Hi Everyone,

I hope you are well.  Today I am writing about temptation. We know that deception, and temptation are both tools of the enemy.  They are the means by which the devil and his demons accomplish his purpose to destroy God’s people and to wreak havoc on the earth.  This vision comes in four parts.

The Vision

A Tall Man 

Three days ago, while I was praying, I had a vision of a tall man in dark clothes walking.  Immediately in front of his face was a black box that floated in the air just inches from his face.  The box was about 10” high, 8” wide and 6” deep. It hid the man’s face from my view and at the same time, blocked the man’s view as to where he was going.  The box I believe had a door on the front face, which reminded me of a safe. But I also believed it to be computerized in some way. It was definitely leading the man, as if he were held captive and couldn’t look away.  He just followed the black box wherever it went.

A Snake

Yesterday, I was studying, and had trouble keeping alert for the information became monotonous.  I was suddenly startled by a vision—I saw a brown snake, coiled up. It was a slender snake about 2.5 “ in girth, but very long by the size and number of coils.  It was a warm red brown with a muted design down the length of its body. The snake was alert; his head was raised above the coils that were moving. Yet the snake did not leave its location.

The Freezer Door

Today, as I was praying to understand the visions above, God gave me two more visions to explain or clarify. First  I saw the upper door to the freezer compartment on a white refrigerator that someone had left open.

A Tiny Leaf

Immediately following the vision of the freezer door, I saw a tiny leaf about an inch and a quarter in size.  The leaf did not look like a leaf from a house plant or bush. It looked like a leaf from a tree, somewhat like a maple leaf.  Yet it was so tiny, and entirely green. The leaf had fallen to the ground face down with its attached stem standing upright.

What I believe the visions mean

I would like to start with the most obvious first:

The Snake

The snake represents the devil or his demons. I have had several visions of snakes before, and in the past they have always referred to the devil or a demon.  As we all know, Eve was tempted by a serpent in the Garden of Eden. The moment Eve succumbed to the serpent’s enticing words and ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, she sinned.  She opened the door to the serpent, by entertaining the ideas and line of reasoning that the serpent proposed to her.

The serpent first introduced doubt into her mind by asking the question, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  Genesis 3:1  

She answered truthfully, showing that she knew that the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden was forbidden. They were not to eat, or even touch it, for God had told her, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”  Genesis 3:2

Yet we know that the serpent tempted Eve to sin by lying to her: “You will not surely die...For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  Genesis 3:4

The serpent tempted her with the notion that if she ate the fruit, she would become like God.  And that she would know good and evil. Her desire to know something that she did not know before, intrigued her.  Many people are captured or lured into sin by the “forbidden.” A lust for knowledge, to know something someone else does not know, or the desire to know a secret, something hidden from everyone else, is a very real temptation. It represents the desire for power. To know or to do something in secret entices people to open doors that lead to darkness and bondage.

Eve was also tempted with the idea of being like God.  How many people desire notoriety, to be someone special, someone everyone thinks is great, cool, awesome, important, influential or famous. This is what we call the pride of life.  It is what motivates people to do dangerous, illegal and even wicked things to further their careers, to get ahead, to become a success, or to become a superstar. It is rebellion against God.  It is the very thing that captivated Satan himself. “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”  Isaiah 14:13-14

As I was praying to understand the vision yesterday, I ask God to tell me whether the vision was about temptation or was it a warning about what the devil or his demons were planning to do. So I asked the Lord to show me a passage in scripture.  As I opened my Bible, I decided to stick my finger on the page, I looked and found my finger pointing directly at the word “Satan.” It was low on the page in a footnote which read: “(6) Satan presently wars against God and his people (Job 1--2; Ephesians 6:11-18), seeking to draw them away from loyalty to Christ.”  This was a footnote located in the fourth chapter of Matthew, (The Temptation of Jesus), where we see that the Lord was being tempted by the devil. (footnote: 4:10 Satan. The Full Life Study Bible, editor Donald C. Stamps,1992)

So I believe that the message the Lord is bringing to us is about temptation.  Yet, I continued to pray even this morning to know more of what the Lord might be showing us.  

