When Satan Knocks On Your Front Door,
or creeps in the open window...
How does Satan usually approach us?
What is our response?
How do we know if it is Satan?
What can we do?
How does Satan usually approach us?
Genesis 3: 1-5 Satan tempts Eve
Genesis 4: 3-7 Cain presents the wrong offering
Genesis 4: 9 Cain murders his brother
Genesis 25: 29-34 Esau sells his birthright
Genesis 27: 1-41 Jacob receives the blessing
I Samuel 13: 8-12 Saul usurps the priest’s office
I Samuel 15: 1-23 Saul disobeys God
II Samuel 11: 1-215 David’s sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah.
Satan is the father of lies; therefore, it is no surprise that he usually approaches us in a crafty, subtle way. It might be where we struggle, such as with alcohol, drugs, pornography, anger, bitterness, the list goes on and on. Or, he might hit us where we are strong. If we are good at say, football, and we seek to use our talent, and the platform it provides us to share the gospel, he may plant the seeds of pride, or as with Tim Tebow, under heavy attack because of his faith, he could have become angry. He could have lashed out at his attackers. Who could blame him if he fought back? But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to ignore his critics, and focus on what was most important; his relationship with his Savior. Satan is a master at using other people to tempt us to sin. Maybe our friends entice us to smoke, or even do drugs. Maybe a good looking girl flirts with you and you find yourself being tempted to commit fornication. What about when your parents are gone, and there is the temptation to take the car out for a quick drive? What about when your sibling makes a mess and you get stuck cleaning it up? How about if you get accused of cheating on a test because someone looked at your paper? What if someone spreads malicious gossip about you? What if the bully knocks you down in the hallway?
What is our response?
Do you have the right to be mad? Are you entitled to seek revenge? When bad things are done to us, how do we respond?
Genesis 37: 18-28
Joseph’s brothers had considered killing him, but chose to do the more humane thing…sell him into slavery. For most, this was worse than death. But God had a plan and He delivered not only Joseph, but his whole family.
Genesis 45: 1-8
Joseph did not harbor bitterness. He did not condone what his brothers did, but he forgave them, and loved them. Does this sound familiar? When Jesus had been handed over by His own and crucified, He harbored no bitterness. As He suffered and died He said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
When others mistreat us, you can be sure, Satan sits at the door, waiting to lead us in the next step. But what if it isn’t about anger or revenge? Remember David’s temptation with Bathsheba? How could he have avoided that sin?
Genesis 39: 7-12
When faced with the temptation to lie with his master’s wife, Joseph did the right thing and fled from her presence. We do well to prepare ourselves beforehand to fight this spiritual battle. Joseph was prepared.
How do we know if it is Satan?
Genesis 50: 17-20
After the death of their father, Joseph’s brothers were afraid he would then get his revenge. Joseph’s words are remarkable. He acknowledged that they had planned evil against him, but God had used that evil to accomplish His plan.
Some would say all of this was according to God’s will, but the truth is, Satan plots his schemes and sometimes God allows them to set in motion His plans.
This does not give us the right to take vengeance for ourselves, but rather leave judgment to God, and concern ourselves with His will for us. We rob ourselves of His blessings when we choose to do it our way.
Again, we see a similar story in Judas betrayal of Jesus. What Judas did was wrong; of that we can be sure. If Judas was merely doing the task God had given him, then why so much deception? Why his confession of sin?
Matthew 26: 24-25 Jesus warning and Judas continues his deception
Matthew 26: 47-49 The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
Matthew 27: 3-5 Judas admits his sin and kills himself
God does not tempt us! If we are tempted to that which is wrong, it is from the devil. God’s word clearly defines what pleases God and what is sin. Again, one of the lies of the Devil is to persuade us that sin is not sin.
James 1: 13
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
What can we do?
Ephesians 6: 10-18 Put on the “Whole Armor of God.”
If we fail to prepare for the battle, we will lose. As we search the scriptures, we see the result of not being prepared. David was a man after God’s own heart, but yet he sinned greatly. He was not prepared that time and it cost him greatly.
Jesus warned Peter (Luke 22: 31) that Satan wanted to test him. The truth is, Satan wants to test each and every one of us (I Peter 5:8 Satan is like a roaring lion). You have been warned, what will you do about it?
or creeps in the open window...
