II Peter 2:18

“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.”

   This verse warns us about the tactics that Satan uses in making captives of men. He allures through the lusts of the flesh. The word allure means to place a bait in a trap. It implies an enticing by what’s fair, pleasing, or seductive to the flesh. Satan is not always a hunter that stalks men in order to make captives of them. He is also a trapper. II Timothy 2:26 “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” A trapper always hides and covers his snare so the animal will not suspect anything. He always uses a bait that is attractive to the animal that he is trying to catch.

    Some of the modern fishing lures are shinny and made of beautiful colors. Satan’s lures are attractive but they all have sharp hooks in them. The advertisers are inspired by Satan when they show a happy crowd of people drinking liquor. They show you the lure but not the trap. How many have swallowed this bait and spend their life hooked on alcohol? Satan only shows the good times. He doesn’t show the wrecked lives brought about by drinking. He doesn’t show the little kids that are running around in rags because daddy spend his last dollar for another drink. Satan doesn’t show the wino wallowing in his own vomit in the gutter. He doesn’t show the bloody bodies of innocent victims whose car was hit by a drunk driver.

I. THE LURE OF FALSE RELIGION

    Satan makes false religion attractive by using polished men. He uses men like the Pharisees who were like the white washed tombs but full of dead men’s bones. These false preachers are aided by Satan. He uses them to persuade men into his trap with their great personalities and the gift of gab. I Timothy 4:1-3 Seducing spirits, enticing spirits, alluring spirits accompany the lies of false preachers as they try to lead people into the devil’s traps.

II. THE LURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX Proverbs 7:21-23 “With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”

   Satan used women to lure Solomon into false religion. How many young men and women and sometimes older men and women have been seduced away from the truth by the opposite sex?

   A good Christian man can very easily get involved with the wrong woman and vise versa. This is the quickest way to destroy your testimony and waste your life. Oh, but it can’t happen to me. That attitude makes you a prime candidate for being trapped. The problem today is that so many young men don’t want the virtuous kind of woman that married dear old dad. Before the flood men sought strange flesh and it brought about the destruction of the world. It is destroying some Baptist churches today. Genesis 6:1,2 “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” They chose to be trapped and they chose to bring about judgment upon themselves. Someone will probably say, it is no one’s business who I go out with or marry. It is God’s business. He or she who marries a child of the devil has the devil for a father-in-law!

III. THE LURE OF FEAR Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

    Fear seems to be the motivation factor in our society today. This is especially true in churches. How many are trapped and immobilized today because of fear. The most courageous people in the world should be the children of God. It was said of a preacher in past ages that he feared men so little because he feared God so much. Are you trapped in a seemingly impossible situation because you are afraid of someone or something? Would you be serving God in a greater way if you were not fearful. It is not the other person who is the problem. The problem lies with us and our own personal fears. Let go of the fear and start living a fearless life by the power and grace of Almighty God. Quit holding on to the bait! Be courageous!

IV. THE LURE OF MATERIAL THINGS “And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorah.”

    Some are attracted by things, by possessions, by houses, or by lands. Satan knows the weakness of every individual and he uses the things that appeal to each individual’s lust in order to entice them into his trap.

    Lot was attracted by fertile fields. Lot made his choice by sight. As time went on he moved closer and closer to Sodom. All the time Satan was stringing him along. Before long he was trapped in wicked Sodom. Finally God sent His angels to drag Lot out of the snare that he was trapped in. Money tempts most people if not all of us. I Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Satan uses money as a bait to entice people into his trap. Many people have forsaken the truths of God because they are unpopular and unprofitable. Some are just not willing to pay the price. Therefore they compromise in order to help their business and their finances. 

V. THE LURE OF AMBITION

    Ambition is a desire for rank, fame, or power. This was one of the temptations that Satan used on Jesus. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Jesus if He would bow down and worship him. Of course this tactic didn’t work on Jesus. Some will do almost anything in order to obtain power over others. It they can’t accomplish it in the business or social world then they do it in the religious world.

    III John 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Diotrephes wanted to have the preeminence and be the church boss. But all he did was to create problems for himself and step into the trap that Satan had set for him.

VI. THE LURE OF SINFUL COVENANTS Exodus 34:12 “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be a snare in them midst of thee:” The wrong kind of agreement with others always becomes a trap and interferes with one’s loyalty to God, to truth, and to others.

    When I was a sophomore in high school about twelve boys agreed to take up for one another and not to tell on one another. We called ourselves the “click.” For a few months we had our way and we controlled things and people including the principle and the teachers. But the time of reckoning came. The school authorities made one boy talk thus breaking our pact or agreement and then were all in trouble. That agreement eventually became the thing that snared us

   The same thing happens when grown men make the same kind of agreements. Isaiah 28:15-20 “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.” Men may agree to agree. They may even make an agreement to die if they break their agreement. They may use this type of agreement to get the advantage in society, in business, and even in church. But know this one thing—God knows what you have done. He knows how you operate in order to get your way and pervert justice.

    God said that He would lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plum line. God will square things up and then he will expose all unrighteousness and lies. He will bring everything in the open and He will punish all unrighteousness regardless of how well it has been hidden and protected. Quit sleeping in a short bed with a narrow blanket! So get out of the trap now by letting go of the bait. Let go of that sinful and ungodly agreement.

CONCLUSION

There is a story about a man trapping monkeys. He would take a small mouth jar and tie it to a tree and place a few peanuts in the jar. A monkey would reach into the jar and grab a peanut. As long as the monkey held the peanut in its paw the closed paw was too big to come out of the mouth of the jar. As long as it held on to the bait it was trapped. The same thing is true with Satan’s lures. We are trapped as long as we hold on to the bait. We trap ourselves by choice and we stay trapped by choice. Let go of the bait. Let go of the lure and be free from the snares of Satan!