The Source of Seduction

As we prepare to enter the season of the Kingdom Movement, we must be cautious of the attacks of the Enemy. Satan has one primary aim, that is to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10).  However, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1John 4). For this reason we must be mindful of what can be described as The Source of Seduction.


We must remember that Satan is extremely subtle (Genesis 3). Generally when he attacks, he's trying to come at us in a way that we won't easily suspect. If we understand how he operates, then we can prepare for his attacks and by God's grace, govern ourselves accordingly. His tactics are not new, but unfortunately, still very effective. If we look at the Satanic attack that he contrived in the Garden of Eden, and the attack that he placed upon Jesus, we should be able to ascertain rather sufficiently the means by which Satan will come at us and try to undermine the execution of God's Divine will for our lives.


The first thing Satan likes to appeal to is the Appetite. When he came at Eve, he presented her with the "forbidden fruit" (Genesis 3), something to eat. When he came at Jesus, his initial temptation was turning stone to bread, once again, appealing to the appetite (Luke 4). Take inventory on where your appetites lie. Some people have an appetite for pleasure. Some have an appetite for companionship. Some people have an appetite for recognition; others have an appetite for attention. The list goes on and on. But the point is that all of us have an appetite for something, and it's not always "sinful". But Satan will attempt to identify your appetite and what you have a personal taste for and manipulate it so that he can get you off of the path that God has ordained for your life. And by the way, it doesn't help when your appetite isn't being "fulfilled". Be prayerful about these areas in your life.


Then the Devil starts to attack your vision, what you "see". This is indeed the Source of Seduction, because this is what Satan uses to "draw you in". The book of Genesis says, "when the woman saw that the tree was good for food". Before she tasted, she looked at it. Be careful at what you choose to "observe" and "focus" on. If Satan can get you looking at something that God has not ordained for you, then he's suckering you into his seduction. And let me say very quickly that this is not always "pornography" or some type of sex-sin. When you "look" at a situation from a perspective that is not of God, this is Satan trying to seduce you into his position and out of God's will. I'm sure many of us have had to say, "oh, I didn't look at it that way". Satan tried the same thing with Jesus when he took Him up into a high mountain and "showed unto Him" all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4). Be careful what you choose to look at and what you're focused on.


Lastly saints, Satan's completion of his Source of Seduction is to get you wrapped up into Self-Inflation and Self-Entitlement. When you start talking about what you "need" and what you "deserve" and what you "should have", then Satan's got you. That's how he closed the deal with Adam and Eve. When he told them they'd "be like gods", he was boosting their ego and appealing to their self-esteem and self-image. That's why we have to remember what Jesus said; in order to follow Him we must deny ourselves (Matthew 16). We never want to be self-centered, we always want to be Christ-centered. This is how we escape Satan's Source of Seduction.