I can't even express how encouraged I was by reading yesterday's comments. The amazing revelations you all shared and the vulnerability you let peek through, touched me in a deep way.
Girls, you have no idea how much your comments blessed me. I read through them, prayed through them and plan to save them for those times I get weary while writing this next book.
Thank you.
So, what did I get from comparing Gen. 3:6 with 1John 2:16? I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan's 3 prong plan of attack on our hearts.
Interestingly, if you read how Jesus was tempted in the desert in Matthew 4: 1-11, you'll see Satan using this same 3 prong plan against Jesus!
It's in the beginning of the Bible, in the gospels, and repeated again in 1 John at the end of the Bible. This makes me think, it's definitely something worth pondering and discussing.
Satan wants to draw our hearts into a place of worldliness. I've always thought of worldliness as sort-of an external thing--- doing wild things, hanging out with wild people, going to wild places.
Been there, done that, and don't care to go back or wear the t-shirts. So, I'm good right?
Not so fast.
There's an internal worldliness that can creep into our hearts and become just as destructive as external worldliness. While we look good on the outside- doing good things, hanging out with good people, going to good places- internal worldliness can creep in and deceptively lead us away from God.
Then we wake up one day scratching our head, wondering how we've been so good and strayed so far from God all at the same time.
Here's Satan's plan so clearly revealed in the mentioned passages-
1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol, or food- keep them distracted with their justifications and cycles of guilt.
Satan tempted Eve with fruit, "which was good for food."
Satan tempted Jesus while on a fast with bread.
Satan tempts us with whatever physical stimulation we are too preoccupied by- be it taste, smell, sound, touch, or sight. These things are good within the boundaries God meant for them to be enjoyed. But venturing outside God's intention for them and they become an attempt to try and get our needs met outside the will of God.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after the shiny things of the world.
Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was, "pleasing to the eye."
Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told him he could have it all.
Satan flashes in front of us the newer, bigger, and seemingly better things of this world trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy. And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.
Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her like God.
Satan tempted Jesus by telling him to throw himself off the highest point of the temple and then command the angels to save him. This would impress everyone watching and certainly raise Jesus' status and significance.
Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we have to become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within to have people notice us, commend us, revere us, and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
Oh sweet sisters, just knowing these three points won't make a difference in our lives. We must let the awareness shake loose our complacent attitude and compromised resolve in whatever area we struggle and park our desires within the will of God. Then undoubtedly Satan will flee.
We don't have to held hostage by Satan. His power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.
Note the difference between Eve's response to Satan and Jesus' response to Satan. Eve dialoged with Satan and allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus on the other hand, immediately quoted truth. With every temptation, Jesus answered, "It is written..." and he shut Satan down with the truth of God.
What will our response be?
It's our choice.
Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step- will we operate in God's all powerful truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies?
Whatever choice we make will determine so much about our future. Eve, using her own skewed views, allowed one piece of fruit to cost her everything. Jesus resisted Satan's temptations using the truth of God, and he became the only thing to cover our sin's cost.
Eve brought down the world.
Jesus saved the world.
Might we be the ones to make a difference in this world?
It all starts with the very next choice we make.
I love you sweet sisters.
And God loves you- no matter what your struggle. But He loves us too much to leave us wallowing in our struggle. We were made for victory. Sweet, sweet victory.
Girls, you have no idea how much your comments blessed me. I read through them, prayed through them and plan to save them for those times I get weary while writing this next book.
Thank you.
So, what did I get from comparing Gen. 3:6 with 1John 2:16? I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan's 3 prong plan of attack on our hearts.
Interestingly, if you read how Jesus was tempted in the desert in Matthew 4: 1-11, you'll see Satan using this same 3 prong plan against Jesus!
It's in the beginning of the Bible, in the gospels, and repeated again in 1 John at the end of the Bible. This makes me think, it's definitely something worth pondering and discussing.
Satan wants to draw our hearts into a place of worldliness. I've always thought of worldliness as sort-of an external thing--- doing wild things, hanging out with wild people, going to wild places.
Been there, done that, and don't care to go back or wear the t-shirts. So, I'm good right?
Not so fast.
There's an internal worldliness that can creep into our hearts and become just as destructive as external worldliness. While we look good on the outside- doing good things, hanging out with good people, going to good places- internal worldliness can creep in and deceptively lead us away from God.
Then we wake up one day scratching our head, wondering how we've been so good and strayed so far from God all at the same time.
Here's Satan's plan so clearly revealed in the mentioned passages-
1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol, or food- keep them distracted with their justifications and cycles of guilt.
Satan tempted Eve with fruit, "which was good for food."
Satan tempted Jesus while on a fast with bread.
Satan tempts us with whatever physical stimulation we are too preoccupied by- be it taste, smell, sound, touch, or sight. These things are good within the boundaries God meant for them to be enjoyed. But venturing outside God's intention for them and they become an attempt to try and get our needs met outside the will of God.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after the shiny things of the world.
Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was, "pleasing to the eye."
Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told him he could have it all.
Satan flashes in front of us the newer, bigger, and seemingly better things of this world trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy. And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.
Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her like God.
Satan tempted Jesus by telling him to throw himself off the highest point of the temple and then command the angels to save him. This would impress everyone watching and certainly raise Jesus' status and significance.
Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we have to become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within to have people notice us, commend us, revere us, and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.
Worst of all it leaves us with an insatiable need for more.
Oh sweet sisters, just knowing these three points won't make a difference in our lives. We must let the awareness shake loose our complacent attitude and compromised resolve in whatever area we struggle and park our desires within the will of God. Then undoubtedly Satan will flee.
We don't have to held hostage by Satan. His power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.
Note the difference between Eve's response to Satan and Jesus' response to Satan. Eve dialoged with Satan and allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus on the other hand, immediately quoted truth. With every temptation, Jesus answered, "It is written..." and he shut Satan down with the truth of God.
What will our response be?
It's our choice.
Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step- will we operate in God's all powerful truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies?
Whatever choice we make will determine so much about our future. Eve, using her own skewed views, allowed one piece of fruit to cost her everything. Jesus resisted Satan's temptations using the truth of God, and he became the only thing to cover our sin's cost.
Eve brought down the world.
Jesus saved the world.
Might we be the ones to make a difference in this world?
It all starts with the very next choice we make.
I love you sweet sisters.
And God loves you- no matter what your struggle. But He loves us too much to leave us wallowing in our struggle. We were made for victory. Sweet, sweet victory.
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