When we sell our souls to evil, at some point, the enemy will come to collect our indebtedness to him at the cost of our very souls.

“Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria” (I Kings 21:1). The more Ahab looked from his palace at the vineyard, the more he wanted it. Naboth was approached by Ahab and offered to buy the vineyard, “But Naboth replied, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.’” (vs. 3).

That night, Ahab threw a temper tantrum turning away from his wife Jezebel when they went to bed and faced the wall. He was also not eating. When asked what was causing his emotional response, Ahab told Jezebel what happened. Jezebel asked Ahab, “Are you the king of Israel or not?” (vs. 7). The words of Jezebel set in motion an evil plan that Jezebel would follow to take Naboth’s vineyard by force. Jezebel’s statement to Ahab was the hinge point where evil would open the door for its plan to use and abuse Naboth and take his property.

Jezebel wrote letters embossed with the king’s seal of authority to the elders and other leaders in the community attempting to gain support for her secret plan to take Naboth’s land by initiating a cruel scheme. She made her plan sound proper calling people to pray and fast, making the event sound spiritual. Jezebel recruited what Scripture defines as two “scoundrels” to falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. As a result, Naboth was found guilty. He was taken outside the city where he was stoned to death as a completely innocent man.

At the news of Naboth’s death, Ahab went immediately to Naboth’s vineyard to claim it for himself. It was there that Elijah met him and said, “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight. (vs. 20).

We are seeing leaders in our nation, and sadly some within the Church, who are planning to take what they want by any means possible. Some of these people are making false accusations defining innocent people as guilty of a fabricated wrongdoing in an attempt to take what is another person’s right or possession.

Those who sell their souls to evil by hiding their plans under a religious or civic deception will set in motion horrible outcomes for themselves. The plan created by Jezebel and approved by Ahab would affect his family and destroy his dynasty even after he eventually repented for his actions.

To not be compliant when we see this kind of evil taking place, we need to follow Elijah’s courageous example and call out the sin when we see it happening. Our only way out of the consequence of an evil plan if that plan is operating in our life is to repent to God before the evil plan gets any traction.

We are all capable of the grossest forms of sin. Only those who are spiritually vigilant of their character will be safe when the enemy comes with an offer to sell our souls to him.