The Allurement of Evil - Temptation in the World

The MEN of INFLUENCE: TRANSFORMATION THROUGH MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS

It is undeniable that evil offers enticing substitutes in the form of temptation. The world is a form of temptation, and evil often makes offers that are alluring and enticing in order to divert our attention away from what is important. This is made clear in Matthew 4:8-9, when the devil took Jesus up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He offered Jesus all these things if he would fall down and worship him. The devil's offer was tempting and alluring, and this is what evil does. It makes offers that are enticing and draw us away from what is important. It could be an overwhelming job offer that requires us to leave home and work sixteen hours a day. We may be enticed by the money, but we don't consider the sacrifice that is being made to get that money. The same is true of sex. Sex is a normal function, something that was created for us to enjoy and use for procreation. However, evil has a corrupt version of sex, offering a substitute that shifts our focus away from what is important. Adam and Eve were also tempted in the Garden of Eden. The fruit looked appealing to the eye and promised them wisdom and godlike power. This is what evil does, it poses something to us that sounds like a good idea. It can be something as simple as a neighbor offering something that we think we might enjoy.
One of the most important things that we can do to resist evil is to say no. This is easier said than done, as evil often comes with an influence to get us to behave and act in a certain way. We must recognize that we have a choice, and that is to resist evil and to say no. It is a conscious decision to not give in to temptation and to remain steadfast in our faith. We must also remember that God has provided us with the grace to deny ungodly and worldly lust. We must take an active stance of resistance against evil and refuse to bow down to its influence. We must rise up and not allow ourselves to be enslaved by the lusts of the world.

Unfortunately, many Christian men are caving under the pressure of evil and have accepted its substitutes. They have found pleasure in yielding to evil and have stopped resisting it. We must remember that God has given us the power to overcome temptation and that we can find a way out of the situation. We must be strong in our faith and have the courage to stand up and say no. 00:00:22 Evil offers enticement. 00:07:06 Resist evil and say no. 00:17:46 Negative association with temptation. 00:21:00 Resist the evil, serve God.