3 of Satan's Tricks

Have you ever thought of making deliberate plans to overcome temptation? Christ's temptation in Luke 4:1-13 is a good place to start.

1. Christ was alone, fasting, and ready to launch His ministry.

2. Satan tried to get Jesus to make selfish choices instead of submitting to God’s plans.

3. Satan misused Scripture, but Jesus responded with the correct use of Scripture.

So what can we learn?

1. Satan likes to tempt us when we're vulnerable: hungry, sick, tired, discouraged, or preparing for important ministry.

2. We should question our decisions if they place more emphasis on our personal desires than on God's will (Matthew 16:24-27).

3. We should be aware that Satan twists Scripture. The better we know Scripture, the less likely we'll be deceived (2 Timothy 2:15).

If there are areas where you've repeatedly given in to temptation, pray today about making a plan for success, knowing that God will always provide a way out:  

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13

For more encouragement, see Be Strong and What's Your "Achilles' Heel"?

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Do You Say Grace and Then Engage in Gluttony?

 

When a reader asked if I'd ever written a devotion on gluttony, I was surprised I hadn't. Maybe it's because I've crept into the overweight category as I've aged. Or perhaps because I know it's a sensitive subject. But remaining silent about gluttony for fear of offending others is as ungodly as refusing to speak up about other sins. So today I'm writing my first devotion about the sin of gluttony. ~ Gail

 

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Being overweight involves a lack of self-control, a sin problem we should battle. See We Need It: Self-Control.

But today I want to address gluttony which goes beyond lack of self-control. 

Since the 1960s, obesity in America has gone from 13% to 40%, severe obesity has gone from 1% to 10%, and childhood obesity has gone from 5% to 21%. This is a serious addiction we can't overlook, another sign that our culture is moving farther from God. (source)

Gluttony goes beyond a lack of self-control to idolatry. Food becomes an idol of pleasure for which people sacrifice their physical and spiritual well-being. 

Ironically, gluttony has two sides. Some people become anorexic or bulimic, starving and binging. I speak from experience because I was bulimic for several years in my 20s. I basically wanted to have my cake and eat it too (i.e., have low weight but occasionally binge like a pig). When I became a Christian, it was one of the first sins God helped me overcome.

If you're struggling with gluttony or lack of self-control in any area, I encourage you to ponder this Scripture that rescued me from bulimia:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13
 

Each time I was tempted, I realized that God wanted to help me, but I had to give up my idolatry to accept His help. 

 

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Please check out What’s Your Addiction? where I explain how overcoming bulimia came through the testimony of a man who was addicted to cigarettes. And don't miss today's Bite Size Bible Study for a short but meaningful study of gluttony with some helpful Scripture references. It addresses obese pastors and the importance Scripture places on caring responsibly for our bodies.

Notes

Overweight vs. obese: Medically, weight is defined as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and 3 levels of obesity (source). We can't determine in every case exactly when lack of self-control moves into gluttony, but it seems to begin at obesity unless medical problems are involved. 

Regarding eating disorders: I’m not saying there aren’t other elements involved in eating disorders, but they start with and are fueled by sinful desires. 

Bulimia: This eating disorder involves overeating (binging) and throwing up. Some bulimics do this several times a day, some daily, some intermittently, some only on rare occasions. 

Anorexia: This more serious eating disorder can involve bulimia, but it also involves self-starvation and leads to a distorted view of body weight. I'm not sure it could accurately be described as gluttony. It involves gluttony in some cases, but it's more about making a god of low body weight than making a god of food.

 

 

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Lies in Disguise: The Whole Truth

Let me share an important truth that I shared in Lies in Disguise, referring to Acts 20:20–32:

“Paul had proclaimed the whole will of God, the full counsel, the complete plan and purpose of God. He warned the Ephesians that people would distort the things he’d taught them. In fact, there would be some people inside their own fellowship who would do so.

“This warning was true in Paul’s day and it’s true in ours. The only way we can avoid half-truth teachings is by carefully studying what Scripture actually teaches.” 

– from the Conclusion of Lies in Disguise

Dear Christians, we need to make sure that we're only listening to teachers, preachers, authors, and Bible study leaders who have carefully and accurately studied God's Word. And even after we learn to trust a teacher, we must still continue to compare what they teach with what we read and study in Scripture. 

