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In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we read that God makes everything beautiful in its time. It is comforting to know that nothing is wasted in God's economy, but all of it will be used for our good and His glory. You're invited to join us for poignant conversations and compelling interviews centered on believing for His beauty in every season.
Shannon Scott (00:18.464)
Well, hey guys, welcome back to Everything Made Beautiful. I'm so glad that you are joining us today. And we're going to be talking today about something that I have been clinging to for several years now as a way to help me combat the schemes of the enemy in my life. And lest there be any confusion, Everything Made Beautiful is not a concept that dismisses or
downplays the difficulty that can come with a life devoted to Christ with wanting to walk in a way that upholds the truth of scripture in wanting to be conformed more and more to the image of Jesus. This is not a walk in the park and Everything Made Beautiful is not an attempt to just do a too blessed to be stressed kind of
cracker barrel coffee mug existence to life. That is not what this is about. Everything Made Beautiful takes into account both the truth of scripture and the difficulty of living this life in a fallen world. And it says that even though things are difficult, even though things are hard, even though they're suffering, it is still true that God is making everything beautiful in its time.
So that's what everything made beautiful is all about. And as part of that, there are a few things that I live my life by. I've talked about the sovereignty of God, I've talked about considering the upstream. And today I wanna talk about this mantra of it's a trap. And the way that this kind of came into my life was that many years ago,
I was reading scripture as I do often and I was reading a Psalm that I've read and I've read it over and over and over again, frankly. It is one that I'm familiar with and on this particular time that I read it, it was like it was the very first time I'd ever seen it. And that was Psalm chapter 31 verses one through five and the NIV says, in you Lord, I have taken refuge.
Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me. Come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit
my spirit. Deliver me Lord, my faithful God. Keep me free is what jumped off the page to me like it was the very first time I'd seen it. And I wrote it in my devotional journal. It's a trap, like literally quotation marks, exclamation point. It's a trap. And it was like I was seeing it for the first time and realizing
it's a trap. And I remembered anew in that moment that not only do I struggle with my own flesh and the ways it's opposed to the spirit in me, but I also struggle against the enemy of my soul and the traps that are set for me. Now I want to be clear lest someone ride up into my comments and start having a theological debate with me.
I'm not necessarily saying Satan himself is tempting me or you all the time. Nor do I believe every red light or mosquito bite is a scheme of the enemy. I don't claim to be an expert in spiritual warfare or to know exactly how every part of the spirit world operates and how principalities and powers and evil forces in the heavenly realms reveal themselves. But scripture tells us several things that we can take to the bank.
In Ephesians 6, 11 through 13, we see put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore,
take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm. So we see in that scripture that there is a battle that is raging and there is an armor that we are to wear in that battle. And in 2 Corinthians 10 verses three through five, we see, for though we walk according to the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, every thought. James 4 .7 says, submit yourself therefore to God, resist the devil.
and he will flee from you. 1 Peter 5, 8, be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. So we're not here on earth, unconfronted by forces of evil. We are not simply left to our battle against our own flesh. We are engaged in spiritual warfare. And in a spiritual battle that rages,
It will do so until its ultimate foregone conclusion of victory for those who are in Christ Jesus. So you can go to someone else's podcast for the exegesis on the finer points of spiritual warfare. But for me, I need the reminder that what I encounter in my life and my walk, the things that seem to buffet me, as Paul described, these things are a trap.
In that time of my life where Psalm 31 -4 burst off the page for me, I began to realize that people are not my enemies, but the enemy of my soul is my enemy. Now you might be thinking, well, duh, Shannon, but I think it's really easy for us to buy the lie that other people are our enemy when scripture so clearly tells us that our battle is not actually against flesh and blood.
I became really aware that the strategies of the enemy against my soul were tailor-made for Shannon Scott. Now, the enemy has many strategies as revealed in scripture and Dr. David Jeremiah, who is a phenomenal pastor and theologian, has taught on a list of nine different strategies of the enemy. I'll put that article in the show notes because it's quite good.
He says that the nine strategies Satan uses are that he, number one, twists the word of God, he disguises himself, he imitates, he counterfeits, he steals, kills, and destroys, as we know from John 10, 10. He afflicts and oppresses, he accuses, he blinds, and he hinders us, which I thought was such a good list.
And I'm really aware that I give the enemy everything he needs in order to know how to specifically tempt me, okay? Because while the enemy is not omniscient or all -knowing, he is very observant. Scripture says he's prowling around. My words tell him the ways I'll be most susceptible to having amnesia about my victory in Christ and being defeated by the traps set for me.
As Andy Stanley says, we give ourselves away by what we say. And the same is true for you. So let's talk about just a few of the many traps that I think are common to us, even though their specific details will likely vary across our lives. First, consider the trap of deception or deceit. This is certainly one of the enemy's most insidious tactics, I think.
So deception whispers falsehoods that twist our perception of reality. Deception leads us to believe lies about ourselves, about others, and even about God. The enemy sets this trap with the intent of distorting truth, making us question our identity, our place in the world, yet God promises to free us from this trap.
His word is the light that dispels darkness and through his truth, we can see clearly and break free from the snare of deception. But make no mistake, the only antidote for deception is truth. We must know the truth in order to be set free. When I'm caught in the trap of deceit, it's paramount for me to return to truth in scripture and to have other people who are willing to say true things out loud to me.
Next, there's this trap of fear. This is a formidable enemy as fear can paralyze us. It makes us hesitant to move forward and it can even cause us to question our faith. Fear takes on many forms from the fear of our own well -being to fear of the future, from fear of failure to the fear of what others think, fear that God will not come through, maybe fear of harm.
