What's the Problem with Sin?

Have you ever wondered why sin is like a runaway train; why sin is so difficult to stop?

You might think that this blog will be about how terrible and repulsive sin is. And yet, that is the problem. If everyone thought sin was so terrible, they would avoid it. If the sin in your life was repulsive to you, you would turn away every time. You would treat it like a food that you hate.

Here’s an explanation about sin that we might not think about often…

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 

--James 1:13

Simply put, God is not to blame for your temptation. And here's the reason:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (v. 14)

The simple truth is that temptation originates within a person. The old illustration of dangling a carrot in front of a donkey to make him move forward is relevant. The donkey desires the carrot. Yet, dangle a carrot in front of some people and you will only annoy them.

You can wave money in front of someone who does not lust for money (i.e., desire money) and it will not be a temptation. In contrast, a money-lover is easily distracted by the mere mention of money.

When a woman who is dressed inappropriately walks by, why do most men look, even stare, while only a few look away? Within the lookers is a desire to look and perhaps even more. Yet within the man who looks away is a desire to avoid temptation. Yes, he knows that if he looks, he can be drawn away. Within him is a deeper desire for purity of thought and action.

Many sins, perhaps most, begin with temptation, which in turn, begins with a desire that already exists within. Without thinking about it, we like to satisfy our desires. We want to give in to the things that appeal to us. Sin caters to our desires. Sin employs the tremendous marketing tool of offering you everything you desire...everything. The temptation is the inner urging that presents a potential opportunity to satisfy. Sin is full-grown temptation that takes action. Or, as James put it:

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (v. 15)

The problem with sin is that it sets itself up as a satisfaction machine. “Simply give in to your desires.” But wait! What does sin ever do for you?

Sin makes many promises but cannot fulfill them. Sin is a master marketing agent promising satisfaction or happiness or whatever else you think the fulfillment of your desires will bring. Sin always says "yes" to your desires. Sin rallies in favor of giving in to temptation. Sin is always on your side to agree with your rationalization for giving in, or your justification for why giving in to temptation makes more sense than self-control.

Sin cheers you on to follow your dreams, to give in to your desires, to embrace your lust. Sin promises. Sin deceives. Yet, sin only brings death.

Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…. (vv. 16-17)

Sin is never good. Sin deceives one's senses and mind and heart. 

Sin IS terrible. 

Sin IS repulsive. 

Is it time to reevaluate your desires?

Mark Stinnett

June 8, 2025

The Last Doughnut?

I usually skip breakfast on Sundays, but one Sunday morning I found a box of doughnuts on the countertop in the kitchen. I am a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy, so I can pass up doughnuts. But there it stared at me through the clear cellophane panel, my favorite.

I indulged.

Bite after bite I enjoyed the sweetness; the perfect combination of frosting, filling, and fried dough...washed down with an ice-cold glass of milk. Ahh.

I don’t usually sit around thinking about what I’ve eaten, but that day I did. All morning long the doughnut sat in my stomach like a rock. It was tasty but only for a moment. It was filling, but not satisfying. My system was just not used to so much sugar, so the doughnut kept distracting me.

I thought about how compelling the taste was, yet how disappointing the overall result. In fact, the only benefit was the immediate and temporary taste experience.

I thought about how impulsive I had been. It often seems exciting to be impulsive. Yet, being impulsive is really nothing more than feeding an inner desire without thinking.

The more I reflected, the more disgusted I was with myself for lacking self-control. I came to a point in my thinking where the very thought of a jelly-filled doughnut was distasteful!

I am not angry with myself (or doughnuts), but I am determined not to allow myself to be fooled again. My decision is not rash or impulsive, but I don’t want to feel that way again. That might have been my last doughnut.

You can probably guess where this is going. Replace the word doughnut with sin and adjust some of the details.

Do you see the connection to the sweet desirable taste of sin? The sweet taste masks the deception. The taste is often very real and very sweet and very gratifying. Yet, the taste promises that the sweetness of sin WILL last, WILL bring happiness, WILL provide some kind of benefit. Yet, it is a deception. Sin destroys...always!

Satan wants us to focus on the taste and act on impulse. He doesn’t want us to think about the emptiness of sin. He doesn’t want us to remember past shame and guilt. He doesn't want us to think, just act.

Which past sin truly satisfied you? For which past sin did you later look back and find yourself thrilled with your impulsiveness?

If you sat and thought about a particular sin, I wonder if it would begin to make you feel sick to the stomach. I wonder if you would begin to find it repulsive. I wonder if the sweetness would lose its lure.

