The water spider is an amazing creature from the imagination of God. It is called the frogman of the spider world. It lives underwater in rivers and streams. The spider spins a tough silk basket-like web, similar to a diving bell. Then it anchors it to underwater plants and other objects.
Rising to the surface the spider captures an air bubble. Then pulls it down and ejects it into the underwater silk dome, filling it with an air bubble. The spider than lives in its air bubble during the day and at night rises to the surface to hunt food.
Outside of this air bubble, the spider would not survive in its hostile water environment. I am reminded of Galatians 1:4, “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age (world)…” We also live in an unfriendly hostile environment. This world, though there are many good things in it, is by its corrupt nature, evil and sinful. Christians in this world is a constant spiritual battle, Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
We live in an environment that can destroy us. The world’s values, attitudes, influences, and practices threaten to drown and destroy us unless we are able to protect ourselves. How are we to survive spiritually in this hostile worldly environment?
We, like the water spider, must build a bubble of protection around us. A spiritual bubble of knowing the Scriptures, prayer, righteous living, faith and trust in God, weekly worship, fellow shipping with one another, and obeying the truth of Scripture. These things are the air in our spiritual bubble that keeps us spiritually alive.
Paul puts it this way, Ephesians 6:13-17, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, … Stand firm, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with … the gospel of peace, … taking up the shield of faith with you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times..”
As the water spider lives in the water, it is not affected by the water. So, though, we must live in an evil world, we do not have to be influenced by the evil world. Jesus said, in John 17:16, “…they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
How secure is your spiritual bubble of safety? Remember, we can live in the world without the world living in us! — Tom
