The sermon discusses learning to avoid the snare of the devil through adultery and lustful thoughts. It outlines three goals: 1) To be alerted to the devil's snares. 2) To learn how to overcome the devil's snares. 3) To learn from others' mistakes and successes in dealing with the devil's snares. The sermon provides biblical examples of people who struggled or overcame temptation, like Job, Samson, and discusses applying spiritual armor from Ephesians to resist the devil.

1. Avoiding the Snare
by
Brian Birdow
Sermon text: Matthew 5:27-31
www.cmcoc.org

2. What is our Goal?
#1
To alert us of the
SNARE
of the devil.

3. What is our GOAL?
#2
to learn how to overcome
the SNARE of the devil.

4. What is our GOAL?
#3
To learn from others, what they
did right and what others did
wrong in dealing with the
snare of the devil.

5. S N A R E
• A trap for catching birds or animals.
Typically one having a noose of wire or
cord.
• Anything serving to entrap or entangle
unawares; trap

6. Snare
• 1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall
into temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
plunge men into destruction and perdition.

7. SNARE
• 2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must
not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient,
• 2 Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that
oppose them; if God perhaps will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
• 2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are
taken captive by him at his will.

8. The SNARE of Adultery
• Matthew 5:27 You have heard that it was said by
them of old time, You shall not commit adultery:
• Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever
looks on a woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
• Matthew 5:29 And if your right eye causes you to
offend, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is
better for you that one of your members should
perish, and not that your whole body should be cast
into hell.

9. Law = Physical Death
• Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth
adultery with another man's wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the
adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to
death.
• Deuteronomy 22:22 If a man be found lying with a
woman married to a husband, then they shall both of
them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel.

10. Law of Christ Spiritual death
• 1 Corinthians 6:9 Or know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with men,
• Revelation 21:8 But for the fearful, and
unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and
fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with
fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

11. Snares of the devil!
• Watch bad movies and
not be affected
• View and read gossip
magazines and not be
affected
• Frequently visit places
where I know
immodesty is and not
be affected
• Have lustful thoughts
and not check them!
• Everyone is doing it so
it must not be bad!
• It is my life and I will be
happy. I will deal with it
then!

12. What is our GOAL?
#2
to learn how to overcome
the snare of the devil.

13. Adultery of the MIND
• It is not an involuntary glance which constitutes the
sin, but when evil thoughts are thereby prompted
by our lust…(look (s) meaning continual)
1. Lust stirs within us
2. We deliberately feed the eyes with the sight of the
forbidden fruit, where further satisfaction can not
be obtained
3. If lust is not mortified, our mind will guide our body
to do what we so want so a both mind and body
are now satisfied!

14. Apocrypha
• Turn away your eyes from a shapely
woman, and do not gaze at beauty
belonging to another; many have been
seduced by a woman’s beauty, and by it
passions is kindled like a fire!
• Uninspired writings
• Sirach 9:8 (NRSV)

15. Study your opponent
• 2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an
advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of
his devices.
• 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
• 2 Timothy 2:15 - Study Study Study

16. Dress for the occasion!
• Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil.
• Belt of Truth
• Breastplate of uprightness
• Sandals of the gospel of peace
• The shield of faith
• The helmet of salvation
• The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD

17. Take hold of our MIND!
• 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down
arguments, and every high thing that
exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ;

18. Don’t be puffed up!
• Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace
given unto me, to every man that is among
you, not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think; but to think
soberly, according as God has dealt to
every man the measure of faith.

19. What is our GOAL?
#3
To learn from others, what they
did right and what others did
wrong in dealing with the
snare of the devil.

20. Learn from others
• 1 Corinthians 10:6-10 Now these things were our
examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil
things, as they also lusted. Neither be you idolaters,
as were some of them; as it is written, The people
sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
• Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them
committed, and fell in one day three and twenty
thousand. Neither let us test Christ, as some of them
also tested him, and were destroyed by serpents.
Neither murmur you, as some of them also
murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

21. Learn from others
• 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things
happened unto them for examples: and they
are written for our admonition, upon whom the
ends of the ages are come.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him that
thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

22. Learn from JOB
• Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of
Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, and one
that feared God, and turned away
from evil.

23. Learn from JOB
• Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my
eyes; why then should I think upon a
maiden?
• Job 31:2 For what portion of God is there
from above? and what inheritance of the
Almighty from on high?
• Job 31:3 Is not destruction to the wicked?
and a disaster to the workers of iniquity?

24. Learn from JOB
• Job 31:4 Does not He see my ways,
and count all my steps?
• Job 31:5 If I have walked with vanity, or if
my foot has hastened to deceit;
• Job 31:6 Let me be weighed in an even
balance, that God may know my integrity.

25. God’s view of JOB
• Ezekiel 14:12 The word of the LORD came again to
me, saying,
• Ezekiel 14:13 Son of man, when the land sins
against me by trespassing grievously, then will I
stretch out my hand upon it, and will break its supply
of bread, and will send famine upon it, and will cut
off man and beast from it:
• Ezekiel 14:14 Though these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver only
their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord
GOD.

26. Learn from Samson
• Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to
Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the
daughters of the Philistines.
• Judges 14:2 And he came up, and told his
father and his mother, and said, I have seen
a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the
Philistines: now therefore get her for me as a
wife.

27. Learn from Samson
• Judges 14:3 Then his father and his
mother said unto him, Is there no woman
among the daughters of your brethren, or
among all my people, that you go to take a
wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And
Samson said unto his father, Get her for
me; for she pleases me well.

28. Learn from Samson
• Judges 16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza,
and saw there a harlot, and went in unto
her.
• Judges 16:4 And it came to pass
afterward, that he loved a woman in the
valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

29. Learn from Samson
• Judges 16:16 And it came to pass, when she
pressed him daily with her words, and urged
him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
• Judges 16:17 That he told her all his heart, and
said unto her, There has not come a razor upon
my head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God
from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my
strength will go from me, and I shall become
weak, and be like any other man.

30. Learn from Samson
• Judges 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her
knees; and she called for a man, and she caused
him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and
she began to afflict him, and his strength went from
him.
• Judges 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be
upon you, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep,
and said, I will go out as at other times before, and
shake myself. And he knew not that the LORD was
departed from him.