                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                        Beware of a Satanic Setup!

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By David Wilkerson
December 4, 1989
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          Paul introduced the possibility of a fall into a
          satanic setup in his letters to Timothy. He understood
          the dangers of a satanic trap or snare: "...lest he
          fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" (1
          Timothy 3:7). But he also gave us a recovery from that
          satanic trap: "...they may recover themselves out of
          the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at
          his will" (2 Timothy 2:26).

          The Greek word for "snare" used in both of these
          Scriptures means a stratagem, a setup, the preparation
          of a noose for the neck. It refers to a well-conceived
          trap. "The proud have hid a trap for me ... they have
          set snares for me" (Psalm 140:5). It is clear that
          Satan is building a gallows.

          Recently the New York Times had a pitiful front-page
          picture of a fallen evangelist in handcuffs. He was
          being led to a waiting car that would take him as a
          prisoner to a psychiatric ward. He was weeping!
          Incoherent! Chained!

          Our church wept that night at our prayer meeting as we
          prayed for him and his family. It was not a time for
          judging but a time for broken-hearted repentance and
          sympathy for our fallen brother.

          The following night I spent a long time on the
          telephone talking to a well-known pastor. He had just
          resigned from his pulpit, charged with sexual
          indiscretions. He is a dear friend; and I plan to stick
          with him through his recovery so that he "may recover
          himself out of the snare of the devil."

          He told me that when he saw on the news the American
          evangelist who was so stressed out and broken, he cried
          our, "O God don't let that happen to me. I don't want
          to end up in such a pitiful condition."

          I hear Christians asking, "How could a man of God, so
          mightily used by the Holy Spirit, do such horrible
          things? How could there be such a failure when a man is
          so touched by God?"

          Satan had set a trap, a well-conceived, well-planned
          snare for these dear brothers. They walked right into
          the devil's noose and he pulled the trap door to hang
          them.

          I don't care who you are, how holy and pure you are,
          how long you've walked with God, or how old or young
          you are. I don't care how much you insist you couldn't
          do anything like that - beware! The devil is out to
          trap you, too. "The thief cometh not but to steal, and
          to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).

          Do you know that all of us have the capacity to fall
          just as low, just as far into horrible sin with all its
          deception, cover-ups, lies and uncontrollable lusts?

          When I saw the fallen evangelist's picture I did not
          ask, "How could he do such a thing? How could he do
          such foolish things with his eyes wide open?" Instead,
          I wept saying inwardly, "Lord, that could have been me!
          We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of
          God. Lord, if all my past sins were uncovered - my
          motives that were impure, my lies, my foolishness, I
          would be just as guilty. Somehow You got me out of the
          devil's trap before the devil could put his noose
          around my neck. You put Your holy fear in me and pulled
          me out of the snare laid for me."

          Looking back I now see where the devil had laid
          numerous well-planned and intricate traps because he
          wanted to destroy me. I can say with David, "The wicked
          (Satan) have laid a snare (trap) for me: yet I erred
          not from Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:10). "Our soul is
          escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler: the
          snare is broken, and we are escaped" (Psalm 124:7).

          But in these final days it is not good enough to look
          back at the satanic setups from which we have escaped.
          We need to be on guard, warned, and aware of what is
          out there in front of us.

          If you are going all the way with God, with a
          determination to obey and pursue holiness, you can be
          100% sure Satan has a hellish setup planned for you.
          Watch out! He has a noose for your neck, too! "Be
          sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as
          a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
          devour" (1 Peter5:8).

          How does Satan set up and trap God's chosen? We are not
          to be ignorant of his tricks and devices! don't believe
          we have all the answers; after all, we see through a
          glass darkly. But we must realise that Satan can come
          against us in all seasons: in our highs and our lows,
          in good times and bad times. His lies are so devious
          and his traps and setups so camouflaged with charm and
          beauty that we can only depend on the Holy Spirit and
          the Word of God to expose it all to us.

          David was trapped in a satanic setup. He walked right
          into the trap Satan set for him and was caught. It's
          been said, "If a person cannot learn from David's
          terrible fall into sin, he doesn't want to learn."

          I've personally learned more about the dangers of sin
          from David's life than from any other example in the
          Bible. I learned not only how Satan traps, but also the
          steps leading to entrapment (read 1 and 2 Samuel). It's
          all here in this tragic story. I won't go over all the
          sad details, but I want us all to be warned of what
          goes on to bring about such a fall.

