WEEK 5
(This is a continuation of last week's study)
Third, we have a growing desire to experience the full reality of Satan's sinful idea, and we begin to plot a way in which we might act out the thing we know is wrong. The more we identify with one of Satan' ideas, the stronger our desire grows to experience the idea. When that desire reaches a certain degree of intensity, our wills become involved. We begin to make a plan for acting out the full-blown desire that began as only a prick of our imagination.
Let me give you a couple of examples. A person might start thinking about something he knows he can't afford, perhaps a fancy new convertible sprots car that costs triple the amount he has available to spend on a car. He thinks about how beautiful the car is and then about all the benefits of owning such a car. Before long, he is thinking about how good it would feel to drive the car with the top down and about how his friends would be impressed if he owned such a car. He begins to see himself sitting in it. He imagines the car in front of his house, and he fantasizes about driving it to his place of employment and parking it in his own special parking place. Before long, he is making plans to go for a test drive at a local dealership.
In another example, a woman begins to think about what it might be like to be married to a man she has met at the office. The only problem is that this man is already married. She ignores that fact and starts to think about all the benefits that might be associated with marrying this man. She begins to see herself going places with him and starts to project how envious her friends would be. Before long, she is plotting a way to get this man to have lunch with her, in hopes that she might find a way to get him to invite her out to dinner.
There's only one short step between a strong desire to experience something, own something, or take a specific action, and the making of a plan that puts that desire into action.
The Sciptures strongly advise us to check out our plans and the motives behind them.
*What does the Word of God say to you in the following verses? Proverbs 6:16,18; Zechariah 7:10; Proverbs 19:21.
*Have you had an experience in which you desired something so much--even though you knew it was wrong--that you began to plot a way to act on your desire?
Fourth, we act out the idea. In acting out an idea, we rarely have an intent of turning the action into a habit. We usually say to ourselves, "I'm jut going to try this one time to see what it's like." But, generally speaking, if we try somthing we know to be sin, the part that was appealling to us in the first place is going to be temporarily satifying to us, and we are going to continue to desire and do what we know to be wrong.
We try to convince ourselves that we are strong enough to say no to a second temptation, even though we haven't been strong enough to say no to the first temptation.
Once we make a decision to act out a sin, we are self-deluded. We think that we can control our fleshly tendencies to sin. In reality, our fleshly tendencies, desires, and lusts are in control of us. When we give in to sin and it becomes a habit in our lives, we become addicted to our sin, It rules us. It dominates our every waking thought. It governs our every action.
Our natural human desires are strong, especially when they are coupled with our human will. Once we engage knowingly in sin, the desire for sin is even stronger and our will to sin is strengthened. We find it increasingly difficult on our own to deny ourselves what we desire. Our willpower diminishes. Only as we trust the Holy Spirit to give us the power to withstand Satan's temptations can we turn away from sin and choose God's plan for good. (See Romans 7:15-25.)
*What does the Word of God say to you in the following verses? Psalm 36:1,3-4; Romans 7:19-20,25; Romans 7:23-25.
*Have you had an experience in which you told yourself you were only going to try something "once," only to find yourself trying that same thing repeatedly?
*What new insights do you have into the tactics of your enemy and how to overcome him?
ALL SIN BEGINS WITH SATAN'S IDEAS
All of us are thinking constantly. Both the Holy Spirit of God and Satan have access to our minds. We do not "think thoughts" totally on our own initiative. Our minds, our imaginations, are the soil in which the Holy Spirit plants seed ideas that will bear a harvest of blessing in our lives. In like manner, Satan has been allowed to attempt to plant seeds that have no other potential than to become wild weeds of destruction.
We must choose to let the thoughts that are from God remain and take root in us. With great diligence, we must choose to let the thoughts that are from Satan fly right on by. We must refuse to entertain Satan's notions or to engage in fanciful imaginations about evil.
Peter gave us a great wisdom about how we can avoid the devil's process of deception: "Be sober, be vigilant." (1 Peter 5:8)
Sober. To be sober means to have a clear mind. We are not to have any fuzzy thinking about what is right and what is wrong. We are to know with certainty the commandments of God and the teachings of Jesus so we will know instantly if an idea is from Satan or from the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility to maintain a sober mind. No one else can read and study God's Word for us. We must do it ourselve. We must set our minds to learn what is right and what is wrong from God's perspective.
To be sober also implies a seriousness about life. We are not to joke about the devil or take him lightly. We are to recognize that we have an enemy who wants only one thing--to wipe us out. If he can't wipe us out , he'll settle for the next best thing--to render us ineffective and useless. We must take our enemy as seriously as he takes us.
Vigilant.To be vigilant means to be watchful, to be alert, to always be quick to say no to the devil. How do we stay vigilant? We ask the Holy Spirit to help us stay vigilant! The devil has never pulled the wool over the eyes of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus described as being the Spirit of truth. Our vigilance is directly related to our reliance upon the Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily decisions and choices. If we ask the Holy Spirit with a sincere heart to reveal to us the lies of the devil and to discern evil spirits at work, we can be assured that He will do so.
God has never asked us to overcome the enemy on our own strength. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the enemy. We however, must choose to receive the Holy Spirit's help. Being sober and being vigilant means being serious about following God in every area of our lives, twenty-four hours a day, every day.
*In what ways do you feel challenged in your walk with the Lord?
This week we would love to hear from all of you who have been following our Bible study. Has it helped you and how? What would you like to see added? Do you have any thoughts you would like to share with the group? If so, just email them to me at the address shown on the Bible study page, and I will post them in an upcoming newsletter. If you would like to receive this newsletter, be sure to let me know. Send an email with the word "Newsletter" in the subject line to the email address on the Bible study page and we will be sure to include you. If you are subscribed to the LetsShareTheLord onelist, you will automatically receive the newsletter, so the email to us to request it will not be necessary.
Although this is not the end of Dr. Stanley's book, this will conclude this particular Bible study. Next week begins an all new one--so don't miss it!! It will be in 1 John and will be based on the book "Notes on 1 John" by Edgar Lee Paschall, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Calvert City, KY. We will try to cover a chapter a week, and will include some word studies and referencing. We will have questions at the end of each chapter. Please be in prayer that God will give us all a blessing in this upcoming study.
Brother Paschall is a fine preacher and a godly man. He is in frequent attendance at a number of camp meetings throughout the South and Mid-West. I have heard him preach on a number of occasions, and have found him to be very insightful.
Father, we do thank You for the past few weeks of Bible study. We pray that we apply it directly to our own lives and that we trust Your Holy Spirit to guide us in the weeks ahead. Help us, O Lord, to clearly recognize the tricks of the devil and to use Your Word to rebuke and bind him from ourselves, our families, our homes, and our churches. We thank You also for those who have participated thus far, and we pray for them and for each home they represent. Reveal yourself to them in a clear and unmistakeable way, O God. Guide them by Your Holy Hand. Bless them with Your wisdom. Anoint them to Your work. We pray all these things in the Name of the Only Son of God, our Lord and Savior, our Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Titus 3:16-17