 

Our faith is not built on the words of men and women. It is built on the flawless, living, perfect, and trustworthy Word of God (Proverbs 30:5; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 19:7).

 

Details matter to the Lord, and they should matter to us as well (Luke 16:10).

False teachings have always captured the minds and souls of the undiscerning. Let's make sure we are correctly handling God's Word and correctly sharing it with others (2 Timothy 2:15).

 

Accuracy is an important aspect of respect for God's Word and a necessary element of living for Christ.

 

For more insights, see: 

When People Feel that Small Bible Errors Don't Matter

11 Benefits of Reading God's Word  

Godly Mirror Gazing.

💙 Currently available:

 

from the publisher with a discount: Lies in Disguise 

 

Also available:

 

Amazon

 

CBD  

 

And in the UK: CLC-UK or Eden UK.

 

 

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Kindred Spirits—Jonathan and David's Friendship

It's no wonder that Jonathan and David were such kindred spirits. They had some very unique moral values that set them apart. 

Now, I know you may be thinking about David's adultery and murder, a terrible failure for which he paid dearly the rest of his life. But David was fully repentant, and the overall theme of his life was faithful love and obedience to God.

These are two major qualities Jonathan and David shared:

1. Both of them deeply respected God-given authority: 

Jonathan showed respect for his father, King Saul, despite Saul's poor character. He obeyed Ephesians 6:2-3 by honoring his father even though he didn't obey any ungodly requests. 

David showed respect for King Saul as God's appointed king despite Saul's attempts to kill and discredit him (Romans 13:1-2), refusing to kill him in battle when his men encouraged him to do so (1 Samuel 24:1-13). 

2. Both Jonathan and David deeply respected God's ability to do the impossible. 

Before Jonathan and his armor-bearer defeated the whole Philistine army, Jonathan said, "Nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" (1 Samuel 14:6)

Before killing Goliath, David said, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…he will put all of you in our power” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

In these two important ways, Jonathan and David were kindred spirits. They both had a deep respect for God and His Word, two qualities that we should also possess. 

 

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Have you heard some of the ridiculous claims that Jonathan and David were homosexual? Don't miss the Bite Size Bible Study. It offers additional insights into Jonathan and David's relationship and refutes this gay revisionist lie-in-disguise. 

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Answering a Rude Question About God

Someone recently asked me (quite rudely) why a God who is all-knowing and all-powerful would create Satan. To see the full conversation, see Answering an Atheist Evangelist. 

This guy wasn't actually interested in my answer, but suppose someone sincerely asks this. How would you answer?

It’s good to prepare ourselves to answer these kinds of questions (1 Peter 3:15). So let me give you some bullet points I’d include in my answer:

🗹 God created Satan good but gave him a choice. Satan chose evil. 

Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:1-17. See Got Questions on Ezekiel 28.

🗹 God could have ended Satan’s existence but chose to use Satan’s stupidity and evil to test people and divide true believers from unbelievers. For example: Job 1:1-12.

🗹 God creates each man and woman and gives us choice. 

Genesis 4:6-7; Joshua 24:14-15; James 1:14-15; Revelation 3:20.

🗹 God is all-knowing and all-powerful, but He isn’t all-manipulative. He never tempts us, but He allows temptations in our lives because he wants our choice to be real. He doesn’t want robots forced to love Him.

James 1:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4.

🗹 Anyone who rejects God is under Satan’s control, even if they aren’t involved in formal Satan worship.

2 Corinthians 4:4.

🗹 Because God is omniscient, He knows every detail of every person’s heart. He won’t send someone to heaven or hell by mistake. He knows that some people only have an outward form of religion.

2 Timothy 3:1-5.

🗹 Because He’s all-powerful, He can do what He says He will do.

Romans 1:20.

🗹 And most importantly, our God is not merely omniscient and omnipotent. He’s also completely loving, just, and pure, ready to redeem, forgive, and restore.

Psalm 103.

In fact, the man who asked this rude question can be redeemed. Our all-knowing, all-powerful God gives him that choice.

For two other difficult questions, see Six Important Clues in Answering the Question "Why Does God Allow Evil?" and Be Prepared: Why did God destroy entire nations?

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