          The devil set David up when he was at his peak
          physically, financially, and spiritually. David was not
          hiding in a cave, nor was he a penniless fugitive
          running for his life. He was not in a pit of
          discouragement or depressed or burdened down with
          cares. He was on top of the world! No man on earth was
          more blessed than David at that time. He was
          prosperous, greatly loved, and greatly feared.

          David had been on the front lines fighting the good
          fight of faith. He was victorious in every battle! No
          enemy could stand before him.

          There are at least seven major wars listed in a single
          verse. These were great wars with ferocious enemies.
          David literally slew thousands, taking multitudes as
          prisoners. Twice in 2 Samuel 8 we read that the Lord
          gave David victory withersoover he went"... The Syrians
          became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the
          Lord preserved David withersoever he went" (2 Samuel
          8:6), and "All they of Edom became David's servants...
          and the Lord preserved David withersoever he went"
          (verse 14).

          David was feared by all his enemies because they knew
          God was with him! "David got him a name (became famous)
          when he returned from smiting of the Syrians" (2 Samuel
          8:13). What a wonderful place to be with God: blessed
          and enjoying guidance, victory, and a good name among
          all men.

          His family also enjoyed God's blessings! "David's sons
          were chief rulers" (2 Samuel 8:18). But following his
          sin, his family disintegrated. David's son, Amnon raped
          his own sister Tamar; Absolom rebelled and eventually
          was killed; Adonijah also rebelled and was put to
          death; and eventually there was the apostasy of
          Solomon. But before he sinned, his family was united,
          he enjoyed their love and support, and blessings were
          growing on all sides. There was peace at home and his
          family was in control.

          David loved his church and sat under godly shepherds.
          "Zadok... and Ahimelec... were the priests" (2 Samuel
          8:17). The Zadok priesthood represented "a priesthood
          who ministered unto the Lord". It was holy, sanctified,
          and approved by God. He was ministered to by the
          faithful prophet Nathan who loved David but was
          uncompromising.

          David was not starved for the Word. He was not in the
          midst of a spiritual famine. The Word he received was
          pure and according to God's heart. There was no false
          doctrine, no backslidden shepherd, and no polluted
          gospel. He sat under the purest, strongest message of
          the time.

          David was at the peak of his generosity. He was so
          caring and loving that he sought out ways to show his
          concern of others. "And David said: Is there yet any
          that is left after the house of Saul that I may show
          him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" (2 Samuel 9:11). He
          took Mephibosheth, of the house of Saul, into his home,
          "and (he) did eat continually at the king's table; and
          was lame in both his feet" (2 Samuel 9:13). David was
          not wallowing in his luxury; not had he become
          self-centered. Rather, he was abounding in generosity
          and over-flowing with love and concern for the hurting.

          We are most vulnerable to pride at the peak of
          blessings. Prosperity is a much bigger temptation to
          sin than poverty. Watch out when the blessings are on
          all sides! When did Satan set up the famous evangelists
          who have now fallen? When they were at the peak of
          prosperity. He caught them when it looked as if God had
          opened the windows of heaven on them! They were loved,
          popular, and blessed above all others.

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             I. We Mistake God's Blessings For God's Approval!

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          God can and does bless those He approves. Yet, He may
          allow great suffering to those He approves. He also
          blesses, for a season, many who have compromised. We
          tend to think, "I must be doing something right, I'm so
          blessed!" Up to this point God has mightily blessed
          America but that does not mean we are approved by
          heaven.

          A young pastor told me how Satan held him for five
          years in the trap of adultery. He said, "All the time I
          was sinning, lying, cheating, my ministry prospered. I
          wept all the time. I felt so close to the hurts of all
          my people. The devil made me believe God couldn't be
          too mad at me because all was going so well... until
          the bottom dropped out one day." Many have said the
          same thing: God didn't seem angry; the offerings kept
          increasing; the blessings didn't stop; and it seemed as
          if God were still with me in all I did.

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                       II. We Have a Deep-Seated Lust
                        That Is Not Yet Crucified.

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          All through the blessings, David's secret lust was
          growing. He had been compromising the commands of God
          in sins that his society merely winked at, even though
          they were contrary to God's Word. He was heading for a
          fall.

