by Barbara Latta
Brilliant blue sky, cooler temperatures and the scent of
fall in the air called us to some
outdoor activity. Friends were kind enough to
invite Ken and I for an afternoon of fishing.
 |
| The fish we caught took the bait. |
Autumn color brushed the edges of the trees as their foliage
started the winter sleeping process. A gentle breeze blew across the water
occasionally, but not enough to ripple the surface. Fish were waiting.
After a few casts with no success, I changed my bait. We
were using plastic worms, so I changed to another color. Surely these fish
wanted bright orange. Bingo! I had a strike. I pulled my little bass to the
shore and proudly showed off my catch. When the fish stopped biting, we changed
our tactics and moved to another pond. The fish we caught took the bait. I didn't get a picture of my fish, but here is one of Ken's bass.
As we were patient and continued to fish, I thought about how similar our
fishing process is to the temptations the devil lays before us.
Bait – he uses something that looks good to us. The devil
doesn’t tempt with something that is not appealing. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world (1
John 2:16 NKJV).
Tactics – when one bait doesn’t work, he changes to another.
This they said, testing Him, that they
might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on
the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear (John 8:6)
Patience – if we don’t take the bait the first time, he waits
and tries again later. Now when the devil
had ended every temptation, he departed from Him an opportune time (Luke 4:13).
How do we resist the devil’s fishing skills:
Resist – Therefore,
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). The
key to resisting is to submit to God.
Renew – And do not
conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
(Romans 12:2). Changing our thinking to line up with God’s Word helps us
recognize temptation when it comes.
Reveal – You are of
God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Show the devil that we
belong to God and that he is defeated.
When we stand on God’s word and use His weapons, the devil’s
tactics come up short. His fishing expedition ends with an empty stringer.
Share some other scriptures you use to resist temptation.
Join the conversation.
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