted counselors, James 5:16) and reveal it now, in a 'controlled' environment. Certainly, this is not guarantee that your sin will remain a private matter, but it is a guarantee you'll obtain forgiveness(I John 1:9). And, you now have accountability to detour repeating the sin and witnesses to attest of your repentance if the enemy ever launches an attack. What peace that brings!

Early confession disarms weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." Prov. 28:13 

In our attempt to hide our sin, we throw a fig leaf over it. Yet, the covering is inadequate. The concealed bomb is still there... ticking. 

C.H. Spurgeon said, "...the atoning sacrifice of Christ is a covering which will cover all sin, and cover the sinner from head to foot...". Christ came, not to bury our WMD, but to destroy it. We have received the blood of Christ--not simply to cover but to cleanse! I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do you have unconfessed sin in your life that weighs upon your heart? Do you feel shame over your past and fear over its effect on your future? Difficult as it may be, choose today to confess your sin to a spiritual leader in your life. Place yourself under the cleansing blood of the Lord and under the protection of His wing. There, regardless of the attacks the enemy launches, your soul cannot be harmed. There, you find joy, peace, and hope.

“Cast thy deadly doing down,

Down at Jesus’ feet;

Stand in him, in him alone,

Gloriously complete;”

Charles Spurgeon

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