John Climacus wrote a book in the early 7th century that became very influential among Christians. It was called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Among other things it was a book about becoming more like Jesus.

In it he wrote: “Demons fear concentration as thieves fear dogs.”* He put a high value on concentration. He was referring to the practice of concentrating on God and godly things. These are things like love, truth, holiness, justice, wisdom, and goodness. 

It also includes focusing on Jesus. One of the places where this focused concentration is commended in Scripture is Hebrews 12:1-2: “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Note the phrase “fixing our eyes.” It is a specific act of focus. Isaac Ambrose wrote an entire book on that one idea.

Demons fear this kind of concentration. Why? Because they specialize in distraction and confusion. Jesus calls Satan the “father of lies” in John 8:44. He (and they) want to break your concentration. They want the words of Jesus to go in one ear and out the other. They want you to forget who and what matters most. They want to blanket your mind in a fog of gray area and deception.

Robbers fear dogs who can foil their dark schemes. Similarly, demons fear Christians who are clear about Christ.

We could also put it this way: Clarity is the enemy of the Enemy.

True, there are some gray areas in life. And when it comes to discerning truth from error, there are times when it takes a healthy amount of prayer, study and consultation to decide how to think and act. 

But more often than not, clarity is possible when we root ourselves in Jesus and trust his infallible Word.

Think clearly.
Love fully.
Thwart the Enemy.

“Demons fear concentration as thieves fear dogs.”

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Notes and extra content:

–“Reaching out to help a young church (Growing Deeper with Colossians 1:1-14).” This is a Bible study podcast which introduces the book of Colossians and explores the first 14 verses. Click here.

—Blog and Podcast: “Firm Faith in the Resurrection.” As promised, here is the post and podcast which summarizes my recent 2-part series on the resurrection. Click here.

–*John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Virgin Mary of Australia and Oceania, no year given), 53.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.