- James
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When it comes to temptation, one of Satan’s tricks is to convince us that God is somehow holding something back from us. It’s his oldest trick, actually. It is the one he used on Eve when she was tempted.
When Jesus was tempted, Satan played on Jesus’ hunger when he implied, “Why in the world should God’s Son be out here in the middle of the wilderness without food? Since He’s not going to do anything, you should just turn these stones into bread.” Unlike Eve, however, Jesus did not give in to the temptation and did not sin.
How do we avoid falling for Satan’s trick? We do it, not by some clever device of our own, but rather by having a proper understanding of the goodness of God. “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:16-17)
Because God is good, we don’t need any other person (Satan included) to meet our needs. However, once we forget, or begin to doubt God’s goodness, we open ourselves to believing Satan’s lies.
So, internalize these four essential facts about the goodness of God.
- God gives only good gifts.
- The way God gives is good.
- He gives constantly.
- God does not change.
Then, the next time Satan comes calling, you’ll be prepared.
Your Pastor,
David Hulme
Senior Pastor