A No Fishing Zone - #166

Everyone struggles with temptation; it’s a fact of life. Whether it’s fighting the urge to eat that second piece of cake, fudge a little on your tax return, lie to your spouse about where you were and what you were doing, steal a lustful glance at that person on the beach, or not tell your boss the whole story, temptation to sin is all around us. HOW do I keep from giving in? How can I live in victory?
 
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James 1:13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” Everyone struggles with temptation; it’s a fact of life. Whether it’s fighting the urge to eat that second piece of cake, fudge a little on your tax return, lie to your spouse about where you were and what you were doing, steal a lustful glance at that person on the beach, or not tell your boss the whole story, temptation to sin is all around us.

Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #166 . In this episode we continue our mini-series on Glorifying God as we discover how our thinking impacts our doing. This week’s Episode is simply entitled “A No Fishing Zone”

I’d like to begin this week’s episode by reading to you a short story I wrote in Chapter Seven of my book “Are You a Super Man? Becoming God’s Man of Steel.”

“Peter the Perch was not just any perch; he was a black perch. A week ago he measured 14 inches and weighed in at a whopping three pounds! He was definitely on the fast track to being the most important perch in the lake—or so he thought.

“Today was the big day. You see, today Peter was going to venture away from the safety of his family’s Lily Pad Farm and go into the dark zone, the deep waters—the place where the big fish played. He was tired of always being “safe.” Life awaited him out there in the darkness beyond those boring lily pads. Ignoring the warnings of danger and foolhardiness from his friends, Peter swam away, fully confident in his ability to handle on his own whatever life might throw at him.

“So focused was he on proving himself to be a grown-up perch, he hardly noticed how quickly he was leaving the security of the lily pads and the protection of his friends behind. Suddenly, out of the corner of his left eye he saw something strange appear from above. He watched it slowly float down, resting only a few meters away. Curiosity got the better of him and he chose to swim away from his intended destination, just for a moment, just to check it out. Hey, it looked interesting. What harm could there possibly be in a short detour?

“As Peter got closer, he noticed that this new, intriguing wonder was moving. That was unexpected. Instinct began to kick in, and he slowed his approach. Cautiously drawing nearer, he slowly swam around and around this strange object. It looked harmless enough. It wasn’t trying to hurt him in any way. So he gently bumped it, nudging it ever so slightly. Nothing happened. That was a good sign.

“As is the way of fish (since they don’t have hands like we do), to discover what this new and strange thing was, Peter opened his mouth and sucked it in, spitting it back out immediately. Now that tasted interesting. The synapses in his tiny little brain were firing rapidly. This was definitely worth exploring a little bit more!

“He sucked it in again, letting it sit on his tongue for a moment longer than before. He liked it! But it would be foolish to just take it and run before being totally certain it was safe. So he sucked it in, spit it out. Sucked it in, held it, then spit it out. Nothing happened. What amazing fortune had come his way!

“Looking around to see if anyone else was watching, Peter made the split-second decision to suck it in one last time and speed off with his new-found prize before anyone else was the wiser. Poor Peter the perch didn’t make it.”   End of quote / story.

As I said in this week’s opener, “Everyone struggles with temptation; it’s a fact of life.” Usually, along with the temptation comes the desire to blame someone or something else for your choices. “Well, if my boss weren’t so demanding ...,” “If my spouse would give me a little more leeway ...,” “If that person didn’t dress so provocatively ...,” we argue. Our tendency is to feel that we have no option, that God has somehow put us in this situation.

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15)

Consider what God is telling us here in this text. In verse 14 James uses the phrase “dragged away.” When you think of someone being dragged away, what typically comes to mind? It almost gives the impression that someone is being kidnapped – taken kicking and screaming, against their will. However, that is not what the phrase “dragged away” means here in this verse. James is not describing something that happens to you unawares and against your will.

James is using a fishing term that refers to being lured away from a place of safety. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go fishing, but if I remember correctly, the purpose of the lure is to disguise the deadly hook by providing an enticement to the fish. The enticement is so alluring, so appealing, so tempting that the fish doesn’t stop to consider the potential ramifications of what they’re about to do. Think about it this way: What would happen if a fisherman simply tossed a bare hook into the water without the lure? Absolutely nothing.

The lure (usually when I went fishing, we’d use a big, juicy, squirming earthworm – that lure) is placed into the water and the unsuspecting fish, swimming merrily on its way, catches a glimpse of something attractive out of the corner of its eye. Intrigued, it changes direction to check it out. Cautiously at first, it begins to play with the lure. Finally, convinced that it poses no threat and is quite appealing, it sucks in the lure and speeds off with its amazing fortune, thereby embedding the deadly hook into its mouth. The lure has done its job. The result is death.

