The "father of lies"

From: The Word For Today - Bob Gass Ministries

1 Peter 5:8 “Stay sober and alert! Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Satan’s predictable! All his temptations follow this familiar 4-step pattern:

(1) Desire! First he identifies a desire within you, like the desire for revenge, or the legitimate desire to be loved and feel pleasure. Then he suggests you fulfill that legitimate desire in a wrong way. The truth is, if you didn’t have desires, temptation couldn’t attract you. The Bible says there’s: “A whole army of evil desires within you” (Jas 4:1).

(2) Doubt! Satan tries to get you to doubt what God has said about sin. Is it really wrong? How come others do it? Doesn’t God want me to be happy? The Book of Hebrews warns: “Watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn away from the living God” (Heb 3:12).

(3) Deception! Satan’s incapable of telling the truth. He’s “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Anything he tells you will either be untrue or half-true. He whispers, “Nobody will ever know. It’ll solve your problem. It’s only a little sin.” But a little sin is like being a little pregnant; it’ll eventually show itself.

(4) Disobedience! If you conceive and carry a thought long enough, you’ll birth a behavior. Every addict starts with one fix and every alcoholic with one drink. Shattered marriages begin with seemingly innocent flirtations. James warns, “We are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires…do not be deceived” (Jas 1:14-16).

“What’s the solution?” you ask. Live closer to God and you’ll be less vulnerable to temptation!