Who Wants A Cookie?

By Pastor Eric

This past week I was downtown visiting a friend in the hospital. Afterwards, I decided to find a place to eat lunch. I drove down to the market, and found a spot I wanted to eat. I was super hungry and ready to eat a horse. Stepping out of my truck, my senses were overloaded with an amazing smell. It was sweet yet simple, but rich at the same time. I turned my head in the direction of the overwhelming scent and my eyes locked onto a cookie store across the street. Wow. What a smell! They must have been baking them right as I stood there drooling. 

I was so hungry. And the smell of sweet goodness was ringing in my nose. Everything in my body wanted to hop over and indulge. I stood there debating with myself–part of me said, yes, go for it, it will be so good…the other part telling me, NO, you don’t need it and you will regret it later. What does one do?

I think I can say with confidence that we have all been there, right? Temptation!! We have all found ourselves in that tug of war, weighing all the options, the pros and cons. Unfortunately, when it comes to sin, the devil knows our desires, our weak spots, and he loves to throw things at us to take our eyes off what God would have us do. 

In 1 John 2:16, the Apostle names three different temptations that the devil uses against us to lead us into sin, to make bad decisions: the temptation of the flesh, the temptation of the eyes, and the pride of life. Even Jesus himself, going into the wilderness, was tempted by the devil using these same things. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was hungry and the devil tempted him with food; Jesus was shown the kingdoms of the world, and was promised them if he would but bow down; and the devil dared Jesus to prove himself by throwing himself off the mountain. The devil appealed to Jesus’ flesh, his eyes, and his pride of life. 

What things do you have in your life that open up a door for temptation. What desires do you have that the devil can use to lure you away from God’s will? Maybe you have a problem with lust, with money, worldly possessions, or maybe alcohol. Could it be that you struggle with relationships, gambling, lying, gossip, or even arrogance and pride? The devil can see these shortcomings in our lives and he will not hesitate to use these as weapons against you. Do you know where you are vulnerable? Where you struggle and need to be extra careful?  

Titus 2:12 tells us, “say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” God calls us to holiness because he is holy. As new creations, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are called to live lives that reflect who Jesus is! Reading the rest of Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus stands against the devil! He remained in the Father and in line with his will, and the devil left him frustrated, I’m sure. Afterward, the angels came down from the Father and cared for Jesus’ needs.

I’m not saying that it is going to be easy, and I know that we will stumble at times, but we must stand against the devil. We must be on guard against the devil’s schemes and the sweet aromas that he tempts us with. His ways are empty and lead to destruction. We must name our own shortcomings, surround ourselves with people who will hold us accountable, and stay close to the one true source of truth: God’s Word. With the help of the Holy Spirit, with the sword of the spirit in our hands, and the strength of God’s grace given to us through Jesus, we can stand and we can say NO the temptations of this life. 

If you find yourself giving in to the sweet smell of the devil’s lies…run, repent, and return to the Father where there is forgiveness and mercy! 

Brothers and sisters, say NO to the “cookies” of the devil and say YES to those things which give life, joy in abundance, complete freedom, unconditional love, and a grace that is everlasting. We do this “while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

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