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Think again
'Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper.' James 4:7
A pastor called Jon Walker writes about a boy who started, 'The White Polar Bear Club'. To become a member you had to stand for 30 minutes and not think of a white polar bear. Try it; see if you can do it. It sounds simple, but if you have ever intentionally tried not to think about something, you'll know it's almost impossible! That boy was tempting people to do something they shouldn't do if they wanted to win the game.
In Matthew 4 you can read how the devil tries to tempt Jesus into doing things to make him lose and he can do the same to us too. 'Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.' (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).
He 'disguises himself' (2 Corinthians 11:14) so don't be looking out for a cartoon character with horns, wearing a red cape and carrying a pitchfork; he is extremely cunning, full of lies.
When you find yourself thinking about things you know are wrong, do these two things:
1) '... Let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper'. Don't allow the devil to win you over, keep your focus on God.
2) 'Put on all the armour that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks' (Ephesians 6:11 CEV).
written by Bob Gass
'Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper.' James 4:7
A pastor called Jon Walker writes about a boy who started, 'The White Polar Bear Club'. To become a member you had to stand for 30 minutes and not think of a white polar bear. Try it; see if you can do it. It sounds simple, but if you have ever intentionally tried not to think about something, you'll know it's almost impossible! That boy was tempting people to do something they shouldn't do if they wanted to win the game.
In Matthew 4 you can read how the devil tries to tempt Jesus into doing things to make him lose and he can do the same to us too. 'Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.' (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).
He 'disguises himself' (2 Corinthians 11:14) so don't be looking out for a cartoon character with horns, wearing a red cape and carrying a pitchfork; he is extremely cunning, full of lies.
When you find yourself thinking about things you know are wrong, do these two things:
1) '... Let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper'. Don't allow the devil to win you over, keep your focus on God.
2) 'Put on all the armour that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks' (Ephesians 6:11 CEV).
written by Bob Gass
