Thanksgiving Wins! (Guest post by Brandon Slay)
Posted on December 17, 2014 in Uncategorized
My love,
Therefore, it’s actually their insecurity and lack of thankfulness that leads to pride, and pride comes before our fall. The original sin could be known as insecurity, which stems from a lack of thankfulness. The more humans I have the pleasure of meeting, the more I realize how insecurity seems to be the root of our sinfulness.
Our insecurity and lack of gratitude for our blessings leads us to seeking security and fulfillment via pleasure, possessions, and power. It’s interesting the Apostle John described these three temptations as the pattern of the world: “cravings of the sinful nature, lust of the eyes, and boasting of what a man has and does.” (1 John 2:16)
I label these three worldly temptations as pleasure, possessions, and power respectively. We all fall for these temptations. And, it’s fascinating Satan uses these same three temptations with Eve in the garden and Jesus in the wilderness.
Eve in Genesis 3:6: “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (Pleasure) and pleasing to the eye (Possessions), and also desirable for gaining wisdom (Power), she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Pleasure). Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Power) Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Possessions) Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Yes, Satan tells us the exact same lies and tempts us in the exact same ways as he did Jesus and Adam/Eve. And, nothing has changed folks! The same lies and temptations are firing at us today and will be until the day God takes us to our Heavenly home.
In wrestling, football, and other combat sports, it is ultra important to know how your opponent will attack you if you desire to beat him. You must know his attacks extremely well so you can be prepared to counter attack. Jesus counter attacked Satan by speaking God’s Word, and Satan fled. I believe Scripture has made it clear Satan’s main three ways of attacking us is through the temptations of Pleasure (porn, adultery, divorce, drugs, alcohol, gluttony etc.), Possessions (fortune, accomplishments, gold medals, titles, homes, cars, clothes, electronics, etc.), and Power (fame, status, titles, jobs, politics, etc).
We will never be perfect in this life. We will believe Satan’s lies at times, but to struggle well and seek ye first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), we must be aware of Satan’s attacks and counter attack the lies with God’s Word. We must counter attack Satan in three distinct ways:
- Swinging, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the World of God,” (Ephesian 6:17) right back at Satan as Jesus did.
- Being secure and drawing our value from Jesus Christ and Father God. We are secure in our salvation, “For their is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We draw our value from God alone because “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
- Having a constant year around sense of thankfulness for all God has blessed us with from creation, provision, salvation, sanctification, and our future heavenly destination. “Always giving thanks for God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of the sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his lead also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff for which the wind driveth away.
For the ungodly will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Psalm 1
Let’s not perish. Let’s delight in God’s Word, be secure in Jesus Christ, and always thankful for our blessings.
Thanksgiving Wins!
Brandon Slay