          David was constantly taking to himself additional
          wives; Ahonoam, Chileab, Abigail, Maccah, Haggith,
          Abital, Eglah. Since having numerous wives was
          acceptable and approved by his society, David used his
          society's tolerance for extra wives to satisfy a
          growing lust. He had a deep-rooted sensuality, so he
          took on attractive wives to satisfy this disorderly
          lust. But rather than it being satisfied, his lust
          became more greedy and more lawless as he pampered it!

          David's society winked at polygamy and some have said
          God did also. However, look at what Jesus had to say in
          Matthew 19:8: "Moses because of the hardness of your
          hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from
          the beginning it was not so."

          God never winks at His own commandments. He had
          commanded all the kings of Israel thusly, "Neither
          shall he multiply wives unto himself, that his heart
          turn not away" (Deuteronomy 17:17). When Samuel
          anointed Saul king, "Samuel communed with Saul upon the
          top of the house" (1 Samuel 9:25). I'm sure he also sat
          down with David for long hours, showing him all God had
          commanded of kings. "He shall not multiply horses to
          himself (from Egypt)... neither shall he multiply wives
          to himself, neither.... silver and gold" (Deuteronomy
          17:16-17).

          David disobeyed the Word of God and became blind to
          what was happening to him. Had Zadok or Nathan gone to
          David to correct him, reminding him of what God had
          said, David would have probably answered like most of
          us: "Well, yes, it's there. God did say it's wrong. I
          love God; I love His Word, but God seems to have put
          His seal of approval on it. I just don't think God is
          that strict. Everybody is doing it, even some of the
          priests."

          Satan's setup was designed to appeal to David's
          weakness - his attraction to beautiful women. Satan
          knew what was in David's heart. David had a gentle
          personality and a warm heart for God. But he also had a
          hidden lust burning deep in his soul.

          You can almost hear the demonic planners scheming
          David's setup. "Look, he has a weak spot. There is a
          lust for women in him... he is always looking beyond
          what he has. Let's catch him in a weak moment, lure him
          out onto his royal roof, and put a beautiful bathing
          woman in the next courtyard to tantalize him. Make sure
          the woman is married; because if she is single, she'll
          just be another wife in David's harem."

          What timing was involved! How intricate the setup! They
          both had to be in their places at the right moment and
          she had to be doing something to tantalize his lust.

          David was two-faced about God's Word. You hear him talk
          about his great love and reverence for the Word but
          Nathan said, "Wherefore hast thou despised the
          commandment of the Lord to do evil in His sight?" (2
          Samuel 12:9).

          Listen to what David said about God's Word: "Thy Word
          is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I
          have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy
          righteous judgements" (Psalm 119:105-106). I am certain
          David loved the Word except when it did not line up
          with what his heart wanted. He did not highly esteem
          it; he scorned it, turning aside from its powerful
          claim on him.

          Satan knew David would rationalise, justify, and excuse
          his actions. He also knew David hated sin in others but
          couldn't see it in himself. When Nathan told him of a
          rich man who would not take a lamb out of his vast
          flock but stole a neighbour's only lamb, David called
          for the full judgement: "He shall surly die!" Yet he
          had excused his one sin.

          I am the same man! I have a tendency to see clearly the
          sins of others and be so blind and excusing of my own.
          Last week my wife Gwen was not feeling well. In her
          tiredness, she said something hurting. She shut her
          door and said something I took to be unneeded. I got
          red-faced and said loudly, "That's demonic! I rebuke
          the devil! I won't allow that in my house. I'm the
          priest here and I have the authority to bind it!" I
          left for the office and on the elevator the Spirit
          spoke to me, "David, why is it that when she loses her
          temper it's the demonic; but when you do, its called
          righteous indignation?"

          How easily it is to ask, "How could they do such a
          thing?" But, if we would allow the Holy Ghost to expose
          all the hidden secrets in us, all the inbred lusts, and
          all the impure motives, we would all be on our faces
          crying out, "Lord, I am the man. I am the woman. It's
          me in need of mercy!"

          David's fall was not his lust on the rooftop that one
          night. No! David walked into Satan's trap, unprepared,
          with a growing greed for something attractive. "More
          wives" was David's weakness so another wife (married
          woman) was the bait.

          So many Christian husbands and wives are not satisfied
          with their mates because they are not "spiritual
          enough!" They long for spiritual union, spiritual
          oneness. It can be a most subtle trap!