I wonder if it is possible for us to see sin for what it really is and come to the point that there truly is ‘the last sin’; not because we ran out of time in life, but that our desire for the sweet taste of sin has died.

Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.

What benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.

For the payoff for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Romans 6:12, 21, 23 (The NET Bible)

Mark Stinnett

April 20, 2025

Pulling Back the Curtain

Most folks enjoy watching a skilled magician or illusionist. We wonder in amazement, “How did he do that!?” Of course, we are also aware of the magicians’ code, that the secret must never be revealed. And yet, we have a natural craving to know, to see for ourselves how things work.

Many people approach life in the same way. Every mystery must be unveiled. Many seem to have adopted the motto from the State of Missouri, “Show Me.” Or, like Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, they simply must pull back the curtain to see what there is to see.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to see and understand, in wanting to unravel the mysteries of life. However, when it comes to our Christian faith, we must recognize that God did not reveal everything. In fact, he expects us to live by faith.

Now, this is not a made-up faith, that is, a faith based only on what you want to be true. It is not blind faith, that is, an imagined faith that has no basis in reality. Rather, it is faith based on God’s revelation and his promises.

We must be careful not to identify too closely to Thomas who openly declared, “Unless I see I will not believe.” You might feel as if you can relate to Thomas at some level. However, he refused to believe his fellow apostles who were eyewitnesses of the empty tomb and who had seen the resurrected Christ.

A brazen Show Me attitude can result in scoffing at God’s promises.

The person who demands that the curtain of mystery be drawn back may, like Thomas, question the resurrection of Christ.

A person who demands to satisfy a how-did-he-do-that curiosity may deny the presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit.

When difficulties come, we may be tempted to ask, “Why?” when we do not understand. We instinctively believe that good things should happen to good people, and that bad things should happen to bad people. While that is not unreasonable, we also understand that life is filled with inequities. Life simply is not fair!

Even so, we often want to know...

• Why did God allow that to happen to me?
• Is God testing me?
• Is Satan tempting me?
• Is my difficulty simply an unfortunate event in the natural course of life?

Now think for a moment...
What if God did answer our question, “Why?” What if we discovered the source of our difficulties in life? Do the answers really change the way we should respond?

Jesus allowed Thomas to pull back the curtain by seeing and touching his scars. Yet He also rebuked the disciples who did not believe those who were eyewitnesses. (Mark 16:14)

We can be glad for the testimony of Thomas (the first Missourian?), but let’s not be like him. It is not seeing that makes one believe, but believing that gives one true insight!

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. 

 —Hebrews 11:6

The Bible is God’s testimony about Himself. He has given us a witness for Himself so that we can believe the promises of unseen things yet to be fulfilled. In many ways and on many occasions, God has already pulled back the curtain to reveal Himself to us. We can believe!

Mark Stinnett

April 14, 2024

How Is Your 'God-Wise Planning' Going?

My unconventional title is expressive of a Hebrew term used by Solomon in Proverbs 2. 

The wise king pleaded with his son:

Receive my sayings;
Treasure my commandments;
Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding;
Cry for discernment;
Lift your voice for understanding
Seek her (wisdom) as silver;
Search for her as for a hidden treasure.

And the expectation (v. 10):

For wisdom will enter your heart, 

And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

With wisdom in one’s heart, Solomon then boldly assured: 

Discretion will guard you, 

Understanding will watch over you. 

—Proverbs 2:11 (NASB95)

Discretion is given the human attribute of guarding. So, how does discretion guard you? Before asking that, What exactly is ‘discretion’?

When ’discretion’ was first used in the English language it carried the sense of making a separation or distinction. That meaning is a good fit for the word it translates from the Hebrew text.

The Hebrew term is one of a family of words that deal with planning, plotting or devising. These words are used in both a positive and negative sense. The word ‘discretion’ capitalizes on one aspect of planning, that of making distinctions between things.

When a person plots a course or devises a plan he must distinguish between choices and make decisions to insure a successful plan. Of course, there is more to planning than simply ‘distinguishing’ between things.

Instead of the word discretion The New Living Translation (1996) has a fitting translation: Wise planning. 

Of course, Solomon's ‘wise planning’ is not defined by man’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom. (Perhaps you now better understand the title.)

The man Job is a beautiful example of this proverb. Job asserts: 

I have made a covenant with my eyes;

How then could I gaze at a virgin?

—Job 31:1 (NASB95)

Job did a little ‘God-wise planning.’ Observe:

• First, Job valued his relationship with God.
• Second, he recognized right and wrong according to God. It was wrong for him to lust for another woman.
• Third, Job knew his human weakness and recognized the need to make a plan before being tempted.
• Fourth, he acted. He ‘made a covenant with his eyes.’ That means that he made a binding agreement with his eyes, and it was evidently to look away before temptation entered his mind.

So, Job made a careful plan based on God's word to deal with temptation. It was God-wise planning.

Solomon said that ‘God-wise planning’ will guard you. And how does that work?

Consider your weaknesses. When you are not being tempted listen to God’s instruction and consciously make a plan on how to follow it. Then, in the moment of temptation, follow the plan. Your ’God-wise planning’ will guard you from evil; from empty ‘benefits’ and from painful consequences; results which you already recognize.

Be wise. Think. Put a plan together...today.

Mark Stinnett

September 6, 2020

Four Times When You 'Should' Be Stubborn

In general, stubbornness is a negative trait. A stubborn person is unyielding; they simply will not change. “It’s my way or the highway,” seems to be their mindset. Yet, there are times when we really ought to be stubborn. Here are four times in which you ought to be stubborn.

Stubborn when Tempted:

James reminds us that we are tempted to sin when we are drawn away by our own desires. So, temptation is really not temptation if there is no desire. That is why temptation is so serious, it comes from a desire already within us. (James 1:13-15)

After telling about a number of ways that God had dealt with evil in the past, the Apostle Peter wrote:

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. 
—2 Peter 2:9 (NASB95)

The Apostle Paul encouraged:

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 
—1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95)

God wants us to overcome temptation and He will help! Be stubborn when tempted.

Stubborn Faith:

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they thought He was a ‘spirit.’

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 
 —Luke 24:38 (NASB95)

Jesus had to show the scars on His hands and feet and eat some food because His disciples doubted what they saw standing in front of them.

Faith is about stubbornly holding on to the truth even when it seems unreal; even when we can’t prove the truth by experimentation; even when we cannot see it with our physical eyes. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” So, whether challenged by circumstances or society, be stubborn in your faith in Jesus.

Stubborn in Doing Good:

It is easy to start thinking, “When is it going to be my turn? When will I get a little attention? Where’s my reward for doing good?”

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
—Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Let’s not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest—if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let’s practice doing good to everyone, especially to the family of faith. 
—Galatians 6:9–10 (ISV)

Stubborn throughout Life:

Have you ever thought about giving up on Jesus? Year after year after year you watch people who have no respect for God succeed in life. They seem to have a life of pleasure and ease while you, a Christian, struggling in different ways. It seems unfair. Yet, Paul wrote...

I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. The victor’s crown of righteousness is now waiting for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on the day that he comes, and not only to me but also to all who eagerly wait for his appearing.
—2 Timothy 4:7–8 (ISV)

Generally, stubbornness is not good, but as it relates to temptation, faith, good works, and the Christian life...

Be Stubborn! 

Be Faithful!

Mark Stinnett

March 8, 2020  

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Final)

In this final blog in a series on 'stopping the devil,' I want to suggest a strategy that sounds opposite the first strategy I wrote about.  That strategy was to stand your ground and resist the devil. (Check it out.) Before looking at a New Testament passage, let's consider a vivid example of this ‘opposite’ strategy.

Joseph was the youngest of eleven brothers and was given special treatment by his father. In addition Joseph shared his prophetic dreams with his brothers. All this made his brothers angry and envious.

On one occasion when Joseph’s brothers were tending their family’s flocks of sheep away from home, Joseph was sent to check on them and bring a report back to his father. However, his brothers had something else in mind. They captured him, put him in a pit (a dry well) and dipped his outer cloak in animal blood. They sold Joseph to a caravan of traders and then returned to their father claiming that he had been killed.

In the meantime, the traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the bodyguard of the Egyptian Pharaoh. By God's grace, at the young age of seventeen, Joseph was so successful that Potiphar entrusted him with everything that he owned.

The Bible also tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance.” It is no wonder that Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph. She asked him to have sexual relations with her, but Joseph refused. She tried to seduce him day after day after day... 

But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”        —Genesis 39:8-9 (NET Bible)

What an attitude! Even though he was in a foreign country and considered dead to his family, he wanted to do right in God’s sight.

Now, we might wonder if Joseph was actually tempted, but that is not the point. The devil was on the prowl using Potiphar’s wife to seduce him. Whether he was attracted to his master’s wife or not, Joseph desired to be righteous. Yet with his master’s wife pursuing him relentlessly, what could he do to maintain his purity?

RUN!...And run, he did. 

The Bible has much more to say about Joseph, but this much gives us another effective strategy to put a stop to the devil: RUN!

It almost sounds cowardly until you reflect on Joseph. He displayed a clear mind, unwavering self-control and a strong resolve to do God’s will. Running was the courageous choice.

Here is the instruction we have received from the Apostle Paul:

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.      —2 Timothy 2:22

Notice that Paul's instruction is that we should run from youthful lusts. He did not say, "Hey youth, run from lusts." What's the difference? It is not just young people who have lusts (desires) that are generally associated with youth. The instruction applies to all Christians regardless of age.

The key to this 'running strategy' is that, while running from youthful lusts, we must be running toward righteousness at the same time. Long before the devil springs into action we must have already made a conscious decision to place God ahead of our desires. We must be in pursuit of righteousness. Only then will we be prepared for the surprise attacks of the devil.

Be courageous...and RUN!

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 5)

Temptation is not really temptation unless it is… tempting...that is, desirable. For example, if you tried to use Brussel sprouts to entice someone to break the law, it probably will not work, unless they really crave Brussel sprouts. If there is no desire, there is no real temptation.

In addition, temptation might not be tempting if there is no possibility of actually satisfying one’s desire. For example, if you tried to tempt someone with a million dollars to do something immoral, but they knew that you could not possibly produce a million dollars...no temptation. The potential for fulfillment, even if an illusion, must be perceived as possible or real.

With these thoughts in mind consider the third temptation of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:8-9.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

Don’t think that Jesus just shrugged this off with no interest or that the enticing offer was a dud. The devil was making a very desirable offer that he could apparently fulfill to some degree. He asked Jesus to do something that was unmistakably wrong, but the enticement was to rule the world. What if Jesus had given in to the Devil's offer?

Sometimes the devil attacks Christians in the same. He offers something that is very desirable, but the cost is far greater than its value.

-----------------

Did you know that Jesus IS ruler of the world?

The Apostle Peter wrote about Jesus after He had been raised from the dead and had ascended into heaven saying that He is:

“...at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” —1 Peter 3:22

That sounds like Jesus received from God the very thing that the devil had offered.

Not only that, not long before Jesus ascended into heaven He told His apostles:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

—Matthew 28:18

That sounds like Jesus had received something from God that was even better than what the devil offered; not just rule on earth, but rule in heaven as well.

When tempted by the devil, Jesus realized that the amazing offer was inferior to the inheritance He would receive from God.

Modern America (and I think that includes you) is an easy prey for the devil’s deceptions of instant gratification. So many people wish to indulge in every aspect of life: food, leisure, sex, entertainment, travel, hobbies, and the list goes on. The devil offers immediate fulfillment. However, his fulfillment never fully fills. Only in the moment is there any sense of gratification. His fulfillment is only temporary. Then, the sensation wears off and desire returns, often increasing.

The devil offers shortcuts to promises. However, the devil’s ‘promises’ are:

• Always inferior to God’s promises;
• Always at an extremely high price; and
• Always opposed to the will of God.

So, what IF...for the rest of your life, your immediate desires are not satisfied...yet you inherit eternal life???

How do you stop the devil?

There is a battle for your mind! 
You must engage you mind; you must desire to do God's will. Then...
Reject his inferior offers, because the price tag is far too high.
And, wait on God for true fulfillment.

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 4)

I called her Fern for...actually I’m not sure for how long. But her real name was Lois. I know, I know, “How did you get Fern out of Lois?” you are thinking. I have no idea. It was embarrassing when I was finally corrected. Thankfully, Lois had a good sense of humor.

Being called by the wrong name is like having your identity confused. You know who you are, but how important is it for others to know who you are? Perhaps a better and more focused question is: How important is it for God to know who you are? Does God really know who you are???

That was the central focus of the devil’s second temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”  --Matthew 4:5-6

Did you notice the ‘if’ statement: ‘If’ you are the Son of God?

The ‘if’ is designed to create doubt. The first temptation also started with an ‘if.’ It was designed to create doubt in Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, as if to say, “Are you sure you are the Son of God?” The second temptation questioned the identity of Jesus from God’s perspective, as if to say, “Does God really know who you are; does He think you are the Son of God?”

In the first temptation the devil tempted Jesus to prove His identity by performing a miracle Himself. In the second temptation he tempted Jesus to force God to perform a miracle to validate that HE believed Jesus was the Son of God.

