Do you wonder why you or your loved ones are struggling? Why do you or others sometimes feel hopeless about doing what is right? In my first post about Jesus’s perspective on the spirit world, I said Christians could unwittingly invite evil spirits into their hearts to oppress them. You will learn how to recognize the schemes of the devil to deceive you and how to stop them. The devil works in your mind to deceive and tempt you. 2Corinthians 11:3 explains, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” In this post, we will look at three examples of temptations, the results, and how to stop the temptation before you sin and invite the devil to occupy your heart and mind.
In the last post, I explained how to successfully fight against the devil’s attacks. I will expand on that. 2Corinthians 2:11, Paul said, “So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Put on the full armor of God so you are not outwitted by Satan’s schemes or designs. The devil’s number one scheme is temptation to get you to disobey God and sin so you will be separated from Him (Is. 59:2). If Satan can separate you from God, then he can oppress you and cause all kinds of troubles in your life. Repentance is the only solution to defeat Satan if he does tempt you to sin. 1Jonn 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Remember, Jesus is your advocate (1John 2:1-2).
Temptation of Judas Iscariot
One sad example is when Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus, was tempted by Satan to betray Jesus for money. Judas followed Jesus for three years and believed He was the Son of God. Luke 22:3-4 tells us, “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4) He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.” The Apostle John wrote in John 13:2 that “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.” And in John 13:27, he says, “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Because Judas opened himself up to Satan to sin, he then tempted Judas to kill himself. Matthew 27:3-5 states, “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ 5) And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” If Judas had repented, then Jesus would have forgiven him. Satan is the thief that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us life (John 10:10).
Observation: Satan first put it into Judas’s mind to betray Jesus. Then Judas acts on the temptation and seeks a way to betray Jesus. He still had a chance to take that thought captive and rebuked the enemy as Jesus did when He was tempted. In the Gospel of John, he said that the devil put it into Judas’s heart to betray Jesus, which involves feelings. Then, when Jesus pointed out Judas at the last supper, Satan entered into him. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would betray him. God knew Judas’s heart, that he valued money more than Jesus and would do the will of the devil. Judas kept the moneybags, and he would keep some of the money given that was to take care of the poor (John 12:6).
Interpretation: We all have weaknesses that the devil will use to lure us to sin. For Judas, that was money. He never repented of his sin of stealing, which was why the devil was able to enter him. James 1:13-15 states, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Application: All temptation begins in the mind, so when you are tempted, take the thought captive (2Cor. 10:3-5) and verbally put it out of your mind, then put into your mind the truth found in God’s word. So, putting on the armor of God and reading your Bible each day will help you know the truth and speak the truth into Satan’s lies and temptations.
Jesus Overcomes the Devil’s Temptations
Jesus is your example for how to overcome the devil’s attempt to destroy your life. Read Matthew 4:1-10 about how Satan tempted Jesus and how He responded to Satan using God’s word, the truth. Jesus told Satan to be gone, and you can do that also. The only way to overcome the temptations and deceptions of the devil is to humbly submit to do God’s will and speak the Word of God.
Satan tempted Ananias and Sapphira
Other believers who were tempted to sin were Ananias and Sapphira. You learn about them in Acts 5:1-11. Again, the temptation involved money. 1Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” The Apostle Peter said that Satan filled Ananias’s heart to lie. The followers of Jesus were selling their property and donating the proceeds to help those in need. The consequence of lying to God was devastating.
1) But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
4) While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
5) When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
Observation: When Ananias gave the money to Peter, he made it appear that he gave the whole amount. Peter, being filled with the Holy Spirit, knew in his heart that Ananias did not give all the proceeds from the sale. The consequence was being struck dead by God, which caused all who saw it to fear God and not do evil and sin. The same thing happened to Ananias’s wife.
Interpretation: When you are tempted, Satan fills your heart with deception to justify your sin. He will make you believe it is okay and nothing bad will happen. It is never good to sin. It breaks trust with God and with others, and there is always consequences.
Application: When you are tempted, ask God to help you do what is right, not what you feel like doing, which may be Satan working in your heart. Make no provision for your fleshly desires (Rom. 13:14). Ephesians 2:1-3 explains, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Evil spirits work in those who disobey God by following the passions of their flesh and not walking in righteousness.
Conclusion
Temptation is inevitable, and it begins in your mind. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He included the line, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one.” Jesus included that line because He knew we would be tempted by the devil as He was. Jesus successfully defeated all the devil’s attempts to get Him to sin by using scriptural truths against him. That is what we must do when we are tempted by the devil. My book, Fighting Unseen Battles, identifies Satan’s deceptions and lures and the Scriptural truths to defeat him.
The Apostle Paul was concerned that those in Thessalonica who believed would be tempted to sin and to turn away from the faith. 1Thessalonians 3:5 states, “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.” The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church in Corinthians10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
We have hope because Jesus suffered when tempted and now helps us when we are tempted (Hebrews2:18). All you need to do is recognize that you are being tempted to go your own way and do what feels good to you, and not go God’s way. If you have God’s armor on, you will recognize when you are being tempted and can call out to Jesus to help you do what is right. Hebrews 4:15-16 states, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The only way to stop the devil’s destructive work in your life is to humbly submit to God’s will, put on God’s armor, and speak the Word of God to overcome the temptations and deceptions of the devil.
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