Enticed

by Hugh DeLong

Twice in this chapter (II Peter 2), Peter writes of brethren being enticed (II Peter 2:14, 18). Only James uses this word when he wrote that “each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust” ( James 1:14)

Louw Nida wrote in their definition of this word: “to lure or entice someone to sin.” They continue that the word “may often be translated as ‘to make sinning look attractive’ or ‘to make sin taste good’ or ‘to wave sin in front of a person’s nose.’” A closely related word means to ‘bait’, as when fishing.

I have never been much of a fisherman (usually doing a lot of fishing but little catching), but even I know an empty hook is unlikely to catch much of anything except snags. So, we ‘bait the hook’. Such baiting takes on almost epic proportions of study, thought, and trying by avid fishermen. All of this simply to find out what fish like!

So it is with us; our enemy’s two main weapons are deception and temptation. He tests us by using our own desires as the bait!

The key then is simple: change what you desire! It is hard to be enticed by ‘fleshly desires and sensuality’ if your heart is completely set upon living with God. Think of Joseph being tested by Potiphar’s wife, but he was not ‘enticed’. The bait was set before him, but he didn't bite! He had greater desires. Or think of Moses, who had all the pleasures of Egypt's sin set before him, but his greater desire to live with God kept him from being enticed by such sin.

How foolish it is, then, to live a godly life by allowing ourselves to live in the same old environment as before and learning to say ‘no’. While we must indeed learn to say no to such bait, the greater and more effective solution is to change our very desire concerning such. We learn to love what God loves and to hate what God hates.

Seriously, what entices you? What desires fill your heart?