DAILY TEXT, Today's Friday February 3, Oppose the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

DAILY TEXT, Today's Friday February 3, Oppose the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Friday February 3

Oppose the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

What if we discover that we have fallen into the traps of pride or greed? Is there a way to escape? Of course you do, for the apostle Paul said that those who have been caught alive can escape the Devil's snare (2 Tim. 2:26). Let us never forget that Jehovah is more powerful than Satan. If we accept his help, we will be able to escape from any trap that the Devil sets for us. Of course, rather than having to escape Satan's traps, it is preferable to avoid them from the start. This is only possible with the help of God. So let's pray to Jehovah every day to help us see if such unpleasant attitudes have begun to influence the way we think and act. (Ps. 139:23, 24). May we never fall into their networks. Satan has been the hunter for thousands of years. But soon he will be bound and eventually destroyed (Rev. 20:1-3, 10). How we long for that day to come! In the meantime, let's remain vigilant so as not to fall into their traps. Let's do everything possible to prevent pride or greed from dominating us. Let us be determined to follow this advice: "Oppose the Devil and he will flee from you." w21.06 19 pars. 15-17.

According to Ephesians 5:3, 4, what is the antidote to covetousness?

What do we learn from what happened to David? That the antidote to covetousness is to always be grateful for all that Jehovah has given us (read Ephesians 5:3, 4). We must be content with what we have. We teach our Bible students to think of something nice in their lives and then thank Jehovah for it. If you do this for a week, by the end you will have talked about seven different things in your prayers (1 Thess. 5:18). Do we do something similar? If we meditate on all that Jehovah has done for us, we will be more grateful and content with what we have. Then we will not fall into the trap of greed.

What did Judas Iscariot do because of greed?

Let's talk now about Judas Iscariot. We know that he became a despicable traitor, but he was not always a bad person (Luke 6:13, 16). After all, Jesus chose him to be one of his apostles. Without a doubt, he trusted him, because he put him in charge of the box in which they kept the money they used for preaching expenses. It could be said that it was like the donations for the world work today. Jesus had warned them many times to beware of covetousness (Mark 7:22, 23; Luke 11:39; 12:15). But Judas didn't listen and, after a while, he started stealing.

At what point did Judas show that he had become greedy?

Judas demonstrated that he had become greedy on a certain occasion shortly before the death of Jesus. Simon the leper had invited Jesus and his disciples, including Mary and her sister Martha, to his home. While they were eating, Mary got up and poured expensive perfumed oil on Jesus' head. Judas and the other disciples were outraged. The disciples may have thought that the money could have been used in the ministry. But Judas was upset for another reason: "he was a thief" and wanted to steal money from the box. Soon after, greed led Judas to betray Jesus for the price of a slave (John 12:2-6; Matt. 26:6-16; Luke 22:3-6).

How did a couple apply the words of Luke 16:13?

Jesus reminded his followers of this basic truth: “You cannot be a slave to both God and Mammon” (read Luke 16:13). This is still true. Let's see how a couple from Romania applied these words of Jesus when they were offered a temporary job in a wealthier country. They admit: “We had to pay a large loan to the bank. So at first we saw that job as a blessing from Jehovah.” But there was a problem: the work would take up time in their service to Jehovah. After reading the August 15, 2008 Watchtower article “Stay Loyal With a Unified Heart,” they made a decision. They say: “If our motive for working in another country was to earn more money, we would be putting our relationship with Jehovah in second place. We were convinced that our spirituality would be harmed”. So they declined the offer. And what happened? He found a job in his country that met his needs. She says: "Jehovah's hand is never short." They are both very happy that their master is Jehovah and not money.

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