The Company You Keep

Psalm 1:1

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

Too often we disregard the enemy. We play right into his playbook. The Bible tells us that he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). That verse leads us to believe we only need to watch for one person alone, Satan, and that we will see him or hear him from afar and get fair warning of his presence.

The New Testament tells us that he disguises himself as an angel of light, again a singular reference (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Watch out for Satan masquerading as an angel of light.

While all this is true, Psalm 1 gives us a treasure map to walking with God. It starts out with what not to do, and what I find very interesting is the warning is to avoid the wicked (plural), sinners (plural), and the company of mockers (again a plural noun). The Lord tells us to avoid the groups of sinners, mockers, and the wicked. While it is clear that Satan can disguise himself and trick us, it is also clear that he has minions or followers whom he has deceived to do his bidding. We are called to avoid such groups of people. We have all heard that misery loves company, so do stupidity, shame, and wickedness.

Today, if you are in a spot that seems to challenge your resolve to stand for Christ, you might want to look at the kind of people you hang around. Your posse, your peeps, your friends. They don’t just come around one by one. No! They show up in groups of wickedness, groups of mockers, and groups that sin together.

The Bible says that as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly (Proverbs 26:11). If you don’t change the foolish company you keep, you will keep returning to that same sin that trips you up time and time again. And while you are sinning, your wicked friends will justify your sin and pacify it as someone else’s fault, convincing you that you’re the victim. Begin to recognize the ones around you who do not live a righteous and holy life oriented toward the Lord. It would be wise not to walk in step with them, stand with them, or sit with them in their endeavors. Don’t disregard the power of persuasion from sin, it can overwhelm even the greatest of saints. Just ask David, Moses, Peter, and the list goes on. Make a decision today to rid your inner circle of these types of people. You will be doing yourself a favor.

Prayer: Father, I know we get stuck inside situations where we cannot avoid evil people. I pray we stay away from evil people. Help us to recognize these kinds of people and help us gravitate toward Godly people. In Jesus’ name, amen.