Escaping Fatal Attraction

Bienhome Muivah *

There are many attraction and temptation traps in the world set to ensnare you. When you put a light up in your backyard in the summer time, it attracts bugs. When you put cheese in a mouse trap, it attracts mice. Advertising attracts people to certain restaurants, business, products, services, or events.

Darkness has been unleashed in a new dimension in the earth and, like a whirlpool in many cases, people are sucked into it. Darkness has become militant, trying to force itself upon people-in public education, government and through certain lifestyles which the Bible clearly states are ungodly. Yet, no matter how wicked the world gets, you can live in pureness and holiness before God. It is choice you must make.

A fatal attraction is something that draws people into list and enticement, which when conceived, result in spiritual death or separation from the life of God. Satan has set many traps to entice, allure and seduce God's people away from Him and His Light, Victory, Abundance, Blessing, Peace and Joy. It's God's Will that we escape fatal attraction.

James 1:13 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God', for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone".

James wanted to drive the point home that God never uses evil to tempt anyone to accomplish His purposes or teach them something. Verse 14 says, "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed".

Entice means to be drawn away to commit sin in violation of God's laws.

When the word of God comes to us and we conceived it in our hearts, that is when we believe it, receive and accept it. Sin operates in the same way, but in reverse. Instead of the Word, an evil desire arises, and when a person believes it and commits to it, then it is conceived inside of them, resulting in transgression and eventually spiritual death if there is no repentance and turning from sin.

The rich young ruler who came to Jesus had a lot of things going for him, but he had two pulls: one was to follow Jesus and the Kingdom of God; the other was to hold to his own riches. The rich young ruler asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?" (Matt. 19:16). Jesus responded, "… if you want to enter into life, keep commandments" (verse 17). After an enumeration of the commandments, Jesus said, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (verse 21). The young man "… went away sorrowfully, for he had great possessions" (verse 22). The pull towards holding to his own riches won in this young man's life, and he walked away from Jesus.

Other obvious fatal attraction, besides the pull of money and material possessions, are alcohol, drugs, and crime.

There are other fatal attractions, such as immorality, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, wrong boy/girl, man and woman relationships, lying, stealing, cheating, cursing, slander and gossip. More subtle attractions include resentment, bitterness, envy, hatred, impure thoughts, feelings and attitudes.

The devil's desire is to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus Christ came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly.

Guidelines for Escaping Fatal Attractions

Here are nine of the most basic ways to escape fatal attraction:

Purpose in your heart to live pure and holy before God.

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself" (Daniel 1:18). Many people fall into temptation because they never make a decision to live pure and holy before God.

Fill yourself with God's Word.

Another primary way to get free of temptation and stay free is to feel yourself with the Word of God on a daily basis. Psalm 119:9-11 says, "How can a young cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your Word …" Psalm 119:130. John 8:31-32 "God's word is like a light when it comes in your life, it expresses darkness".

Pray the Lord's prayer and pray in the Spirit and in your understanding everyday.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one … (Matt. 6:13).

Avoid Every appearance of Evil.

Apostle Paul said, "Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be" (I Thessalonians 5:22).

If you have a problem with alcohol, don't show up at the bar, saying, "Lord, deliver me from this temptation". If you have a drug habit, don't go back to your old buddies and say, "I'd like to witness to you". Meet them in another setting, or pray for other laborers to cross their paths and witness to them. If you want to live pure and holy, make a decision to avoid everything that arouses wrong desires.

Keep Your Entire Focus On Jesus Christ.

When you love Jesus and all of your focus and desires are on Him, then there is no room for any other desires. If you love the Lord, you will hate evil, just as Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; … ".

Humble Yourself Unto The Lord.

I Peter 5:6 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time".

God can exalt you over and above the temptations, obstacles and problems that are thrown in your face.

Remember, pride opens the door to sin. It was pride of Lucifer's heart, as an arch angel of God, that caused him to fall (Isaiah 14:13,14).

Cast Your Cares upon The Lord

1 Peter 5:7 say, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."God wants you to be free of fear. He wants to put inside of you an absolute confidence of His willingness to provide for everything you need.

In Mark 4:19, Jesus said the "cares of this world", which include worries, fear and stress, would literally destroy the power of the word of God. When you are burdened with cares, your armor and weapons are blunted in their effectiveness, but when you are filled with peace and joy, every weapon God has given you will work at full strength in resisting temptation and Fatal Attractions.

Submit Yourself To God, Then Resist The Devil And He Will Flee From You.

James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you". As a born-again believer, you have within you the power and ability to resist every work of the devil.

If there is an area where you have violated God's laws, you are out from under God's authority and protection, without repentance and submission to God's authority, there is no backing of His power to resist temptation.

Be Sober and Alert.

I Peter 5: 8,9 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour".

A person who is vigilant is disciplined to be alert. Vigilant causes a heightened awareness of the things that are happening around you. An adversary is someone who is opposed to you. The devil is diametrically opposed to anyone who is born again. There is nothing you can do to change the devil's attitude towards you because he will never be redeemed.

Peter is talking about being alert, not just in the natural but also in the spirit.

Jesus Christ, through His death, burial and resurrection, defeated the devil and disarm him and all his demonic principalities and powers.

Though Jesus took all authority from the devil, he still destroys people's lives, marriages and families through deceit, lies and craftiness. People have lost their mind because of the devil's attacks. Some have lost their health. Nations have been destroyed because of the devil creating strife, resulting in wars and famines.

Dear friends, we must be always aware of the devil's tricks and schemes lest we become lax, indifferent, and complacent and lose our vigilance and soberness.

Let's renounce every work of darkness and keep our focus on Jesus Christ, the savior of this world.