The devil quoted from Psalm 91 (That's impressive!), but consider the verse after the quotation:

You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.   —Psalm 91:13

The vivid imagery in Psalm 91 was used to convey a message of protection and assistance for those who trust in God. It was not meant to be taken literally. The devil misapplied scripture.

Jesus detected the devil’s deception and knew that he was trying to make Him question His relationship with God. Did God need to prove anything to Jesus, or was God’s word enough?

God had made an open verbal declaration stating that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:17). For Jesus to do what the devil suggested would have been asking God to prove what He had already said by doing a miracle. Jesus did not doubt God, but responded wisely:

On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’   —Matthew 4:7

One way the devil tempts Christians is to make them doubt their relationship with God. When difficult times come some people wonder if God really cares. Some people wonder if God hears their prayers. They doubt God when they do not receive the things for which they pray. Do you think an easy life, good health and constant blessings are necessary to prove God’s love for you? In reality, there is nothing for God to prove, not to you and not even to the devil.

Read Romans 5:1-11. 

Stop. Look it up. Read the verses; then finish.

Has God already demonstrated His love for you? 

Has He already declared His relationship with those who are in Christ? 

Do you believe what God has already said about you!? 

Or...

Will you put God to the test?

How Do You Stop the Devil? (Part 3)

How did Jesus stop the devil and overcome temptation?

Three specific temptations are recorded in the gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke. The first temptation:

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

--Matthew 4:3

The bread idea generally receives a lot of attention because Jesus was really hungry. (Remember? Forty days of fasting.) So, the devil used the natural physical hunger of Jesus as a smoke screen to tempt Jesus.

Was the temptation all about food, or was there something more?

Look at the ‘if’ statement: “If you are the Son of God….” The ‘if’ statement draws into question the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. The ‘if’ statement suggests the possibility that Jesus was not the Son of God. The devil asked the question and tried to get Jesus to question his identity.

With one miracle Jesus would be able to satisfy his physical hunger AND he would be able to prove that he was indeed the Son of God.

Think again.... 

Turning stones into bread proves nothing. Other people did miracles, but that did not mean that they were the Son of God. There was no prophecy in the Old Testament that connected a stone-to-bread miracle with the Son of God. So, the only thing such a miracle would have proven was that the miracle-worker was able to turn a rock into nourishing bread.

Jesus saw the disconnect and did not fall for the devil’s deception. In fact, Jesus KNEW with absolute certainty His identity. After being baptized by John the Baptist the Holy Spirit descended and rested on Jesus. John had been assured by God that the Holy Spirit would come and rest on the one who was the Son of God. So, with the testimony of the Holy Spirit John testified that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:33-34). In addition, the voice of God declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17). So, Jesus had the testimony of the Father and the Holy Spirit that he was God’s Son.

The devil simply used the physical longing for food to plant the seed of doubt in the mind of Jesus. The food miracle was a temptation, but a deeper temptation was that of proving his identity.

So, how did Jesus overcome these temptations?

He addressed both levels of temptation saying:

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

--Matthew 4:4)

Jesus was basically saying, "I don't need eat now...and I am confident in my identity because of what came out of the mouth of God; I don't have to prove anything."

Jesus demonstrated contentment by refusing to personally satisfy his physical appetite. He was committed to wait on the Lord for strength. In addition, he did not allow the devil to create doubt about his identity. He KNEW that he was the Son of God because of the declarations of the Father and the Spirit, so there was nothing to prove.

The devil cleverly appeals to our appetites making us think that we are the only one who can satisfy our needs. In reality the human being can go without food for days; can survive without a big house, without the latest fashion in clothing, without cutting edge technology, without entertainment, without sex, etc. Jesus trusted God and chose contentment over indulgence.

The devil also challenges our identity by making us doubt that we are children of God. Yet we, like Jesus, have nothing to prove. After all, God has declared:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:26

So, when temptation knocks at your door...

Remember, who you are in Christ: Sons of God.

Wait on the Lord; choose contentment.

How Do You Stop the Devil? (Part 2)

A group of ladies met together for a luncheon. The hostess had asked a Christian friend to present a lesson for spiritual encouragement. In the course of her lesson she talked about how to live the Christian life. When asked to explain a couple of verses in the Bible that described God’s assistance, she corrected with an explanation that went something like, “You don’t understand, you just have to try harder.”

My friend who related this story was stunned; I was stunned. It sounded as if God gave us his Holy Word and then left every thing else up to us. If anyone failed, it was because he/she did not try hard enough. Is that really the case?

