Don’t take the bait!

Well, if you clicked through to the post, it wouldn’t be fair to say you took the bait. This isn’t click bait; there’s a purpose in this post and that’s to share some hope in Christ.

All credit to Pastor Rob from last night’s mens’ Bible study who offered up a better version of the following personal analogy of understanding where and how the enemy wants to tempt us: mountain lake fishing in the High Sierras.

First, let’s establish that lake and river fishing has some constants and some variables. The constants are the venues: rivers, lakes, or other sorts of fishing holes. Another constant is the target: fish. Setting aside variables we can do nothing about, like weather, a variable we tend to grapple with is “what are they biting on?”

In areas of plentiful fish and venues, but few outfitters to arm the fishermen, the intelligence of what the fish are biting on falls to the proprietors of the local sporting goods store. Or bait and tackle shop. Or maybe even Bass Pro Shop… after all, in certain cases, what are they going to bite on if you haven’t purchased the boat, right?

Well imagine the enemy is the owner of the shop. He sells all manner of bait, lure, and tackle for any variable of condition on what the fish are biting on. Presumably in any season, he knows whether a worm or egg or fly or lure will work on this lake or that stream or this spot. This is how the enemy is crafty with temptation. Different fish go for different bait in different places at different times, but with certainty hungry fish take the bait if you know what to tempt them with. That is how profits are made in spiritual warfare as we all are apt to be a hungry fish in our respective fishing hole.

(How wonderful too that Jesus called fishermen to follow Him and be fishers of men!)

Here’s the rub, again credit to Pastor Rob… these lakes and fishing holes in question, they’re stocked with fish. Fish don’t leave the breeding farm desperate for food, they’re delivered with full bellies. So when the enemy knows a particular lake has been stocked, it doesn’t matter what bait he’s selling, it doesn’t make a difference what temptation he’s wielding, “full fish don’t take the bait.” That’s because Christ Was Here. Taking thoughts captive to Christ means he remains.

In Luke 11:25, Jesus tells the parable of the clean house. Once our house is cleaned out, if we don’t replace the void with Christ, we are liable for further torment by what takes the place of the old mess. The full bellies of stocked fish are full of Christ, whether by His word, the Holy Spirit, or fellowship — or a godly combination of those in Christ. They are not hungry for what the enemy might arm the world with to tempt the fish via hook and lure!