OK. So, here’s a powerful question I challenge you to seriously consider. What is the lure that draws you away? The answer is found in James 1:14. We are lured; we are drawn away by “our own evil desires.” In other words, there is a particular lust or craving you have for sinful pleasures. You give yourself permission to think (even for just a moment) about the instant gratification that indulging just one more time would bring. It begins as a tickle in the back of your mind. Your thought process plays with it, considers it, weighing out the pros and cons, the risks vs. the tantalizing pleasure it promises. Then, as that thought becomes stronger, it creates within you a desire to put that thought into action. Like Peter the perch, you cautiously play around with it at first. When nothing “bad” happens, you selfishly suck it in and try to speed off without getting caught. However, when you do – wham!

Why even fool around with it? Instead, choose to keep to a path far, far away from it. Don’t go near the door of its house (see Proverbs 5:8). Why even allow your mind to entertain the thought? “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.” (Romans 13:14 NLT) So, again I ask: why toy around with temptation? 

The answer is clearly given in James 1:14. It “entices” you. It appeals to your sinful, fleshly, King Me centered desires for ease and pleasure. It brings a type of excitement and arousal, even comfort. You think about it. Thinking about it feels good. Thinking about it increases the anticipation and the desire for fleshly comfort and pleasure. You let your mind dwell on it until eventually you convince yourself that at least this time (this one, last time) it’s okay to give up and give in. God will understand. Remember: what we think becomes what we do.

When King Me is on the throne of your heart, you will worship King Me. When you worship King Me, you entertain wrong, sinful thoughts. When you think King Me-centered thoughts, those thoughts will eventually produce self-centered sinful actions. Those sinful actions result in bad consequences. For example, if you allow your mind to dwell on improper sexual thoughts you will eventually act upon those thoughts. You might go to the Internet and visit adult-oriented websites. You might look upon another person in an improper, lustful way. You may develop unrealistic expectations in your marriage. You may seek out an extra-marital relationship. You might even commit a crime all in the name of sexual pleasure.

If you entertain prideful thoughts your actions will become self-focused, self-purposed – geared to draw attention to King Me for the sole purpose of pleasing only self, often at the expense of others. If you feed thoughts of fear, anger, anxiety, bitterness (on the list goes), your actions will fall into step accordingly. On the other end, if you focus on thoughts of glorifying God what will happen? You will begin to give God the glory He deserves in everything you think, say, and do. James is telling us that we sin because we see the lure of some type of sinful pleasure, it’s enticing to us, so we think about it. The result of that thinking is a chose to give in and commit a sinful act, which in turn leads to death.

The Apostle Paul declared that “Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11 NLT) One of Satan’s major strategies is that of keeping the Christian thinking they are defeated, still in bondage to sin. When he accomplishes this, he has succeeded in diminishing our potential for the Kingdom of God. If the Devil and his band of demons can get you to feel defeated in your sin, to believe that you’re never going to change – “after all, you’re only human and you still have that old sinful nature” – then you will eventually give up. So why bother trying. This particular battle-tactic of the enemy of your soul leads you to accepting that sinful aspect of your life as inevitable, and eventually you will choose to give up, give in, and embrace the sinful habit instead of submitting yourself to God, standing firm in the faith and resisting it (see James 4:7).

Anytime you choose to not deal with a sin issue in your life, it will ultimately lead to a hardened heart. A hard heart happens when you hear God’s truth, believe what He says is indeed truth, yet repeatedly choose to do nothing about it. Every time you do this, your heart hardens ever so slightly. The temptation to sin becomes strong and you fight it less. The sin has a stronger hold in your life and the conviction you feel over that sin loses its grip. 

Every time you recognize a sin in your life, feeling the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and yet choose to do nothing about it, you become less sensitive. Your conscience is being “seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:2) Over time, you become callous to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and suppress His fire in your heart (see 1 Thessalonians 5:19); just like closing the door on a lantern no longer allows the light to shine for others to see (see Matthew 5:14-16). 

Let me encourage you. There is hope! Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 that he is “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.” You see, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13). God has a plan for your life. He is not going to allow sin to thwart His purpose. He will never leave you to the proverbial wolves. 

“Be strong and courageous ..., for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 NASB’95)

Don’t allow yourself to get bogged down in trying to figure out how to have victory over sin in your life. Don’t focus on the victory, focus on the Victor. Place your emphasis upon growing in your relationship with God. It is He who is able to strengthen you to do all things (see Philippians 4:13 and 2 Peter 1:3). God promises that victory will follow.

OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our miniseries on How to Glorify God. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin),, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com

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So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.