Don’t Take The Bait

Don’t Take the Bait

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

James 1:14

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Ephesians 4:22

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

2 Timothy 2:22

When a fisherman puts a worm on a hook, he is setting a trap for an unsuspecting fish. The fish comes along and sees the worm, which looks good for food, and doesn’t realize until it’s too late that it has been hooked.

When the book of James says that temptation comes when our own desires “entice” us, it’s not that different from a fish that is enticed and then caught by the bait on a hook. We are tempted when the trap of sin is baited with things that appeal to our desires. Just as fish anticipate the pleasure of grabbing the bait and instead experience the pain of the hook, we anticipate pleasure when we go for what tempts us, only to eventually experience the pain it causes. For example, when we eat too much of what isn’t good for us, it tastes delicious in our mouths for a few minutes—and then we experience the pain of bad health or weight gain. Or when we give in to temptation in a relationship, we experience temporary pleasure, which is followed by guilt, shame, and regret over what we’ve done.

How can we keep from taking the bait of temptation? A fish that has already eaten takes no bait. If we fill up our hearts and thoughts with God’s Word and God’s presence, and if we develop our sense of finding pleasure in him, we’re not nearly as likely to take the bait of sin.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What happens when a fish bites the bait on the hook?

What strategies for resisting temptation do you find in 2 Timothy 2:22?

Think through various sins—greed, dishonesty, anger, gluttony. What is the bait, and what do we really get when we bite?