The devil is crafty.  He knows that most Christians will easily overcome his frontal assaults so he often tries a more subtle approach.  Sometimes he tries to lure Christians away from God with things that are good, not only to most people, but even to God.  Good things, when improperly used, can ruin the soul, and the devil knows this.  Let us be careful that we do not allow things that are not inherently sinful, to become sinful to us.  What are some things that might fall into this category?

Family is the first thing that comes to mind.  As important as family is, we must never allow God to take a back seat to them.  Jesus put it like this:

Matthew 10:37 (ESV)
³⁷  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

We must never put family before God.  It is not too much for Jesus to demand that we put Him first in our lives.  He put us before Himself when He died for us on the cross.  It is not unreasonable for Him to expect us to do the same thing.   Over the years, I have seen members of the church put family before God in many ways.  Some forsake the assembling of the saints when their family comes to town.  Others put family before God by refusing to disfellowship family members who are living unfaithfully.  Some put family before God by accepting a false doctrine on issues such as marriage, divorce, and remarriage just because a family member has either accepted the false doctrine or is practicing it.  I could probably give other examples, but family, as good and important as it is, can become a stumbling block to us if we allow it.

Recreation is something else that the devil will use to draw us away from God.  Whether it is sports-related, entertainment-related, or some other form of recreation, it is usually good for the body and mind.  We all need vacation time, and Paul indicated that bodily exercise has some value as well (1 Timothy 4:8).

Rest and relaxation can rejuvenate us and help us to function better.  What recreation cannot do is help us spiritually, and if we are not careful, the devil will use different forms of it to weaken our souls.  Have you ever forsaken any of the worship services of your local church for some kind of recreation (e.g., Wednesday night basketball tournament for one of your children)?   Have you allowed different functions such as Future Farmers of America events, State or Local Fairs, etc., to cause you to miss assembling with the saints?  Have you taken innocent games and turned them into gambling affairs for recreation?  These are just a few examples of the devil influencing people to use good things in bad ways.

Satan will even use biblical things like baptism to get to people.  The Bible teaches the necessity of baptism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 2:21).  However, Satan has convinced some that they are saved just because they have been baptized.  They fail to live according to the Word of God, but to them, it does not matter because, after all, they have been baptized.  It is important to remember that while baptism will put one into Christ, going to heaven takes being faithful until death (Revelation 2:10).  Do not let the devil deceive you into thinking otherwise.

Yes, the devil sometimes uses good things to take advantage of unwitting people.  Do not let him do it to you.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.