All fatal attraction begins with lies

In the royal city of London, a world-famous animal trainer gave a command performance featuring wild jungle beasts. Many animals were involved — lions, tigers, elephants, horses and other circus animals. One act in particular always brought the crowd to its feet. It involved a boa constrictor 35 feet long!

The trainer had raised this huge snake for 25 years, since it was only a few days old. He cared for it, fed and worked with it daily. In the act, the trainer would lie down on the ground with his pet boa. The snake would then wrap its long, strong tail around his body. The massive reptile was more than strong enough to crush the man into pieces but it would always release him.

But one day in London the act took an unexpected turn. As always, the boa wrapped its massive body around the man. Before the eyes of the startled crowd, it kept squeezing and squeezing and squeezing. Only this time, it didn’t uncoil and loosen its grip. It just kept on squeezing. The trainer screamed for help but it was too late. The man’s pet had become his cruel master.

Satan coils himself around our lives in the same way. At first, his temptation seems innocent, playful and harmless. But soon he makes his grip stronger and stronger until he crushes our spiritual life to death.

Temptation is a powerful force — never to be played with. In Luke 4:5-9 Satan tempted Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus with three fatal attractions. Jesus responded with three strategies to defeat Satan.

The first fatal attraction was blind ambition. Luke 4:5 says, “And he (Satan) led him (Jesus) up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world at once. All the kingdoms were placed before Jesus. This temptation hit Jesus at once — instantly, comprehensively, visually.

This was a temptation to grab the world with all its positions of authority, control and influence apart from God’s plan for his life. Blind ambition is nothing more than pride. Satan dangles before us opportunities of self-advancement to detour us from the will of God. Blind ambition is desiring my will before God’s will.

The second fatal attraction was instant gratification. Verse 6 reads, “And the devil said to him, ‘I will give you all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.’” The world’s glory was offered to Jesus. All Jesus had to do was worship Satan.

What was the catch? This lure led down a path that would bypass the cross. God desired his son to rule over all the kingdoms of the world — but first he had to die for sin on the cross. Satan often places choices before us that will provide instant gratification but long-term headaches. What do you want now that you ought to wait for later? God’s way is always the best way. There are no shortcuts in life.

The third fatal attraction was false worship. The devil said, “If you worship me, it shall all be yours” (verse 7). He invited Jesus to worship him. All the kingdoms of the world could be his for just one act of worship. All Jesus had to do was reshuffle his priorities — just once. He had only to bend a knee in Satan’s direction.

What is worship? Worship is honor given to a higher being. It means to pay homage or to render honor to one who is superior. False worship is anything or anyone that we love more than God, fear more than God or serve more than God. Obviously, Jesus is superior to Satan. Satan’s temptation was absurd.

How did Jesus stand against Satan? How did he win the spiritual battle? Jesus used three great spiritual strategies. Jesus won a devastating victory over Satan. The first strategy is that he resisted Satan immediately. “And Jesus answered and said to him …” (verse 8). The split second Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus resisted him.

Just as quickly as Satan hurled his fiery temptation, Jesus picked up a live hand grenade and threw it back in his face. When Satan tries to break into your life, fight back immediately. Don’t be foolish and passive and do nothing. Do not sit back idly. The temptation will not just go away. Jesus fought back and you must do the same.

The second spiritual strategy is that Jesus used Scripture strategically. Satan’s fiery missiles can only be defeated with a lethal weapon of superior firepower. Jesus responded by using the only weapon that can defeat Satan — the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Jesus said, “It is written …” (Luke 4:8). It is not enough to simply own a Bible. It is not enough to carry it to church. We must know specific scriptural principles and then apply them to specific temptations.

The third spiritual strategy Jesus used was to worship God only. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 — a verse that demands the exclusive worship of the one, true God. “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (verse 8). God will have no rivals! God demands exclusive worship leading to faithful service.

Satan is a modern day boa constrictor. He desires to crush your life. When he responds with fatal attractions (lies) you must respond with the correct spiritual strategy (the truth of God’s Word). The ultimate truth is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He is Lord. Follow him and worship him alone.

Ethan Hansen (ethanchansen@gci.net) is pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake.