Happy Belated Palm Sunday beautiful people! Today I wanted to do a post about sneaky ways Satan entices us to sin. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:11, that we should not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy. Now for the Bible to say this, that means that God is trying to warn us about the crafty schemes of the enemy. Satan is constantly finding unique ways to cause God’s children to sin. As Christians, we must be vigilant and watchful at all times. We can not allow Satan to outsmart us. We must outsmart him.

*** Quick disclaimer: This post is not meant to tell you what you should listen to, watch, or who you should be around. It is meant to encourage you to seek God about the things you do in your everyday life. As you continue to read, I want you to evaluate yourself. Ask yourself why you still struggle with certain sins no matter how much you pray. I want you to open your heart and be honest with yourself. Now that we have this out the way, let’s get started!

1. THE FIRST SNEAKY WAY SATAN ENTICES PEOPLE INTO SIN IS THROUGH MUSIC

The other day I read an article that said, “Music creates atmosphere, atmosphere creates environment, and environment influences behavior.” When you think about this statement in the context of worship, it actually makes sense. When we worship God through music, we are creating an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. This atmosphere then creates an environment full of holiness, love, purity, joy, etc. As our environment continues to be filled with these fruits, our behavior will change and eventually influence the way we act.

Now let’s look at this statement in another way. If you went to college, then I’m sure you know about college parties. One of the best parts about going to college, for many people, is being able to experience the “college party life.” Usually before people go out, they pregame. Pregaming not only involves alcohol but also involves listening to music that will get you into a “party mood.” Now depending on what kind of mood you are going for, you could be corrupting your environment with selfishness, greed, lust, perversion, anger, and even death. This environment will then influence your behavior for the night, and if you are honest with yourself, that behavior will more than likely not be godly. This concept also applies to the music you listen to before going out with friends, going to a wedding, a birthday party, etc. We listen to certain things to get our spirits in a mood to act a certain way.

Now before y’all go crazy, let me just say that I am not against listening to all non-gospel music or against listening to music before going out with friends ( However, I do not agree with going to clubs or parties that will cause you to compromise your faith). Some Christians believe that you should only listen to music that talks about Jesus, and if you are that kind of Christian, that is okay; I’m just not. I think it’s okay to listen to music that is not gospel as long as you are careful about what the lyrics are saying and what the motive behind the song is. Songs that promote sex, greed, anger, and selfishness are not songs that God wants his children to fill their atmosphere/environment with. 

I also believe that there are songs that can display the fruits of the spirit without explicitly being gospel. Not to mention, some songs are meant to be listened to during certain seasons of our lives. For example,  “All of Me” by John Legend or “intentions“ by Justin Bieber are both beautiful love songs. Someone who is in a healthy relationship may listen to these songs because it reminds them of the love they have for their partner. These songs are displaying love ( a fruit of the spirit) in a relationship, which is beautiful. Just because these songs do not explicitly talk about Jesus does not mean they are bad. HOWEVER, if you just got out of a bad, unhealthy relationship, these songs may not be the best for you to listen to because it may invite the spirit of depression, anger, or resentment. On the other hand, there are love songs that I believe are strictly for people who are married. Listening to some love songs outside of marriage may cause you to sin, and remember the Bible says to flee from sin at all cost (2 Timothy 2:22). Do yall get what I’m sayin?

It is important to remember that the spiritual realm is very sensitive. Without realizing it, you could be inviting a demonic, ungodly spirit into your atmosphere. We can not forget that we live in a very spiritual world. Angels are REAL. Demons are REAL. God is REAL. Satan is REAL. We do not fight against flesh and blood. We are constantly fighting against spirits in the unseen world (Ephesians 6:12). We must also not forget that satan was once a choir director in heaven. He knows how to make good music. He knows how to lure you into listening to songs that do not please God. He knows how to get you to invite depression, grief, frustration, and lust into your life. Don’t let satan play you into thinking that “it is just a song.” These are lies from the enemy. Even psychologists say that listening to certain kinds of music can cause depression, anxiety, and stress. It’s deeper than you think chileeeeee.

2. THE SECOND WAY SATAN ENTICES PEOPLE INTO SIN IS THROUGH MOVIES AND T.V SHOWS

A couple of months ago I went to see a movie called “Queen and Slim.” The movie was great except for the fact that it had an extremely explicit sex scene. After I left the movie, this scene stayed in my mind for awhile; I could not seem to get the image out of my head. Nowadays movies and T.V shows are displaying pornography and calling it a “simple sex scene.” THIS IS DECEPTION. If I did not have the spirit of God living in me, I would have thought this wasn’t a big deal, but it was a big deal because satan was trying to tempt me. Many of you have probably had similar experiences. Don’t think this is normal. This is a scheme from the enemy.

The Bible says in Matthew 5:28 that the minute you look at a woman with lustful eyes you have already sinned. This scripture tells us that we do not have to physically commit a sin to fall short. All we have to do is think about something sinful and we have already fallen. So you can think about having sex with your boyfriend, or think about masturbating, or think about killing someone, and you have already sinned. Do you see how satan is tricking us daily? This is why the Bible says that we must renew our minds daily (Romans 12:2). Satan is after your mind chileeeee. Don’t let him fool ya!

The Bible also says in Matthew 6:22- 23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.” Your eyes play an essential part in your spiritual growth. It is important to make sure that you guard them at all costs.

3. THE THIRD AND FINAL SNEAKY WAY SATAN ENTICES PEOPLE INTO SIN IS THROUGH FRIENDSHIPS

Now I am sure you’ve heard the saying, “you are who your friends are.” To some extent, I believe this statement is true. It’s time that you evaluate the friends you have in your life. Satan sometimes brings people into our lives to destroy us.  You have to have discernment, and separate yourself from friends that are not adding value to your life. This does not mean that you can not love them from a distance, but I believe that some friendships are purely seasonal. You need to surround yourself with likeminded people, especially if you are new in the faith. Also, even though your old friends may not be living the same life you are in Christ does not mean you need to go around judging them. Pray for them and share the love of God with them. Remember that God wants ALL people to be saved and your old and new friends are not excluded from his grace!

I know this post was a long read, but I hope it was informative and eye-opening for someone. Have a blessed week family!