In John 14:16-18 we read how Jesus encouraged his disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive…. 

I will not leave you as orphans.

It sure sounds like divine help would follow after Jesus had left the earth.

In Acts 2:38-39 we read about Peter presenting the gospel to a large crowd of Jews. Many were pierced to the heart because they realized that they had killed the promised Messiah. They asked what they should do.

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as man as the Lord our God will call to Himself.

It sure sounds like assistance from the Holy Spirit was promised to ALL who would make a proper response to Jesus Christ, not just apostles.

So, Christians DO have present-day help, the Holy Spirit. We might not be able to describe ‘how’ the Spirit helps, but God promised help.

Now, on to the point of today’s article. In my January 14th blog, I emphasized the need to use self-restraint and say, “No!” to our desires (lusts). In the book of James (4:7) we read:

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Is it simply by force of will that we stop the devil? It reminds me of the lesson of the ladies’ luncheon lecturer. It is as if to say, "If you fall to temptation, you just didn’t resist enough. Try harder!!"

However, the key to understanding and to overcoming temptation is found in the words preceding this instruction. Here’s the full text:

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

If I have not submitted to God, then I really am ON MY OWN. If I fail, it is because ‘I’ have not achieved; because ‘I’ have not resisted enough! Yet, when I submit to God, I am assured of divine assistance.

I must submit my desires (yes, even my lusts) to God. Instead of depending upon myself to satisfy my urges and longings and needs, I give them up to God trusting that he will fulfill my needs. For example, if I lack career satisfaction, lack financial satisfaction, lack satisfaction in my marriage, or lack satisfaction in other areas of life; I must surrender my desires for satisfaction to God. I must stop striving to fulfill my longing and allow God to satisfy.

I must have faith in God’s promises. I must choose to be content.

I can then expect God’s assistance.

How Do You Stop The Devil?

I remember a children’s song from my youth: Roll the Gospel Chariot Along. It was a fun song for kids because it had hand motions. In one verse of the song we sang: “If a sinner’s in the way, we will stop and pick him up.” Our favorite verse, however, said: “If the devil’s in the way, we will roll right over him.”

We were going to just ‘roll right over’ the devil. Strong! Brave!...and out of touch with reality.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s a fine song; and I do believe that, figuratively speaking, the gospel ‘rolls right over the devil.’

The problem is that so many Christians who have responded to that ‘devil rolling’ gospel lose their strength and lose their courage in the face of temptation.

The devil is so cunning. He uses different strategies of deception, the most insidious, I think, is our own personal desires. That’s what James explains:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.     — James 1:14

Do you know why temptation is so difficult to resist? 

Answer: We actually LIKE the object of our temptation. In other words, the thing that tempts us IS tempting because it is rooted in our inner desires. (‘Lust’ is really nothing more than ‘a longing desire,’ but cast in a negative context.)

Whenever we long for something, our mind works overtime to construct thinking that will give us permission to satisfy our desire. Here are a few examples (some, rather silly):

• Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. A bean is a vegetable. Health food.
• I cannot afford it, but it is a great deal; too good to pass up. Savvy shopper.
• “Surely God would not deprive a person of true love,” the adulterer told himself.
• “I was born this way,” said the young person involved in a homosexual relationship.
• “No one will find out,” said the thief.
• “He deserved it!” said the murderer.

The mind has to create a line of reasoning that will pacify the conscience. The conscience has the task of informing the mind of right and wrong. It approves of right and disapproves of wrong. When a person does wrong, the conscience shouts, “Guilty!”...unless the mind is able to cleverly present a reasonable explanation to make the wrong seem right. In reality, any explanation that justifies wrong is masquerading as ’rational’ thinking. There’s a word for that kind of lie: Rationalization.

The conscience is really serious about not feeling guilt. So, rationalization justifies wrong and soothes the conscience. Or, put another way, rationalization mutes the conscience and finds a way to say, “Yes,” to wrong.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. — James 1:15

The word ‘conceived’ literally means to ‘take hold of’ or ‘take control of.’

Question: Is that what you want? Do you want your inner desires (lusts) to take control of your life and drag you into sin?

Have you ever considered saying, “NO!” to your desires? That is, in part, how you stop the devil.

Would you like to make the devil run? Or do you just want to excite your desires?

Stopping the devil’s deceptions begins with a true rational mind deciding that ‘desire’ will not be in control of your life. That will require self-restraint. You'll have to be willing to say "No!" to your desires.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. -- James 4:7

(More, next time.)