Did You Fall For That Trick Again?

                                             

Today’s headlines carried another sad story of a high-ranking, well-educated and established leader in our country falling to the deception of sexual sin; tearing his family apart and destroying his career.

Solomon once said, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” The same things that tempted people 1000's of years ago, are still tempting you and me today. So why do we still fall for the same old tricks and how can we guard against the Enemy’s schemes? 

1. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”(Prov. 16:18). When we think highly of ourselves, we are most likely thinking less of God. The remedy for a prideful spirit is humility and the result of humility...wisdom (Prov. 11:2).  Humility comes from focusing on Who God is, His amazing all-knowing, all-powerful Presence.  He has authority over all of creation, He breathes life into every being, He is everywhere all at once...pretty sure none of us can make any of those claims! 
2. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23) Remember the little childrens’ song, “Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear...”? We often rationalize those first few steps down the slippery slope of sin. We are not careful about the doors we open. We think, “just one look” or “a simple lunch with a friend” or a “facebook message to an old boyfriend or girlfriend” is harmless. But the door is left cracked and our heart has become vulnerable. The first step toward destruction has taken place and before we know it, we have fallen prey to the same old tricks that the enemy has used to destroy lives and marriages for years. 
3. How do we “guard our hearts?” Scripture is your sword! When Satan tempted Jesus, Our Savior fought with the strongest weapon. He used the Truth of God’s Word to combat the lies. You and I need to follow Christ’s example. The more we are in the Word, the more it will be in our hearts and a part of who we are. So, when(not if), temptation comes, we will be prepared for the battle!

   What do we do if our heart has been entangled with sin and deception? The great news is that there is no sin too big for God’s grace to cover it! All you have to do is to confess(admit what you have done to God), repent(tell God you are really sorry), and turn around. Even if you have taken 100 steps away from God, when you turn around, He will be 99 right behind you. We all fall short of the glory of God...but that is the whole purpose of the Cross. Without it, we were lost, with no hope of relationship with God, no hope for righteousness and no hope for eternity. And yet...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We have hope because of the work of the Cross!

Let’s stop falling for these old, lame tricks. Let’s humble ourselves before our Creator, no longer walking in pride and haughtiness. Let us be wise in our humility, guarding our hearts from evil, so that we can live with the freedom, purpose and joy He intended for us to have!