Lust, Pride, Lies
"Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity." 1 John 2:15-16
Lust & Pride
In case we are still unsure, lust and pride are two things that are not of the Lord. These two are of the world, who of course is under the spell of the enemy.
In fact these two things, lust and pride describe Satan. Add a third trait and it completes the enemy's resume -- lies.
The prophet Isaiah wrote this about this fallen angel:
"You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
All reeking of lust, pride and lies. And it didn't long for these to became the enemy's downfall -- a fall from his high position in heaven. And three things being its playbook here on earth eversince.
Adam & Eve
In the Book of Genesis, we read about three creatures who were here on earth -- Adam, Eve and the one who was cast down from heaven to earth (the serpent/the enemy).
This serpent lied to Eve and told her she will not surely die if she ate of the fruit of the tree that God told them not to eat.
And enticed her to eat and lust after the forbidden fruit for "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." You will be like God, the very thing the enemy lusted for and the goal of its foolish pride.
Genesis 3:6 - "When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband (Adam), who was with her, and he ate it."
Hence in the same way, humankind fell -- through lies, manipulation, lust and pride.
The New Living Translation puts it this way:
"For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world."
Yes, this is of the enemy. And just as Adam and Eve fell. All of humankind throughout history, fell the same way.
Knowledge is Power
Knowing this, gives us the opportunity to put up a defense against falling for them ourselves.
What we need to do is to not fall for the lies and the manipulation. Turning away from lust to the love of Jesus. And exchanging pride for the humility which Jesus embodied when He, on His own volition descended from heaven to earth, taking off His King's garment, to be born in a manger, live a humble life and share of humankind's daily grind until His purpose of redemption from the high heaven to the manger to the cross to the grave and back to heaven where He and us, His co-heirs belong.
Lust, lies, pride, none of this is of Jesus. Love, truth and humility, now that is His trifecta.
[Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches. Jeremiah 9:23]
Lust & Pride
In case we are still unsure, lust and pride are two things that are not of the Lord. These two are of the world, who of course is under the spell of the enemy.
In fact these two things, lust and pride describe Satan. Add a third trait and it completes the enemy's resume -- lies.
The prophet Isaiah wrote this about this fallen angel:
"You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
All reeking of lust, pride and lies. And it didn't long for these to became the enemy's downfall -- a fall from his high position in heaven. And three things being its playbook here on earth eversince.
Adam & Eve
In the Book of Genesis, we read about three creatures who were here on earth -- Adam, Eve and the one who was cast down from heaven to earth (the serpent/the enemy).
This serpent lied to Eve and told her she will not surely die if she ate of the fruit of the tree that God told them not to eat.
And enticed her to eat and lust after the forbidden fruit for "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." You will be like God, the very thing the enemy lusted for and the goal of its foolish pride.
Genesis 3:6 - "When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband (Adam), who was with her, and he ate it."
Hence in the same way, humankind fell -- through lies, manipulation, lust and pride.
The New Living Translation puts it this way:
"For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world."
Yes, this is of the enemy. And just as Adam and Eve fell. All of humankind throughout history, fell the same way.
Knowledge is Power
Knowing this, gives us the opportunity to put up a defense against falling for them ourselves.
What we need to do is to not fall for the lies and the manipulation. Turning away from lust to the love of Jesus. And exchanging pride for the humility which Jesus embodied when He, on His own volition descended from heaven to earth, taking off His King's garment, to be born in a manger, live a humble life and share of humankind's daily grind until His purpose of redemption from the high heaven to the manger to the cross to the grave and back to heaven where He and us, His co-heirs belong.
Lust, lies, pride, none of this is of Jesus. Love, truth and humility, now that is His trifecta.
[Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches. Jeremiah 9:23]
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