The Traps that Kill

I have a lot on my mind in regards to life and something I have been thinking about is Conviction of Sin. It's something that I have had quite a lot lately and though my heart is grieved there is a greater part of me that rejoices in the fact that its there. However in my conviction I have found a fews lies the Father of Lies has tried using to cool the waters of my heart.

One goal or trap Satan has tried using is looking at others. It is so dangerous when we do this because it will cause the pride of our hearts to rise up inside us. We will have constant thoughts of "At least I'm not like..." It is a sure fire way to avoid conviction when we take the viewing scope off of our own hearts and try to look at the exterior of others and try and guess the motives of their hearts.

Shame and condemnation are yet another tool he is uses against us. "You can't confess or listen to the Lord, it will lead you to your ruin." or "what you did was unforgivable. God can't love you now. He doesn't want you." Feeling alienated from the Father adds to this as you miss His glorious presense and at the same time Satan is taunting you with your sin and shame.

Hopelessness and feeling there is no other way. I have read many people who have sinned greatly not because they were terrible people but because to them it was the only option they could see. I am willing to bet there are many prositutes and drug dealers who sell themselves and drugs because they have no hope in living any other way, granted there are those that enjoy the lifestyle. I remember watching a documentary on human trafficing and prostitution it interviewed a young woman and in the interview she said Do you think we women enjoy this? that we do this because we like sex? No, we do this because it's the only way our families eat and have a place to live. Satan will always try to get you in a full Nelson of hopelessness when He can.

He greatly knows the human mind and emotions he is a master of manipulation, he knows God made man with a conscious and is he can lead us to justify our wrong doing he will ultimately make us his servant, bound to the sinful chains.

This is what I have been arm wrestling lately the many attacks of Satan coming against me in his lies. "Your not so bad, God has grace, Do what you want." and when this doesnt work he strikes differently to "YOU'RE TERRIBLE LITTLE PERSON, GOD DOESN'T LOVE YOU!"

What a glorious Father we serve, though we battle the Father of lies, we are now under the Father of Truth. To battle Satan the first rule of thumb is don't, Christ defeated HIM. But rather RESIST Satan and HE will have to flee. How do you resist him? With the Truth! If you don't know the truth or if you have a twisted picture of the Father its going to be extremely hard to resist Satan. God Loves with an EVERLASTING LOVE. HE ALWAYS FORGIVES, and HE ALWAYS has MERCY. Satan has been shooting his arrows at me but the only thing that has protected me is Christ and HIS Faith He has placed in me.

Satan will say, "You are unworthy, undeserving, a failure, a liar, a cheat, God doesn't forgive people like you, HIS WORD EVEN SAYS HE HATES YOU" I now reply "You're right! I am all those things and more, even a hated adversary of the devil, but while I was still His enemy, He made a way for me to become a Son in Christ Jesus. Call me whatever you want a liar, a cheater, an adulterer, a murderer, a theif, BUT don't ever forget my greatest and final title Son of the Living God most High Jehovah.

I am HIS and HE is MINE, and I feel His chastening hand upon my heart I refuse to let Satan trick me into thinking otherwise. I may not be a perfect Saint and look more like a prodigal but His love doesn't stop.

I don't want to sin and look at others because I love my Jesus who died for me. I don't wish to abuse His grace because when I sin His heart breaks a long with my own. I post this in hopes someone learns from my experience though it is few. Don't let Satan snuff out Conviction and always remember there is a WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE waiting for you when your ready but TODAY is the Day of Salvation.

God Bless,
Matthew

It does not fall on deaf ears! We live in difficult times with so many temptations and lies projected our way. We must always regroup in Him. What a faithful God we serve even when we are not.

Thank you brother.

Dear Matthew,

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

This line is a gem,

don't ever forget my greatest and final title Son of the Living God most High Jehovah.

I am HIS and HE is MINE, and I feel His chastening hand upon my heart I refuse to let Satan trick me into thinking otherwise. I may not be a perfect Saint and look more like a prodigal but His love doesn't stop.

Praying for you, white stone

Brother and/or Brothers in the Lord,

I don’t know if this will help by being off topic but I just try to speak what is on my heart! And one of things that help against sexual sins is fasting from food. I have heard several preachers talk about how the abundance of food and sexual sins go hand in hand. Bring your flesh (your eyes) under subjection by fasting. “This kind cometh forth by fasting and by prayer.” Matt 17.21

Start out fasting one meal a day, something you can be victorious in! Then perhaps two days and then three fasting one meal a day, then move to two meals a day for one day, then two days or more; when you are successful in that area move on to one whole day without food and so on. It doesn’t do any good to start out immediately on a 21 day fast and then fail; the only person who loves that is our arch enemy, satan.

David Wilkerson fasted one or two days a week most of his life. Derek Prince fasted one day a week from WWII to the 1990’s. These days during the week were set in stone but they also had other times of fasting too. Derek said he and his wife never made a huge decision without fasting about it. “This kind cometh forth by fasting and by prayer.”

I hope this helps; God bless you on this journey!
Lisa

Hi Matthew,

Here's a portion from Lamentations (1:1-33) which I hope is an encouragement and blessing to you. It speaks of times when God is chastening us (which you said you felt was the case) and it also promises hope, for what God is wanting to accomplish in us, during these times of our lives.

In Jesus,
John

I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.
4 He has aged my flesh and my skin,
And broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me
And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has set me in dark places
Like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;
He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout,
He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
10 He has been to me a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in ambush.
11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow
And set me up as a target for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of His quiver
To pierce my loins.[a]
14 I have become the ridicule of all my people—
Their taunting song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel,
And covered me with ashes.
17 You have moved my soul far from peace;
I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, “My strength and my hope
Have perished from the LORD.”
19 Remember my affliction and roaming,
The wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers
And sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“ Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.