The Enemy's Plan against You - Encouragement for Today - March 14, 2019

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- [Lysa TerKeurst] March 14, 2019 The Enemy’s Plan Against You [LYSA TERKEURST]( “For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world.” [1 John 2:16]( (NIV) Something I pray on a regular basis is that God will give me a keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them. I believe part of His answer came one day as I studied the story of Satan tempting Eve (in [Genesis 3]( and our key verse: “For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” ([1 John 2:16](. As I compared these passages, I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it’s the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in [Matthew 4:1-11]( A fact that tells me while the enemy may be powerful, he’s also predictable. Let’s take a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s story and Jesus’ story: 1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol or food. Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” ([Genesis 3:6]( NIV). Satan tempted Jesus with bread while He was on a fast. ([Matthew 4:3-4]( NIV) Satan tempts us with whatever physical sense we are too preoccupied by — be it taste, smell, sound, touch or sight. God says that our senses are good. He gave them to us to enjoy within His boundaries. But venture outside God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to get our needs met outside the will of God. 2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after more and more stuff. Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was “pleasing to the eye” ([Genesis 3:6]( NIV). Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all. ([Matthew 4:8-10]( NIV) Satan flashes the newer, bigger and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. He tempts us to think: This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy. And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is. 3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2019 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](