“Please don’t fall into that trap.”
Satan may set the traps, but our own selfishness is what makes us vulnerable to falling into the traps. Our problem is the same problem that Adam and Eve had, “…the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]” (1 John 2:16 AMPC). We want things that do not belong to us. We want what we should not have. Scientists claim that our problem is psychological because of the dopamine chemicals that are generated by the neurotransmitters in our brain. Even unbelievers are now trying to use Biblical principles to take on this problem. According to an article written by Nellie Bowles titled “How to Feel Nothing Now, in Order to Feel More Later”, the cosmopolitan elites and those in tune with the latest fads claim that dopamine fasting is the best solution to control desires because it is basically a fast of everything, “‘Do not eat. Do not look at any screens. Do not listen to music. Do not exercise. Do not touch other bodies for any reason, especially not for sex. No work. No eye contact. No talking more than absolutely necessary. A photographer could take a picture, but there should be no flash.” With dopamine fasting the number of things to not do is potentially endless.
Unfortunately for the so-called free-spirited folks, it’s not just a natural problem; “Bodily fitness has a certain value, but spiritual fitness is essential both for this present life and for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 J.B. PHILLIPS). Apostle Paul tells us that we actually have a serious spiritual problem, “The law made us want to do sinful things. And those sinful desires controlled our bodies, so that what we did only brought us spiritual death” (Romans 7:5 ERV). The moment that God said to Adam, “you must not” was the moment that Adam was in trouble (Romans 7:7-11 ERV). As soon as we see someone else get something that we want or do something that we think we should be doing then our problem exposes itself. We have secret side meetings and back-room discussions to devise counter plans to try and get things to go the way we want them to go. In Daniel 6, King Darius chose governors to rule in his kingdom and he put supervisors in positions to keep the governors from cheating. Daniel proved himself to be better than anyone else because of his good character and great ability so the king planned to make Daniel supervisor over the whole kingdom. The other men became very jealous and immediately began having side meetings and backroom discussions to devise a plan to set a trap for Daniel. They tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel of wrongdoing. Resentment because of people’s success and advantages causes people to malign other people. People watch others closely to try to find anything wrong that they can use to bring them down. This is human nature and why the Lord tells His children to pay particular attention to these traps.
To counteract sinful traps we must do what is right in God’s eyes, “When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you” (1 Peter 2:15 ERV). Sometimes what hurts most is what people say about us. The Holy Bible says that the tongue is one of the smallest members of the body, but it is like a fire that can cause a world of evil. The tongue spreads evil through the entire body and negatively influences the lives of many (James 3:5-6). The tongue can be a wild, restless, uncontrollable evil full of deadly poison that is the source of gossip and rumors with accusations that taste good to the human soul; “People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach” (Proverbs 26:22 ERV). Selfish desire is the motivating spirit behind deceit but combined with the fiery tongue, a self-centered attitude can be destructive. Selfish attitudes are a trap for unsuspecting believers but unfortunately, it is prevalent today. The consequences have been destructive as we’ve seen politicians verbally rip each other to shreds or watch students trash and destroy institutions or witnessed new converts leave churches because they feel like they left a hurtful world just to be hurt by people in the church. Selfish desires make war inside the body.
The Apostle James writes about the roots of selfish resentment, rancor, and hatred that causes trouble and bitter torment that contaminates people (Hebrews 12:15 KJV). Daniel’s enemies could not find anything wrong with him. He was obeying the Biblical principles like 1 Peter 2:15. To fight this battle we have to be careful, disciplined, sober-minded, and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8 ERV). We must live such good lives so that others see us and give glory to God. We must remember that God shares His glory with no one. Just ask King Herod, “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:23 KJV). God does not like when people take credit for His work. Just ask King Nebuchadnezzar, “While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee” (Daniel 4:31 KJV). God’s reputation is with His people, and He does not like when His name is smeared, and His reputation ruined. This is the reason why King David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah were so wicked. David’s disobedience gave God’s enemies an opportunity to speak irreverently, slanderously, and abusively about God (2 Samuel 12:14).
What should our response be when a trap is set for us? The proper response is to stand firm in our faith (1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV). The apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 12 to wish good for those who treat us badly. God asks us to bless those that hurt us and not curse them. We saw a demonstration of this Biblical principle when a young man hugged a Dallas police officer after she was convicted of killing his brother. In spite of what she had done to his brother, the young man told her in the courtroom that he wanted the best for her. If someone does us wrong, we should not try to pay them back by hurting them. Our response to evil determines whether we fall into the devil’s trap or escape from it. We must try to do what is right under every circumstance and do the best that we can to live in peace with everyone. The Lord tells us not to avenge people who do us wrong (1 Peter 3:9 ERV). God has put people in place to protect us from the wicked and in turn He asks us to live holy and let Him be our Avenger; “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19 KJV).
God is our Superhero, and He will protect us from our enemies. He will punish those who harm us. What the Lord wants us to do is to defeat wickedness with love and kindness. If our enemies are hungry, we should give them something to eat. If our enemies are thirsty, we should give them something to drink. In doing these things we will make them feel ashamed for their wicked attitudes and behavior towards us. A Godly lifestyle keeps us from falling into Satan’s traps and prevents our enemies from defeating us. Scriptures says that when we surprise those that treat us badly with goodness, then we won’t let evil get the best of us but instead we will get the best of evil by doing good and bring evil to shame (Romans 12:20). On the other hand, an ungodly response to those who dislike us will result in us finding ourselves ensnared in the enemy’s traps. To defeat the traps, we must strive to respond Godly even to those who say bad things to us (Luke 6:28 MSG).
We defeat evil by doing what is right. Not only did Daniel stand firm in his faith but he made sure that it was no secret (Daniel 6:10 ERV). When we stand for Jesus then who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31). We do not need to be ashamed to stand for the Lord (Mark 8:38). The enemy succeeded in putting Daniel in the lion’s den but what they did not count on is God being the final Judge. There is no better justice than to see God defeat our enemies with their own traps. Obedience results in victory! When Daniel’s testimony was done the king changed the laws of the land to honor God. God tells us to be watchful so as not to fall into Satan’s traps (1 Peter 5:8 KJV). Stand on God’s Word because His Word is alive, working, and sharper than the sharpest sword. It cuts to the center of our joints and our bones so deep that it impacts where the soul and the spirit are joined. It judges our thoughts and feelings in our hearts. There is no escaping the Lord’s examination of attitudes and motives and there is no trap that can be set that will withstand God’s Word. Jesus Christ is God’s Word in the flesh (Revelation 19:13 KJV). Jesus Christ is our way of escape from the traps of life.
“There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”
Submitted by Trustee Stanley Ridley