Beware of Snakes
Have you ever seen a baby rattlesnake? They are actually kind of cute. Everything is miniaturized. They get that menacing look on their face, bare their fangs, and shake that rattler, warning you of impending doom.
You might look at it and think, "What harm could a little snake like this do?" The answer: plenty!
Did you know that the venom of a baby rattlesnake is more toxic than that of an adult rattlesnake? The best thing to do if you see a baby rattler is either kill it yourself or find someone who can.
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I know they play their part in the balance of nature, etc. But they also play their part in biting people-sometimes with very unpleasant results.
The Bible compares Satan to a snake:
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?'" (Genesis 3:1).
Satan often gets us with the "smaller sins" that turn into larger ones. In other words, "little" compromises lead to big consequences.
He knows what he is doing, and has honed his craft of temptation for many years. He knows that if he can just get you to "think about it," then he has a foot-or a fang-in the door!
When Satan wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking the mind (in this case, the mind of Eve). Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:3, "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (NASB).
Why? Because it is here, in "command central," that we reason, contemplate, and fantasize. Your mind can reach into the past through memories, and into the future through imagination.
This is why the Bible says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ!" (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Satan, the Deceiver, wants to get you to "just think about it," and to say, "What if . . . ? I mean I would never do this, but if I did, what would it be like?"
To accomplish his purposes, though, Satan needs help. Many times, we say, "The devil made me do it." But the fact of the matter is the tempter needs cooperation from the tempted.
Scripture tells us that every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed, and baited by his own evil desire (or lust or passions). (See James 1:13–14).
Remember, it's not the bait that constitutes sin; it's the bite!
