Satan will tempt you with three things: pleasure, possessions and pride. We see this over and over in Scripture.
Genesis 3:6, When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
- GOOD FOR FOOD = pleasure
- PLEASING TO THE EYE = possessions
- DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM = pride
Deuteronomy 17:16-17, The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself… 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
- GREAT NUMBERS OF HORSES = pride
- MANY WIVES = pleasure
- LARGE AMOUNTS OF SILVER AND GOLD = possessions
Matthew 4:1-10, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
- TELL THESE STONES TO BECOME BREAD = pleasure
- THROW YOURSELF DOWN AND THE ANGELS WILL RESCUE YOU = pride
- ALL THIS I WILL GIVE YOU…IF YOU BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP ME = possessions
1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
- LUST OF THE FLESH = pleasure
- LUST OF THE EYES = possessions
- PRIDE OF LIFE = pride
Be on guard for temptation in these three areas, for they are the areas Satan has been trying to tempt mankind in since the creation of the world.