David was nearly invincible on the battlefield, ten times greater as a warrior than his predecessor, able to hold his own with The Thirty and was as great a general and king as he was a warrior. How could the evil one ever snuff out the light of Israel? Apparently it would never happen, not against this anointed man of war.
A king would normally be with his troops in battle this time of year, but David was not in the arena in which he’d proven so successful. No, he was in a different arena now, and he was far less skillful in this one
What’s that he sees? A beautiful woman bathing. Who is she? Uriah’s wife. Wife? Wife! But David can’t walk away. Heck, he can’t even look away. He’s now in the arena of the lure. And he’s as good as caught. Defeated. Finally.
Eve was without sin and living in the perfect environment with her perfect husband, and they talked everyday with the Perfect One, their Creator.
Don’t eat of that tree” God had said. Probably best to not touch it, not go near it, not even look at it.
Wow, that fruit is impressive. Must taste delicious. Certainly is beautiful. It’s the most potent brain food in the garden, she understands.
With the help of the serpent, Eve finds the fruit irresistible. What was forbidden has now become the lure. She takes. She eats She shares. They disobey. Sin. Fallen.
Satan’s pretty good with this lure thing. Of course the flesh gives him a decided advantage. If only we could somehow gain an advantage over the devil and the flesh.
“Now we [believers in Jesus] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome [the spirits in the world that are against Christ], because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
So we actually have gained an advantage over Satan, the flesh and the world (the unholy trinity).
Every time one of us finds ourselves in trouble, in a seemingly vulnerable situation, in circumstances that appear bleak, it’s simply God luring our enemy so He can defeat him for us.
Jesus on the cross was the lure and the empty grave was God defeating our enemy; now we have victory over sin, death, hell and the grave! God is obviously better with the lure than our enemy is. And He uses the same strategy in our lives; He calls us to surrender, to sacrifice, to death, so that He may lure our enemy into the trap that binds him and sets us free.
Let me please end with two encouraging thoughts from Scripture:
- God will surely deliver you from the snare of the fowler (see Psalm 91:3)
- Since Jesus has set us free, don’t let yourself be caught again by the yoke of our former slavery. (see Galatians 5:1)
