Some Thoughts On Satan And Sin

Paul urged awareness of the devices of Satan in 2 Corinthians 2:11, also called the "wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). He is a crafty adversary, intent on the destruction of every human possible. Do not be so naive as to think that he is not after you. The Scriptures reveal him to be a relentless foe, waiting for the child of God to give even a small foothold into their lives (Ephesians 4:27). We're told to "resist the devil" so that he will flee from us (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). Let us consider what the Bible says of the devil's devices and wiles.
He is a chameleon. He makes himself and what he offers look appealing (2 Corinthians 11:7), but it is a lie.
Satan will try to convince us that sin is for our good, that God is keeping something back from us (Genesis 3:1-5). He will make us think, hey I deserve this, I deserve to have some fun.
Satan is a student of what stirs you and what you will ignore.
Satan knows what you lust for and is willing to oblige (James 1:14-16).
Satan aims for the heart (John 13:2; Acts 5:3-4; 8:20-23), urging us to fulfill the lusts of our heart (Romans 1:24; 2 Peter 2:18).
If we're not careful, he will put things in our heart, contrary to the will of God (Matthew 16:23).

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On the night of His betrayal, Jesus said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. (Luke 22:31-32)
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Satan will seek to destroy our relationship with God by destroying our relationships with God's people, the church of Christ.
In the qualifications for elders, it is emphasized that He must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:7)
The importance of sexual intimacy in marriage was emphasized by Paul, lest Satan "tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (1 Corinthians 7:5).
He delights in destroying individuals and families, but also seeks to destroy the church of Christ. If he cannot cause us to turn away from serving the Lord, he will certainly make life as miserable as he is able. Job was a wealthy man, having great possessions and a large family. In a single day, the devil took it all from him. Jesus healed a woman "whom Satan had bound" for eighteen years with an awful infirmity, and was maligned for doing so (Luke 13:11-16).
Paul knew that he was on the devil's hit list. Writing to the new Christians who were in the city of Thessalonica, the apostle said,
Therefore we wanted to come to you - even I, Paul, time and again - but Satan hindered us. (1 Thessalonians 2:18)
Despite all the things Paul had in Christ Jesus, he was very aware of "a thorn in the flesh," which he identified as "a messenger of Satan" (2 Corinthians 12:7). He asked the Lord to remove it, but instead, God used what Satan intended to weaken Paul's faith as a means of boosting it (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
We have a formidable enemy, and he will come at us with every offense that he is able to put forth. If you side with the Lord, expect to be a prime target of the devil. And as you exercise your faith more, expect the assault of the Satan to heighten. But stand firm with this knowledge,
...the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

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SIN ! What is the " big deal ". Just what is considered a "SIN" anyhow? James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.” James 1:14,15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do you realize that Anything that we do against God and His word, is a sin. SIN does Not come in Sizes.
All sin is evil, All sin is darkness, All sin serves satan.
God's divine nature has NO sin, nor can tolerated any sin. SIN cannot abide where God is. SIN, any sin, separates Man from GOD,
when man is separated from GOD , man is in darkness and can not dwell in the LIGHT. NO sin will be in Heaven, so if man remains in sin he can never go to heaven but will dwell for eternity where sin is and that is hell....
The only way for man to rid himself of sin and be forgiven is to
Hear and Believe the gospel, word of God, to repent and confess his faith and then, and only then, be immersed in baptism to have forgiveness of his sins, to have them washed away , to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. , to be baptized into Christ and put on Christ, rising up as a born again new babe in Christ, to devote his life for God and live faithfully until death to receive the crown of life in Heaven.

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Anytime that we think we have all the answers and we stop listening to
God, and replacing God’s Words with our thoughts and our beliefs do you realize what is really happening?
Isn’t that the same as exalting ourselves above God?
- You may say, “Wait a minute, I’m not trying to be God.”
- Think about it, Have you ever tried to justify a sinful behavior as not really being a big deal?
- Have you ever tried to twist God’s Words and make them into what you want them to say than what they really are saying ?
- Have you ever been so prideful that you go ahead and do what you wanted to do regardless of whether or not you think God would approve?
- That is playing “God.”
- That is Satan deceiving you.

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IF this life is all there is, we are born, we live and we die. PERIOD!
Then what is the point ! IF there is nothing after this life, then that means we can do ANYTHING we want in this life and there will be absolutely NO consequences ! IF there is nothing after this life, then that means no reward or punishment for whatever we do.
IF there is Nothing after this life, then we have Nothing to live for ! Wake up ! We all should know better than to believe that !
IF this is all there is then we can steal, murder, rob, envy, lie, break every law man has ever made, AND there will be NO punishment handed down. Oh no you don't, you can't say well man can make laws about right and wrong, nope, there is no right or wrong if GOD is not real
I want your new house, I'll just take it !
Your car, hey, I want that too...... and maybe I even want your husband and / or wife , they ain't too bad you can throw them in on the deal.... YOU SEE how ridiculous LIFE would be IF this is all there is ?
GOD has given us the basic set of morals and ethics and it is by His word we will be justified or we will be condemned....
Don't let Satan continue to deceive you and fool you....
Jesus is coming back to reward His servants,
ALL will be judged, and ALL will reap what they have sown......
Are you ready for that day to come ?

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I’ve never fought in a real war, but I’ve always been told that the most valuable piece of information you could get your hands on would be the enemy’s game plan. If you know what the enemy’s next move is
going to be you can counteract it.
OUR enemy is Satan and WE are at war.
Gen. 3:1-2
- Satan did not deny that God had spoken; he simply got Eve to question whether God had really said what she thought He said.
- The implication here is simple. Satan is planting that seed of doubt by asking the question, “Did God REALLY say you couldn’t do this?”
- In verse 5 Satan goes on to say that “God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
- Satan is telling Eve that God is hiding things from her. He is telling her that there are all kinds of good things in this life, but God doesn’t want you to enjoy them. If God really loved you, he wouldn’t keep the good things in life from you would he? Satan tempted Eve by making her doubt that God really had her best interests in mind.
- Does Satan do the same thing to us today? Absolutely.
One of satan's grandest achievement is the wedge of doubt. By using this wedge, he can open up vast avenues into a person’s life. With this tool, he can destroy a person.
- Satan is at work when we turn on our televisions and hear that this Earth is billions of years old and that God did not create it in six days.
- Satan is at work when people try to teach that the miracles of Jesus really didn’t happen, but that He was nothing more than some kind of 1st century magician.. a good man, but just a man.
- Satan is at work when books are written that claim Jesus didn’t really resurrect from the dead.
- Satan is at work when we question whether or not heaven is real and whether or not we have a home there.
In Matthew 14 Peter was the only person that had the faith to get out
of the boat. That is true, but one thing caused him to sink, doubt!
- The word for doubt used in that story is a word that means “double-standing” or “to stand in two ways, implying uncertainty of which way to take.” In other words, it is the same as the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways that we find in James 1:6-8.
- When we let doubt enter the picture, we open the door for Satan and become easy targets for failure and defeat.
- Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith in God is the opposite of doubt.
- If we are going to defeat Satan there cannot be ANY doubt in our mind about God and His Word.

By Penny Mae

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