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temptation

Discovering Satan’s Devices

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2 Corinthians 2:1-11

2 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

A device can be thought of as being a tool to carry out a certain function. But in this context (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) the implication is that the device is primarily mental. He is clever and crafty. He possesses ingenious subtlety, but he also has a modus operandi (particular way of doing something) that presents us with clues about his influence and tends to give him away, rendering much of his cleverness inoperative and making him easier to defeat.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The idea is to catch him as he begins to use his devices to twist us mentally to agree to the line of reasoning that he wants us to follow. If we can catch it as it begins, we will not be entrapped by it. We know that Adam and Eve did not catch it, and they were led astray.

One of a Christian’s primary defenses against Satan, of course, has to be a prior awareness of his modus operandi—particularly his desire to turn good into evil. Perhaps nothing could be more devilish than to do such a thing. And in this very context, Paul suggests that Satan can get to a person through a spiritual quality that is good.

1)    We know his voice

John 10:27

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

2)    We are taught to know better

John 14:26

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

3)   We know what to examine

1 Samuel 16:7

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

4)   The word helps us weed Him out

James 1:22

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.)

The apostle desires them to receive the person who had done wrong, again into their communion; for he was aware of his fault, and much afflicted under his punishment. Even sorrow for sin should not unfit for other duties, and drive to despair. Not only was there danger last Satan should get advantage, by tempting the penitent to hard thoughts of God and religion, and so drive him to despair; but against the churches and the ministers of Christ, by bringing an evil report upon Christians as unforgiving; thus making divisions, and hindering the success of the ministry. In this, as in other things, wisdom is to be used, that the ministry may not be blamed for indulging sin on the one hand, or for too great severity towards sinners on the other hand. Satan has many plans to deceive, and knows how to make a bad use of our mistakes.

God Is Our Protector

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In order to walk in a greater boldness we must know that we serve a God who is our protector. He watches over us when we cannot even see for ourselves. He keeps us from greater harms. And while living in a world of free choice brings a lot of harms we would never want we are still with someone who helps us with things beyond our understanding.

How are we protected from greater harms?

You are protected from the temptation of evil because God is strong

Matthew 16:18

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

John 19:11

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

You are protected from feeling alone amongst evil because you are never left behind

Hebrews 13:5

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Luke 12:32

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Do You See The Web? Take A Double Take!

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When you look at the picture at first glance it is not obvious that a trap has been set. Such as the same way with our adversaries of life, right? And as some insect is flying by with no regard to caution they become stuck followed by being destroyed. This visual example is easy and is easily laughed about but is ever so true when it comes to being more aware of your spiritual environment. As we walk on with God it is ever so important to always remember to watch and pray, or what I like to call the double take. You see, just attempting to watch something may not reveal its true intention at first. That is where prayer comes in! Praying brings our spiritual being to the forefront, causing our focus to be on things we may have not seen at first or even things we neglected to even see at all. The bible speaks to this sort of awareness in a passage that says in short that “a person who walks in the light will not stumble”.

To be in the light is to come clean in your life before God, and to use your light in this case is to examine the environment of things that may try to harm you! Please be aware of the enemy’s tactics and traps by living clean (walk in the light) and giving a double take to what’s around you (watch and pray to battle temptation). By doing so you will avoid being so easily swayed and discourage when we are in our appointed tests! So in conclusion, you may not see the traps but God can lead you to not fall in them by being nigh unto prayer and letting the spirit lead you!

Where Do You Find Yourself In Meditation To God?

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With life increasing its pace and decreasing the amount of time we have to accomplish all of our goals, there has never been a more dramatic attempt to work tirelessly to meet every expectation. And as we all know, finding this sort of situation for all of us is pretty easy to find: falling asleep at your laptop close to midnight pushing a deadline, hearing the alarm go off and getting up when you know you only slept a couple hours, continuing to perform hard labor even though you are in dire straits of pain, etc. These sorts of visual descriptions should indicate the extremes that you can find yourself in most of the time.

My question for you to think about today: Where Do You Find Yourself In Meditation To God?

My answer? I heard a person a while back preach about finding a secret place early in the day, so I thought I would try it out and dedicate more time for God. The Results? For my own personal life today, one of the few moments I have now to be in silence and open up my mind for God is when I am driving to work in the morning. It is truly a perfect setting for me; for it’s early and light is just breaking on the day. I have no distractions and have not had the weight of an entire day attempting to hinder me. For me there is definitely something special about seeking God early.