Friends, fear is a cancer to our souls. The enemy knows that if he can ensnare us in fear, he can stifle our progress. He can paralyze our spirits and slowly suffocate our souls. But scripture says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but instead of power, of love, and of a sound mind. So God, our refuge, offers us courage and strength in the face of fear.
He offers love, his love. His promise is that he will deliver us from this trap set for us, providing us a fortress of peace where we can find boldness to confront our fears and continue moving forward. When my kids were little, they watched a series of kids' videos at their grandparents' house called Paha Pahui Island.
Joyce Meyer voiced one of the characters and her character was Miss Ruby. And Miss Ruby encouraged the kids that when they were afraid, when they were facing fear, they should just do it afraid. And there's a lot of truth to that advice. When fear is present, you can recognize that it's a trap, trust and believe the promises of God and do it afraid.
Now I know it's way easier said than done. Believe me, I am in a very do it afraid season of my life as we speak. You are listening to a podcast that I am doing afraid. And another trap of the enemy along with that fear is the trap of doubt. This is a subtle and persistent force. It makes us question truth, our faith, our decisions, often our very purpose.
Doubt can erode our confidence and shake our foundations. Remember the enemy's question to Eve in the garden? Did God really say? And this question has been plaguing the children of God ever since. Doubt is a sibling of fear that we just talked about because doubt often leads directly to fear. If God did not really say, then I'm afraid of what's next.
But Psalm 31 -4 reassures us that even in the midst of doubt, God is our refuge. He will free us from the trap of uncertainty, restoring our faith and guiding us with clarity and assurance. But again, in order to overcome the doubt of did God really say, we must know what God has and hasn't said in His word. This is how we're kept free from the trap of doubt.
I find that often in my life, doubt gets introduced right as I'm about to obey the Lord, or right as I'm about to undertake something I believe God has called me to. It took me years to start this podcast, y 'all, years, because of doubt, which led to fear. So hear me when I tell you that I get you if you struggle with doubt.
But I find that the enemy tends to introduce doubt right into our moment of obedience. Did God really say? And this is when it's important to have flesh and blood people reminding us. C .S. Lewis said, a friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. I have these friends, you know who you are and I wouldn't be doing this without you.
But then there's the trap of temptation. This is a sinister trap because it doesn't always appear initially negative like these others do. The enemy sets this trap with alluring promises and deceitful pleasures designed to lead us away from the path of righteousness. But like every trap, it is intended for our destruction. The word for trap or net in Psalm 31, four means a malicious
plot. So there are no traps of the enemy that are not a big deal. They are malicious in nature. Friend, flee temptation. Get your Nikes on and run. As I was writing this, I have to tell you, I felt like God wanted me to say this, so I'm going to say it and it's for someone. Friend, you will not
be the one to dabble in deceitful pleasures and not be overtaken by them. You will not be the one to crack the code on giving in without selling out. You will not be the person who can juggle sanctification and secrecy without compromise. So flee in whatever way that looks like. Temptation can be a powerful snare drawing us into actions and habits that lead to destruction.
Yet God's promise is to deliver us from this trap as well. With his strength and our reliance on him, we can overcome temptation and stay true to our values and calling. Finally, I know there is a very real trap of despair. This is perhaps one of the most crushing traps where the enemy tries to overwhelm us with hopelessness and a sense of defeat.
Despair clouds our vision and makes us believe that escape is impossible. We lose sight of the promises of God and the hope for our future, but God, our refuge, promises to free us from the grip of despair. He offers hope, renewal, and a future filled with promise, lifting us from the depths of discouragement and setting our feet on solid ground.
If you are struggling with despair, know that it's a trap of the enemy and that your heavenly father does not speak despair over your life. Hope is possible. Talk with a pastor or counselor and say what's happening out loud to someone who could connect you with resources to help you. Despair is a trap. Now there are others, of course, but those just felt pertinent.
So as we navigate the complexities and challenges of being people living in the way of Jesus, let us cling to this promise with unwavering faith. When we find ourselves ensnared by the enemy's traps, may we turn to God, our refuge and trust in his deliverance. He will guide us out of the darkness and into the light of his protection and his grace. And if it helps,
You can do what I do. Okay, so when I realize a snare is before me or a trap is offered to me, I name it out loud. I literally say out loud, nope, it's a trap. And this emboldens me to refuse to be caught in it or buy it.
And you can do it too. You can do it in publics. You can do it in the carpool line. You can do it in your office. You can do it in your bedroom. You can do it at home. You can do it with your family. My kids know it's a trap. They say it's a trap. My coworkers, we always, we would just yell from our offices if we got an email that was threatening to pull us into a trap or into a snare, we would just yell, it's a trap.
I know women who have said that they have yelled, it's a trap in the middle of Publix. Whatever you have to do to remind yourself, but not only yourself, that enemy of your soul, that you have his number, those out loud professions are a strong tool to frustrate the schemes of the enemy. Ephesians 5 11 says have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather,
expose them. And one of the ways you expose those fruitless deeds of darkness, it's a trap. So as we end today, I think it's fitting to finish the way we began, which is with Psalm 31, one through five. One of the ways God makes everything beautiful is his word to guide, comfort, exhort, convict, and embolden us.
So may we never forget the treasure we have in it and the tools that are in it that are at our disposal to use against those schemes of the enemy like it's a trap.
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge. Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me. Come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me.
For you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit. Deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. We'll see you next time.