Lures

 

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (II Corinthians 2:11).  Satan’s devices (tricks, schemes, methods) are many.  Anyone who has ever gone fishing knows that you use any kind of bait that will work to catch fish.  I enjoy fishing for bass.  I have all kinds of bait (lures) in my little tackle box.  If one particular lure is not successful in helping me catch anything, I will try another.

Satan is somewhat of a fisherman.  He has many ways in which to snare unsuspecting people.  We must be aware of his “baits”, his schemes.  The devil is a deceiver and his plan is to destroy our God-given purpose and to distract us from the will of God.  Here are some of the lures Satan has used successfully to ruin the testimony of many:

  • The appeal of the world (II Timothy 4:10)
  • Things – material possessions (Luke 12:15, Mark 10:21)
  • Money – the hunger for wealth (I Timothy 6:7,10)
  • Sexual temptation, seduction (Judges 16:4)
  • Disappointments, bitterness (Hebrews 12:15)

Anything that delays your pursuit of God, anything that detours you from your calling, anything that interrupts your fellowship with God, anything that breaks your focus is a bait from the enemy.  The wrong kind of friends, wrong king of music and a host of other things can disrupt your walk with God and cause havoc in your life.

Satan knows how to fish!  Don’t fall for the “bait” he uses to hook you.  Stay alert! Don’t be the next victim that lands in the devil’s net.

The Pastor’s Pocket

Written by: Pastor Bruce Freeman


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Home Yet

Image
 As Christians, we’re destined for something much better than what this world has to offer!  As the old song says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through, my treasure is laid up somewhere beyond the blue…And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” The Bible tells us our time on earth is brief (Psalm 103:15 / James 4:4).  If we’ve trusted Jesus as our Savior, our eternal home is heaven.  Therefore we are seen as pilgrims just passing through here.  We are aliens, strangers to this present, evil world system. Isn’t it silly? We spend so much time trying to “have it all” here and now, when in reality we already have it all “in Christ”.  Abundant life that Jesus told us about doesn’t have anything to do with having an abundance of things.  It has to do with the quality of life we possess with all the spiritual riches that come from knowing Christ. God warns us not to love this world.  We must never get too attached to “stuff”....
Read more

Humbly but Boldly

Image
  Fervent prayer goes way back.  We know that prayer was a distinctive priority for the early church (Acts 1:14, 2:42, 3:1, 6:4 and many other verses). Calling on the Lord is seen in the life of the prophets; Habakkuk 3:1, Jonah 2:7, Daniel 7:17 and 9:13, Nehemiah 1:6 and 4:9, David in Psalm 4:1, 6:9 and 17:1. But prayer goes back even before Moses and Abraham!  In fact, the first mention of men calling upon the Lord occurs in Genesis 4:25 and 26. Yes, right in the book of Genesis – the book of beginnings. Before there was anything called the church, before there was a Bible, a choir, or any kind of “service” like we have today, men were calling upon the name of the Lord.  From the godly line of Seth, men somehow sensed they could call out to God and He would answer, He would listen and He would respond! The first prayers had sound! It was the sound of men expressing their needs, desires, and praises to God. My point is this: crying out to God in prayer is not some n...
Read more

Thank You

Image
Hello everyone, Pastor Bruce here with an important announcement regarding our daily devotionals known as “The Pastor’s Pocket.” After today, these will be discontinued.   I am so thankful to each of you who have enjoyed reading these devotionals and I trust the Lord has encouraged you through each one. I challenge you, as Peter does, to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).   It is my desire that you will continue in your own personal study of the word of God. Learn the Word, Love the Word, Live the Word!   There may come a time when I can write these again, but for now, I will devote my time to other areas of ministry and ways to serve Him! “To HIM be all the glory both now and forever. AMEN!”   The Pastor’s Pocket Pastor Bruce Freeman
Read more