FISHING with SIN

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

“First there come a bare thought of evil.

Then a strong imagination.

Thereoff afterwards a delight and evil motive.

Then sin.”

Thomas Aquinas

 

We find two demons flying above a large city. Each holds in one of their hands what appears to be a bright red fishing pole. A long almost invisible thin line attached to their pole ripples in the wind as they fly along. At the end of this delicate thread is a large vicious looking hook full of sharp barbs. The hook is beautiful in a tempting sort of way, resembling a reddish crystalline glass. It sparkles as it wobbles at the end of the fishing line and is only perceivable when the light catches its surface just right.

 

 

“Well Deception, do you think we’ll catch as many today as we did yesterday?”

 

“Of course we will Trickery. Our Master has given us a wide selection of bait to use. Each can be modified to countless forms and appearances to tempt any that we prey upon.”

 

“I just love this sport. We can do it all day and all night if we want. There’s never a lack of bait and there’s always someone to prey upon. We can make it as challenging as we want.”

 

“Yes that’s so true. I just love those sections of the city where the people are bustling about in crowds looking up at us with open mouths ready for us to drop the baited hook right down into them. It’s no contest, but they have desires and we have a job to do.”

 

“Yeah I cherish those places. Sometimes we hardly have to bait our hooks at all with any kind of sin. It’s as if they’re so rebellious towards the God of Truth and Light that they just want to take our hook, line and sinker just to spite Him. I’ve seen those guys and gals walk around for days with that hook of sin in their mouth. It’s fun to lead them around like a dog on a leash. I like how you can pop the hook out then dangle it down again and they jump with all their might to grab it right back again. They have no perception the death that they’ve chosen for themselves.”

 

“Yes it can be fun, but the real challenges are those who call themselves Children of the Light. They aren’t easy to tempt with our bait all the time.”

 

“Yeah I know. Some of them have their hidden temptations though. We just have to find out what rings their chimes. Then if we present them with the right bait, dangle it before them, they usually bite.”

 

“Well I’m not sure if I would say they usually bite. It all depends on how close they are to the God of Truth and Light. If they’ve been reading, speaking and doing the Holy Words, that can make a difference.”

 

“Yeah I know what you mean. It’s especially hard if not impossible to tempt them when they yield themselves to the Spirit of the God of Truth. That Spirit knows everything! I hate Him. If they listen to His voice and obey God’s Word this enables them to not even glance at the bait, no matter how juicy and appealing it is.”

 

“I wonder what goes through their minds when they see our bait of sin. I mean do they debate in their mind whether to nibble just a little bit on it. Possibly they think if they just lick the bait it’s not the same as actually taking it into their mouths and biting down?”

 

“They may think that. All I know is if they look at our bait for very long, they eventually lick it, then nibble, then comes the chomping down with full force. It’s very hard for them to lick or nibble and not go for the whole thing. If they were wise they would immediately turn away when they even caught a glimpse of our bait.”

 

“Yeah you’re right there. We’ve got them if they linger very long debating on what to do about our bait of sin. You know what I like?”

 

“What?”

 

“When we do snare one, I love to see the look in their eyes when the hook sinks in.”

 

“Yeah. The bait of sin we use is sweet to the taste but the sting of that barbed hook hurts like hell, if you know what I mean, no pun intended.”

 

“You know another thing I like?”

 

“No, what?”

 

“The challenge of picking just the right bait to use on the hard to catch ones. You know it takes a lot of planning and skill to pick just the right bait that is tailored for that specific individual you’re going after.”

 

“Yeah I know. Sometimes it’s easy, you can just place any old bait on that demonic hook and some people bite at anything. Others you have to be more selective in your choices. Finding their weak points and hidden habits helps in choosing the correct bait to use.”

 

“Ya know another thing I like?”

 

“You like it when they fight?”

 

“Yeah. I mean we get’em hooked and all and then they try and let go. Boy do they struggle. I mean all they really have to do is confess to their Lord and Master that they made a bad choice and spew that baited hook out of their mouth, but they just keep struggling with whether to let go or not. You can see it in their eyes when they want to get free but they just can’t bring themselves to let go of that juicy bait of sin no matter how that hellish hook hurts.”

 

“You know what makes me mad?”

 

“What?”

 

“When we go to all that work to figure out what sinful bait to use, spend all that time waiting for just the right moment to tempt them with it, and they go and snub their noses at it.”

 

“Yeah. That makes me mad too. You know when they refuse to bite you find out that they’ve been doing all that praying stuff and talking to God and living according to the Holy book. I don’t mean just pretending, I mean they actually believe it and live it out and all. That’s when it makes a difference and it ruins our day major!”

 

“Well enough chit-chat. Let’s go see what we can catch. Should we try for a Sunday School teacher, a Deacon or what about a Pastor?”

 

“Doesn’t really matter to me. They’re all worthy of our evil efforts. Let’s see if those Christians are up for a challenge.”

 

James 1:2-8

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

 

James 1:13-15

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

 

“The longer you live in the Lord, the deeper you go in His word, the further you walk in His footsteps, the greater is the temptation. The forces of evil seem to be unleashed against you. Every sign seems to be five times brighter than it was before. Books which lay stationary on the shelf seem to become 3D and walk out of bookstores after you saying, ‘Read me, read me.’”

Pastor Alistair Begg