– on the prowl

– looking to devour

– crafty

– is a liar

– misquotes Scripture

– full of pride

– a thief who steals

– accuses believers

– unforgiving

– the tempter 

Acts 5:1-4 “But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”

*The enemy can take what may be good motives and turns them upside down into selfish motives.  It’s more than just our sinful nature – we have an accusing enemy who is prowling around ready to seize the opportunity.

I Corinthians 7:3,5 “The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s sexual needs….. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

The enemy will seize opportunities to tempt us so we must care for one another in this battle against temptation. Clearly not all temptation is from the enemy, but he will regularly originate the temptation and he will often magnify temptations – especially ‘money & honey‘. 

Question:  What is a common area of temptation for you? Money? Honey? Other?

Great Action Point: Memorize I Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken me except what is common to man. God is faithful; he will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. But with the temptation will  always provide an escape so that I may be able to endure it.”