How does Satan usually approach us?
What is our response?
How do we know if it is Satan?
What can we do?
How does Satan usually approach us?
Genesis 3: 1-5 Satan tempts Eve
Genesis 4: 3-7 Cain presents the wrong offering
Genesis 4: 9 Cain murders his brother
Genesis 25: 29-34 Esau sells his birthright
Genesis 27: 1-41 Jacob receives the blessing
I Samuel 13: 8-12 Saul usurps the priest’s office
I Samuel 15: 1-23 Saul disobeys God
II Samuel 11: 1-215 David’s sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah.
Satan is the father of lies; therefore, it is no surprise that he usually approaches us in a crafty, subtle way. It might be where we struggle, such as with alcohol, drugs, pornography, anger, bitterness, the list goes on and on. Or, he might hit us where we are strong. If we are good at say, football, and we seek to use our talent, and the platform it provides us to share the gospel, he may plant the seeds of pride, or as with Tim Tebow, under heavy attack because of his faith, he could have become angry. He could have lashed out at his attackers. Who could blame him if he fought back? But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to ignore his critics, and focus on what was most important; his relationship with his Savior. Satan is a master at using other people to tempt us to sin. Maybe our friends entice us to smoke, or even do drugs. Maybe a good looking girl flirts with you and you find yourself being tempted to commit fornication. What about when your parents are gone, and there is the temptation to take the car out for a quick drive? What about when your sibling makes a mess and you get stuck cleaning it up? How about if you get accused of cheating on a test because someone looked at your paper? What if someone spreads malicious gossip about you? What if the bully knocks you down in the hallway?
What is our response?
Do you have the right to be mad? Are you entitled to seek revenge? When bad things are done to us, how do we respond?
Genesis 37: 18-28
Joseph’s brothers had considered killing him, but chose to do the more humane thing…sell him into slavery. For most, this was worse than death. But God had a plan and He delivered not only Joseph, but his whole family.
Genesis 45: 1-8
Joseph did not harbor bitterness. He did not condone what his brothers did, but he forgave them, and loved them. Does this sound familiar? When Jesus had been handed over by His own and crucified, He harbored no bitterness. As He suffered and died He said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
When others mistreat us, you can be sure, Satan sits at the door, waiting to lead us in the next step. But what if it isn’t about anger or revenge? Remember David’s temptation with Bathsheba? How could he have avoided that sin?
Genesis 39: 7-12
When faced with the temptation to lie with his master’s wife, Joseph did the right thing and fled from her presence. We do well to prepare ourselves beforehand to fight this spiritual battle. Joseph was prepared.
How do we know if it is Satan?
Genesis 50: 17-20
After the death of their father, Joseph’s brothers were afraid he would then get his revenge. Joseph’s words are remarkable. He acknowledged that they had planned evil against him, but God had used that evil to accomplish His plan.
Some would say all of this was according to God’s will, but the truth is, Satan plots his schemes and sometimes God allows them to set in motion His plans.
This does not give us the right to take vengeance for ourselves, but rather leave judgment to God, and concern ourselves with His will for us. We rob ourselves of His blessings when we choose to do it our way.
Again, we see a similar story in Judas betrayal of Jesus. What Judas did was wrong; of that we can be sure. If Judas was merely doing the task God had given him, then why so much deception? Why his confession of sin?
Matthew 26: 24-25 Jesus warning and Judas continues his deception
Matthew 26: 47-49 The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
Matthew 27: 3-5 Judas admits his sin and kills himself
God does not tempt us! If we are tempted to that which is wrong, it is from the devil. God’s word clearly defines what pleases God and what is sin. Again, one of the lies of the Devil is to persuade us that sin is not sin.
James 1: 13
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
What can we do?
Ephesians 6: 10-18 Put on the “Whole Armor of God.”
If we fail to prepare for the battle, we will lose. As we search the scriptures, we see the result of not being prepared. David was a man after God’s own heart, but yet he sinned greatly. He was not prepared that time and it cost him greatly.
Jesus warned Peter (Luke 22: 31) that Satan wanted to test him. The truth is, Satan wants to test each and every one of us (I Peter 5:8 Satan is like a roaring lion). You have been warned, what will you do about it?
No comments:
Post a Comment