The word of God makes reference to being separate and stealing away to a secret place (aka like a closet) to accomplish 2 goals: producing a calming environment for your mind and creating a place where you will not be pulled by temptation or distraction. These factors create an opportunity for you to not only be comfortable in prayer but to present a chance to hear God without all the noise of life!

So where do you find yourself? Where is a place you have dedicated to steal away?

He Is A Good God

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Psalm 95:1-8

[1] O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
[2] Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
[3] For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
[4] In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
[5] The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
[6] O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
[7] For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
[8] Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

“I just praise the Lord that He is so great. He’s greater than what our eyes can see. He’s greater than what our minds can comprehend. You know, He knows all. He’s created all things. He knows the inside and outside. He sees us and who we are. He knows the bad things about us. He knows the intentions of our mind and our heart, and I praise His name that He still loves us. He still loves us. I don’t care what situation you’re in; He is worthy of our praise. If you are alive and you are breathing and you are here, He deserves to hear from you. I praise Him for all that He’s done in my life. He’s a very good God.”

Blessed Are They That Endure

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James 1:1-15

[1] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
[2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
[3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
[4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
[5] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
[6] But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
[7] For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
[8] A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
[9] Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
[10] But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
[11] For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
[12] Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
[13] Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
[14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
[15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.We need to learn to count it a privilege when we have a chance to be as tried, and not always either in-between or never making it through the trials of life.

Hebrews 13:5-6

[5] Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
[6] So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

How that we need to be content with such as we have! If we cannot ever say that we are thankful for what God has done or is doing, we will never get into the place where we can faithfully say “such as I have, I give unto thee”. It is that living substance that goes SO FAR BEYOND any possession that we find of worth.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

[12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
[13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The reality of it all is that there will be things items and issues that come up in your life. There is no safe zone! However I am happy to say that God will always provide the means for you to be able to make it through with gladness.

Hebrews 2:1-4

[1] Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
[2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
[4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Unless we abide in the presence of the most High we may lose the very thing that will keep us in our love and works: faith! As the spirit will continue in our hearts, it will help us in not only keeping our salvation sweet and cherished but our mind to a peaceful place of rest.

Dear Graduate – Letters Of Wisdom

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I read this upon graduating college. It was given to me by my Aunt Kay. She has always been great about hooking me up with books and encouraging me to stay grounded in the Lord, and this was by far one of my favorites gifted to me!

This book is as it says in the title: literally a collection of great letters from Charles Swindoll. It’s not really a devotional style book because each chapter is essentially a letter. Every letter covers different topics, with each of them tied to God in a great way. A few of them include: ethics, determination, individuality, accountability, distinction, temptation, leadership, etc.

The letters all are in focus to a person that is about to launch out on life and provide sound Godly advice to areas that might have never been addressed before, and I recommend you include it in their gift pack if you ever are looking for something to add to their stuff to send them with to college or before their first job after college!

And always remember when you are done with one, pass it on or recommend! That helps the ones who work so hard to write them!

Check out: Dear Graduate: Letters Of Wisdom – ISBN 0-8499-5495-9

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Learn To Sever What Does Not Make It Better

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One part of life that is always evident is that there will always be things that we fall back on in the event of something that puts us on the defensive or our backs against the wall. There are plenty of people and situations out there that have and will provoke things in your life that simply should not be a part of who you are. This is something that is tough to realize in principle but when realized can be powerful to the building of your Godly life.

You see, there are those people and objects in your life that whether we see it or not could eventually lead us into things we never thought we would say or do. Sin and temptation comes in many ways and forms and is not exempt for anyone. I know it’s not easy to address the things that define our mistakes for any of us, but if we can begin to learn from them we can start to move forward.

As part of my testimony now, drugs and alcohol were a big part of my life once. God has now delivered me from many of my personal hardships (as well as those things) and for that I am very thankful! However, there were some adjustments in my lifestyle that had to happen. I had to begin to sever ties to the things that pulled me to those addictions. I will guarantee you that it will never be easy doing on your own, but I can also guarantee that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you!

When we look back on our lives and all the things we have done, we cannot live in regret because we have zero control of the past. We can only pray for forgiveness now and move forward. We must begin to allow God to help me adjust our lives to the way they should be. And as we do, life begins to improve by severing the influences that pollute your ability to live in peace and joy in Christ.

