We Are Not Ignorant, but.......

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." 
(II Corinthians 2:11)

One of the great frustrations and heartbreaks of my nearly 45 years of being a Pastor is watching folks fall into traps of temptation and bondage when they actually know better.  Sometimes it is seasoned believers that fall, other times it is new believers that listen to the lies of those around them, and even those who were raised in Christian homes take a path that leads them into heartache, deception, and destruction.

I vividly recall one dear brother who had trusted Christ and the Lord had delivered him from serious alcohol addiction.  He was on fire for the Lord and was an inspiration to his family, his friends, the Church, and all he came in contact with.  Gradually, I noticed a change in his behavior.  One day, he met with me to share that he now believed he could drink alcohol in moderation and it would not affect his walk with the Lord.  It didn't take long before he had lost his family, his testimony, and had returned to his former way of life.  He knew better, but......

Another example was a dear friend that came to the end of himself over drugs and agreed to go to a Christian home for help.  He did marvelously and the facility even wanted to hire him, but for a number of reasons he chose to come home and stay.  Eventually, he fell back into addiction and lost his life at the hands of law enforcement.  He knew better, but....

I have seen too many circumstances where professing believers have thrown away their marriages because of lust.  When they have agreed to counseling, they have often used the phrase, "Don't I have the right to be happy?".  My response is always, no you don't have a right to be "happy", you have an obligation to do right, and in the process of doing right God can fill your life with happiness.  They knew better, but.....

I am often puzzled by those who have been raised in homes that sought to follow Jesus and yet they chose paths that either denied the faith or walked contrary to their upbringing.  Sometimes, the home is at fault because the faith was not lived out consistently.  There are other times when the draw of the world, the flesh, and the Devil will deceive even those who were raised to the best of the parents ability.  They knew better, but......

Looking at my own life, I realize that I have experienced my own share of failures and rebellious actions.  Perhaps I have assumed that I was entitled to a particular fulfillment of lust.  Perhaps I assumed that the rules didn't really apply to me.  Perhaps I simply thought I could handle something that I knew was dangerous.  I always get in trouble when I rely on my own understanding instead of relying on God's Word and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  I should know better, but......

We have an enemy that desires to destroy our lives, our testimony, and our reputation.  God has given us the necessary information and help to overcome anything that is inspired by Satan.  The choice is ours, will we live in victory or will we allow ourselves to be deprived of what we could be for the Lord?  We know better, but.....