when Satan goes fishing . . .

- September 08, 2010

I recently went with the Men's Ministry from our church on their annual camping/fishing trip to the Sierra Mountains (near Bishop, CA). I haven't had so much fun fishing in over thirty years! Mainly because I really haven't fished too much in the last thirty years, but also because on this particular trip we caught tons of fish! Between the five guys that I was fishing with we ended up catching 27 trout!

Prior to us catching all of these fish, we had spent a few hours with a total of just 1 fish, which I had caught in the first twenty-minutes of being there. I was using a well-known type of bait, called Powerbait. The Powerbait that I caught the first fish on was a bright yellow color. But like I said, even though this was Powerbait, I didn't feel at the time it was showing signs of having any power at all. But then after a few hours had passed by, a young guy named Cory came up to us and began talking to us. He encouraged us to try using the "Lime Green" Powerbait, because he and his friends had been very successful the day before with it. Some of us immediately began trying that color bait, because we didn't care what bait we used to catch the fish with, we just wanted to catch fish!

This is much like the attitude of the devil when trying to capture us. He doesn’t care at all which bait it is that he catches us with, just so long as he catches us. It reminds me of what Charles Spurgeon once said about the enemy. Spurgeon said, "When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him what bait he uses, as long as he catches his fish."

This is so true about Satan. He doesn't care if our sin is big or small, because he knows that all sin will lead us to spiritual destruction. Jesus warns us about how dangerous the devil can be when He says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).

Once we switched from the impotent bait that we had been using to the Lime Green Powerbait, we quickly went from 1 fish between us, to 27 fish in a few short hours.

I remember catching my second fish pretty quickly after I switched to the bait Cory had recommended. When I caught this fish and pulled it up onto the shore, I held it up by its mouth so that I could get the hook out. And while I was holding it, the hook came out, and the fish slipped out of my hand and got loose. It was so funny. You should’ve seen it. It was flopping around all over the ground trying to get back into the water. The guys and I were moving as fast as we could to catch it, but it kept alluding us, slipping out of our hands, and making us run in circles in our feeble attempts to recapture it. And right before it got back into the safety of the water, this beautiful Rainbow Trout hopped high up off the ground one last time and took its final lunge towards the lake, and while it was in mid-air, the competitive athlete in me took over, and in perfect World Cup Soccer form, I kicked that beautiful Rainbow Trout (while it was in mid-air) back up onto the shore, where we were able to then grab it, and secure it to one of the hooks on the metal chain that I had.

I know that kicking an innocent and helpless little fish wasn’t very pastorally of me, but it was the only way to keep this fish from escaping the dinner we had planned at the end of the day.

The reason that I am sharing this with you is because some of our lives are not too much different than the life of that fish I caught. The devil wants to hook us any way he can so that he can pull us right out of God's plan for our life, and chain us to his will. And if we ever try to escape, you had better believe he is going to be kicking and scratching and yelling and tempting us with everything he's got in order to keep us chain up and in bondage to his will for our lives.

This is the end result of allowing our sin nature and our sinful desires to rule our life. This is the end result of setting our mind on the things of this world rather than the things of God. The devil will exploit these areas of our lives and try and tempt us with what we are weak in, so that he can hook us with his bait and bring us into bondage.

That is why the Bible tells us, "Blessed is the man who ENDURES TEMPTATION, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12). But the Bible also warns us in James 1:13-16; "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. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren."

May this day be the day that you commit yourself to drawing close to God, and resisting the bait of Satan. The Bible says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:7-8). It is by drawing near to God that we are able to resist the devil, and how we are able to endure and overcome all of his temptations.

May God bless you and strengthen you as you draw near to Him.