Increase is God's will for your life and Satan knows it. His job is to get you out of
the will of God. But God expects us to understand how the devil operates, so we can avoid his traps and walk in the blessing of God. Yet, too many believers are ignorant of Satan's devices.
The first way Satan tries to get you out of God's will is to tempt you so he can draw you away and entice you. According to James 1:12, we are to endure temptation. Notice it didn't say surrender to it.
As long as you live on this planet, you're going to face temptation. Everybody does. And believe me, Satan will make sure temptation comes your way. But that doesn't mean something's wrong with you or that you're not saved. It's what you do with the temptation when it comes that matters.
The Word tells us to keep the body under and bring it into subjection. Notice it didn't say to "put" the body under, but to "keep" it under. Why? Because dealing with the body isn't a one-time thing, you have to constantly work on your body.
Satan knows that we are susceptible to lust and can be drawn away and enticed, so he tempts us. The word "lust" means an inordinate strong desire for something. So, a person can lust after anything - not just sex, but attention, money, pride, power - anything. Think about it, lust can get over into every area of your life. That's why we renew our minds by the Word of God.
Now don't mistake lust for desire. There's nothing wrong with having a desire for something. Lust and desire are different. A desire is simply a want. And God takes pleasure in giving you the desires of your heart. But understand this: a desire can go too far and become lust, which will dominate your life and control your decisions.
When this happens, it draws you away from God's plan for your life. And when lust is conceived or allowed to run its course, it brings forth sin. Eventually, it will cause you to do something you have no business doing. And when sin gets finish with you, it brings forth death.
But take courage. You don't have to fall for Satan's devices anymore; your victory is in the word through Jesus our Lord!
Scripture References: Psalm 37:4; John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 2:11
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