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Do No Evil

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THE WORD

James 1:23-24 – For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I could not be more troubled about how much it seems that evil is ever present around the people of God. I want to ask some questions that will put us in the frame of mind of what I’m writing on today: How hard do we really try to walk away from something we know that we are seeing or hearing is wrong? In all reality we may find the answer is not too hard at all. If something (being the spirit of God) leads you to know that something wrong is going on, and you have the power to make a decision to change that behavior, then it is our responsibility hands down! If we learn to walk with God’s higher standard then they will know that there is something that drives us to be above the temptation of sin. Could we say a witness of the Lord?!? How much do we restrain ourselves from saying things that we should not in a situation where we are affected? Not too much at all. Keeping ourselves from saying irrational things is one of the hardest things to do simply because we feel enabled from our own self-right of justice. If they wronged us, they are going to hear about it, right? There is a difference in doing things in love versus out of spite or with an attitude! You have to always remember that everyone will answer for their actions and that self-control is only truly successful by the quickening of the anointing in you to help you prevent such decisions! How difficult is it to trust God when you feel like that you are surrounded in darkness? It is truly easy if you allow God to do it! We are the light of the world, but God is the fire that burns within! His spirit will keep you each day and never let you feel stale! If you learn to stir up the gifts and callings every day through worship, prayer, fasting, reading, and ultimately obedience then you will begin to unlock something that will (as the old song sings) shun the wrong and do what is right!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Make every active attempt each day to avoid the evils that you can and pray for God to lead you out of every temptation that would prove difficult for you to walk away from.

Our Fall To Sin

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Genesis 1:27,31

[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Man was created in Holiness, and what God made was good within us! Before sin ever entered the world, what we were made to be was good! God made us! What God has made in you is good as well! Even taking in to consideration that we fail because of sin, we still have the good that God has placed! We often forget that in the midst of life.

Genesis 3:6

[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

By voluntary transgression, man fell to sin. So many times, we voluntarily walk into failure, and God has provided more than enough of ways to avoid sin and temptation to sin. You are only as strong as the spirit that lives within you. With that said, it’s simple: little spirit leaves for little ability to resist. A strong spirit presents a formula for success against the enemy in this world!

Psalms 94:11

[11] The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

The thoughts that we possessed started to become vain. The thoughts that we have every day without God are vain by default, lest we realize what place they should have in our lives. If God is first, He will lead you to see exactly what things should be and should not. That’s the direction of the Holy Ghost that only comes through prayer seeking for direction by faith!

Jeremiah 17:9

[9] The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The heart started to become deceitful. Without the help of the comfort of the spirit, we will become weak from our emotions that want to rule us by default. We should never be driven by emotions. Emotions often times will drive us to irrational motive, which in turn leads to actions we should have never found ourselves at to begin with.

Romans 8:7

[7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

We became an enemy through the carnal being. Our minds are either upon God and serving him with our commitment to, or we are resisting because we have (in our mind) chose not to. The art of submission when it comes to the spirit begins with making up your mind. We can never inherit the mind of Christ without first surrendering our wickedness first. I say that not in condemnation, but in common sense. We will eventually lead ourselves to destruction over time without God helping us!

Genesis 6:5

[5] And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

By sin overwhelming us, God recognized that even back then and still does today! In the days we live in now, we know not the appointed day, but God wants us to be prepared each day by not falling into the sin that was clearly warned about all through the days of the bible. The example of the flood in the Old Testament should be example enough that we surely would rather come to God’s love rather than God’s wrath!

Romans 5:12,19

[12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

[19] For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The first sin was fatal for all mankind and made us sinners as we know it today. And from generation to generation, we still make the same mistakes that were made before us, regardless of the reasons of why. The “why” does not matter; what matters is finding our way to repentance! That’s why Jesus Christ was sent to be an advocate for us to find forgiveness by the mercy and grace of God.

Romans 1:18,20

[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Being unrighteous, all are condemned without defense or excuse. There is nothing that I could throw at God to ever have a great enough of reason or to feel good enough to be justified. We have to obey, we have to repent, and we have to move on from hurt! It’s as simple as that! God sees what you are going through, and will move on your behalf. So why stay in that condition?

Isaiah 1:5-6

[5] Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
[6] From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

The whole nature of our beings is corrupted long-term from never treating the damage that sin takes upon us. Lest we begin to bring to God our problems and issues, we can never begin to heal and recover from what we deal with and go through!

Isaiah 53:6-7

[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

All of our sins have been forgiven if you recognize the one who performed it! If we come to God and believe in faith upon Jesus Christ and surrender our lives completely, a magnificent life-changing transformation can begin to take place! Do it today!