The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. I often recite the 23rd Psalm to myself but admit that it can be hard to say, “I lack nothing.” Most people live in want of something. We live in a world of lack – lack of goodness, compassion, justice, mercy, and peace.
Why is there so much evil?
In Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23, Dallas Willard explains why he thinks there is so much lack and evil in the world. While we may blame ourselves for wrongdoing, our behavior is much worse than it would be if not for Satan’s influence.
Most people don’t give much thought to the spiritual world, to either good or bad spirits. But if we want to grow in faith, we need a biblical understanding of evil spirits.
Satan, the serpent in the Garden of Eden, once held a much higher position. The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 14) wrote about the fall of “the morning star.”
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
Since his fall, Satan has been trying to get back at God by disrupting God’s plans for mankind. Satan is a great deceiver, the Prince of Darkness. Jesus called him the Father of Lies. He manipulates our minds with cunning and trickery.
Three Weapons of Temptation
Willard explains that Satan uses “three weapons of temptation.” In the third chapter of Genesis, we read that the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. “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. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
The forbidden fruit was 1) good for food, 2) pleasant to the eyes, and 3) would make one wise. The forbidden fruit met Eve’s physical desire for food. It looked good. But the temptation she couldn’t resist was this:
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan appealed to Eve’s desire to be like God, all-knowing knowing and powerful. Satan fooled Eve into believing that if she ate the fruit, she could be like God.
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.
1 John 2:16
While fasting in the wilderness for forty days and nights, the devil tempted Jesus three times (Matthew 4). First, he appealed to Christ’s hunger. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Then, Satan led Jesus to the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down,” for God will command his angels to lift you up. This temptation was about appearances. Wouldn’t Jesus have looked good to the people – messianic – if he had miraculously floated to the ground?
Next, the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world. “All of this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” Satan appealed to the Lord’s ego. As king of the world, Jesus would be glorified. He would have the power to dominate others.
It’s easy to see the weapons of temptation at work in the world. The TV series American Greed tells stories of people who succumb to all three. A common theme involves a conman using the proceeds of a Ponzi scheme to indulge in the desires of his flesh – sex, extravagant meals, and alcohol or drugs. He buys luxury vehicles and a plane or a yacht. He acquires expensive jewelry, clothing, and other material things to impress people with the appearance of success. His wealth enables him to dominate others and to exercise political power and influence.
Guard your heart and mind
The heart is the source of our actions. If we let him, Satan will rule our thoughts with images, ideas, desires, and fears. Our worst behaviors are driven by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We often find reasons to justify the things we do. We lie to ourselves and make excuses.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.Proverbs 4:23
Willard noted that we are often unaware of the ideas that influence us. Our minds may be influenced by propaganda or false doctrines or a corrupting culture. For example, Americans are taught to pursue the “American way of life,” which is the freedom to do whatever you want to do. As Willard said, “If there is anything you ought not to do, it is to do what you want to do whenever you want to do it.”
It’s important to not only know the ways Satan tempts us but also to be aware of our own weaknesses. If we know what our weaknesses are, we can put up a better defense. God will shed light on our hearts if we ask him to examine it and reveal our sins (Psalm 139:23-24).
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.“
Jesus demonstrated how to defend yourself against temptation. He responded to every temptation with scripture. He knew God’s word.
Prayer is also important. Satan does not want us to talk to God. He attacks our belief in God’s goodness, power, and sufficiency. To resist Satan, fill your mind with God’s word, and pray for his guidance.
Lord, you know my weaknesses. I care too much about what people think of me. I get upset about things I can’t control. You are all sufficient. You provide my every need. I can trust that you are in control.
Innermost Being 