“He That Lies Down with Dogs, Rises up with Fleas…Careful!”

 Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Going around doing things you know you have no business doing; all because you want to fit in! Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God [James 4:4]. You need to have a realization in your heart, that you are now a child of God, and you don’t have any business fooling with the things of the world. As Christians, we have to be ever so careful who we associate ourselves with. We have to be careful who we allow to be in our space. Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. Avoid the company of fools and you will save yourself harm! Walk with the wise and you will become wise!

[Romans 12:2] says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. [Ephesians 5:15-16] says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” So come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning … I say this to your shame” [1 Corinthians 15:33-34]. Listen, [Psalm 1:1] says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. What a simple rule for wisdom and life! Get rid of foolish friends, and choose the wise for friends. You will grow in wisdom and avoid much trouble in life.  

The Bible declares, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” [I Corinthians 15:33]. The warning about deception is to save you. I ask you, How did Lot, Abraham’s nephew, end up in a cave with nothing but his two daughters pregnant by his incest? He moved toward Sodom and made friends in that wicked city [Genesis 13:12]. What a disaster it turned out to be for him, his wife, and five daughters. Be not deceived!  Fools cannot be real friends to a child of God. It is impossible, for they are incompatible by nature. They have nothing of value to offer. I tell you, if you lie down with the dogs, you will rise up with fleas. Do not go in their direction [Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:10, 15; 4:15; 9:6), and have no fellowship with them [Proverbs 14:7; Amos 3:3; Ephesians 5:11-12]. The clincher of Jehoshaphat’s story in [2 Chronicles] is the devastating effect that his compromise with the world had on his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on the whole southern kingdom. In [Chapters 21 and 22] we read that after Jehoshaphat’s death, his son Jehoram [married to Athaliah] slaughtered all his brothers and then turned the nation to idolatry [see 21:6]. God struck him with a terrible disease of the bowels and he died after eight years in office. His son Ahaziah became king and lasted one year before he was murdered [see 22:3-4]. Ahaziah’s wicked mother Athaliah then slew all his sons [her own grandsons] except for Joash [a one-year-old] who was rescued and hidden from her. The Davidic kingly line from which Christ was descended came that close to being snuffed out! And then the wicked Athaliah ruled the land for six years. All this was the result of Jehoshaphat’s compromise with the wicked Ahab! Do not be deceived. He who lie down with dogs, will rise up with fleas!

My aim is to walk with God, to follow His Word of truth, and to help you do the same.

Author: Lou Coleman