          One pastor confided to me: "It was a very spiritual
          woman who got to me! My wife and I were in two
          different worlds. She didn't understand the deep things
          of God. She was all wrapped up in her little world.
          This other woman in the church was so on fire, so
          interested in what the Lord was doing in me. We'd talk
          for hours only about the Lord. The Christ in each other
          attracted us, we thought; but it led to horrible
          adultery. We fell as low as any two could fall."

          David would have rejected your observation outright if
          you had told him, "Sir you are two-faced about God's
          Word and you have a history of weakness for more wives.
          You are rich, increased with goods and in need of
          nothing. But you don't know that you are wretched, poor
          and blind to your real spiritual condition. You are
          walking into a set-up! You are putting your neck in the
          devil's noose!"

          God reads your mind and thoughts, but the devil reads
          your actions. You will never see yourself as God does
          and as Satan does until the Word of God is your only
          guide. You will never deal with what you see until you
          allow the Holy Ghost to apply the Word as a rod to your
          soul and a bright light in every corner of your life.

          As I was reading the story of David's cover-up and
          attempt to bribe Uriah, the knife of the Holy Spirit
          struck my soul. I saw some areas of my life that are
          just as bad! I saw little things that have the same
          seed of evil in them!

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                    III. We Grow Weary of the Warfare.

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          David had become weary of battle. "And it came to pass,
          after the year was expired, at the time when Kings go
          forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants
          with him, and all Israel... but David tarried still at
          Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11:1).

          Yet, the day was coming when David would not be
          permitted to fight. Years later, in another war with
          the Philistines, "David waxed faint..." A giant was
          posed, ready to kill David, when Abishai rescued him.
          "Then the men of David swore unto him, saying, Thou
          shalt go no more out with us to battle that thou quench
          not the light of Israel!" (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

          But David was not old or faint of strength. He was just
          tired of it all. David stood before his warrior Joab
          and all the armies gathered out of Israel, encouraging
          them to "go on, be strong, fight like good soldiers."
          David was going to relax, let up a bit, and have some
          recreation.

          I wonder what David said to himself as he saluted his
          passing troops? Was he feeling guilty? "I'm not going
          on a guilt trip. I'm not going to do anything wrong.
          I'm just going to have a little relaxation! The
          intensity is really getting to me and I just can't go
          on like this."

          This is exactly where many Christians are in the
          spiritual realm: weary of spiritual warfare, weary of
          correction, and weary of the straight and narrow way. I
          am not talking about the human realm. There is nothing
          wrong with taking time off for vacations, boating,
          swimming, golfing, etc. I am talking about letting down
          the spiritual guard when we grow tired of walking in
          obedience and tired of waging spiritual war.

          Some of you reading this have taken a vacation from the
          warfare. You are weary of heart and have said to
          yourself, "I've got to ease up or crack up! I'm not
          going to love the Lord any less and I'll stay faithful.
          But for a while I have to do what I have to do. I must
          follow my heart and my heart says, Relax."

          Beloved, your timing could not be worse! Spiritual
          relaxation or letting up is the final spring in the
          devil's trap. You are choosing midnight to go on
          vacation. "And that, knowing the time, that now it is
          high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our
          salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is
          far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
          off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour
          of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
          rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and
          wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on
          the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
          flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans13: 11-14).

          If the night were far spent and the day of the Lord
          near when this was written, then how much nearer must
          it be now! There can be no relaxing in this last
          warfare. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
          the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
          whom he may devour... whom resist steadfast in the
          faith"(1 Peter 5:8-9). Satan will not relax; he will
          increase his efforts. We dare not sleep! Nip the first
          sign of temptation in the bud. See the destroying hand
          of the devil behind it all. Paul admonished Timothy to
          "stir up the gift of God, which is in thee" (2 Timothy
          1:6).

          All through the New Testament, God is calling us to
          awake, to be vigilant and aware, and to put on the
          whole armour. We are not to sleep as do others, but be
          quickened, ever ready, and always looking for and
          hastening to the day of the Lord.

          Relax in this war, and you are dead. Relax, and you are
          going to be hung in the devil's trap. That call to
          relax is right out of hell! It is the siren call of
          Satan himself. Be warned because it's high time to
          awake! David relaxed right into the arms of Bathsheba!

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          We Are Promised Escape Through Prayer And Trust in God.

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          "Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me,
          and the traps of the workers of iniquity... let the
          wicked fall into their own nets... while I escape"
          (Psalm 141:9-10).

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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