Look For the Hook (7 of 24)
Series: How to Do Life
Jerry Watts
James 1:13-16
Fishing is a fun sport and I really like it. Dad has a catfish pond and almost every time we go home, I wet a hook. However, do you know what I've discovered about those fish? They're fickled. The bait that they 'tear up' one day will not even be touched the next day. As you know, we have to take a hook and cover it with bait so that the fish will bite.
Do you know that Satan does the same thing? He works had at knowing what bait we are taking today. One day it may be pride, the next day it may be lust, and the next day it may be money. Never forget Satan knows our weakness (what bait we'll go after) and he knows when we are the weakest (when our hearts a susceptible to his wiles. Scripture is laced with people who took the bait and fell into sin. We can name David, Ananias and Sapphire, and even Nicolas (Acts 6). These folks and their stories are not told to shame them as much as give us instruction about Satan's tactics and the danger of succumbing to temptation.
Satan has all kinds of bait. When we get serious about our walk with Christ Satan will pull out the very lure that, he believes, will catch our eye. As a general rule, it will not be a frontal assault on our faith, rather it will be a side door or back door approach where he can sneak into our lives, give us a little immediate gratification and result in long term problem. He'll simply 'dangle the bait' until we take it.
The Camouflage of Temptation - I use this 'hunting' word because it most of us understand it and because it fits so properly in this context. To wear this type of clothing means you're attempting to blend in with your background. I remember hunting for dear before we had to wear orange. It was in my younger years, but some of those guys were so camouflaged that they almost got shot! This is how temptation comes. For the believer (James was writing to believers), obviously the thought had come ...
Series: How to Do Life
Jerry Watts
James 1:13-16
Fishing is a fun sport and I really like it. Dad has a catfish pond and almost every time we go home, I wet a hook. However, do you know what I've discovered about those fish? They're fickled. The bait that they 'tear up' one day will not even be touched the next day. As you know, we have to take a hook and cover it with bait so that the fish will bite.
Do you know that Satan does the same thing? He works had at knowing what bait we are taking today. One day it may be pride, the next day it may be lust, and the next day it may be money. Never forget Satan knows our weakness (what bait we'll go after) and he knows when we are the weakest (when our hearts a susceptible to his wiles. Scripture is laced with people who took the bait and fell into sin. We can name David, Ananias and Sapphire, and even Nicolas (Acts 6). These folks and their stories are not told to shame them as much as give us instruction about Satan's tactics and the danger of succumbing to temptation.
Satan has all kinds of bait. When we get serious about our walk with Christ Satan will pull out the very lure that, he believes, will catch our eye. As a general rule, it will not be a frontal assault on our faith, rather it will be a side door or back door approach where he can sneak into our lives, give us a little immediate gratification and result in long term problem. He'll simply 'dangle the bait' until we take it.
The Camouflage of Temptation - I use this 'hunting' word because it most of us understand it and because it fits so properly in this context. To wear this type of clothing means you're attempting to blend in with your background. I remember hunting for dear before we had to wear orange. It was in my younger years, but some of those guys were so camouflaged that they almost got shot! This is how temptation comes. For the believer (James was writing to believers), obviously the thought had come ...
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