The Freezer Door

The vision of the freezer door was easy to understand. If you or I were to go into the kitchen now and see that the freezer door was open, we would not even give it a second thought—we would just close it.  

It is too bad that we do not see sin, or react to it with the same decisive response. Sin can be hidden from our eyes, especially if we are not walking with the Lord.  We can simply call it a choice, a pastime, an innocent indulgence. But there is no doubt that when sin is given place in a person’s life, it becomes an open door to the devil.  When we sin and do not repent, regardless of the reason, we find ourselves in rebellion against God and his authority. And there are consequences.

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  Romans 1:18-19

The rest of the passage shows us how  we open ourselves up to demonic influence through sin:

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.  

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is for ever praised. Amen.”  Romans 1: 21-25  

The opened freezer door in the vision is there to show us that we have to react to an opened door in the spiritual realm in the same manner that we do with a physical door. When we see an open door— we need to shut it.

We shut doors that that were opened through sin, by repenting for that sin, and asking the Lord for forgiveness. We then ask the Lord to shut the door for us. “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” Revelation 3:7

Now, how are we to respond to temptation? Should we hang around it and think we won’t be affected by it? I don’t think so! We are to flee temptation:  “Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”  1 Corinthian 6:18

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  2 Timothy 2:22

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.”  Matthew 26:41

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 

The biblical account of Joseph, serves as a great example of what to do when someone or something tempts you:  RUN!

Joseph was the son of Jacob (Israel) who was sold by his brothers into slavery.  He was taken to Egypt, where he served a wealthy aristocrat named Potipher, who put him in charge of his whole household.  Being a handsome young man, Joseph attracted Potipher’s wife, who tried to seduce him. 

“But he refused.  “‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.  No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’  And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.  

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.  She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.’”  Genesis 39:8-12

Of course the immediate outcome, led Joseph to prison, having been falsely accused by Potipher’s wife.  This proved to be a trial for Joseph, but he did the right thing in God’s eyes and was later used by God to save the entire country from starvation. Joseph ran when tempted. We are to do the same. Don’t stick around and think that you can merely resist it.

Now in contrast, when the devil comes against us with sickness, disease, fear, doubt, conflict, strife, pain, or trouble, we do not run from him. But take your stand and RESIST the devil

“Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee.”  James 4:7  

How do we resist?  As a child of God, you have been given authority over the demonic powers.  “I have given you authority to trample upon snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”  Luke 10:19

I have written much on the topic of spiritual warfare, so rather than repeating myself, you may want to read this post “Aloycius - Famous Warrior.”  I am sure you will find it helpful, if you are unaware of the authority that you possess as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Continuing in the passage just above, Jesus went on to say: “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:20

The Lord wants us to appreciate that we have authority solely because our names are written in heaven.  It would not be a good idea to take authority over the demonic powers in your life, without being a true born again, filled with the Holy Spirit believer. Because without a true, ongoing relationship with the Lord you have no authority!

The Tall Man

The vision of the tall man who was not able to see where he was going, but followed the black box, represents people who are blind to God and the truth of his word.  They are people who follow their own desires.

In the vision, if the box were a safe, then its contents would be what the man values. The man could not see anything ahead, but the box. He followed the box, as if it were his very life. It gave him purpose and direction, it is the very “treasure” that he sought. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34

By following his black box, God was showing us that the man was an idolater, one who worships things rather than God. What was in the black box? His dreams? His goals? His idea of success? His focus on the black box blinded him.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world the love for the Father is not in him.”   1 John 2:15 

Obviously the tall man loved something more than God.  He cannot be an idolater and at the same time be saved. His love for things proves that he does not love God as the scripture above reveals. What does this have to do with temptation?  Everything! When we shop, when we watch television, when we go on the internet, or speak with nearly anyone, we are confronted with choices, decisions, enticements: “Buy this, do this, sign up for this, you can look like this, you can have your very own…..”  The world is constantly bombarding us with messages to promote dissatisfied with our lives and the things we own. The messages are tempting us to desire, to covet, to lust and to trade in last year’s model for the new and improved, the latest and greatest.   

We should not set our minds on earthly things and be tempted by them:  “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”  Philippians 3:18-19

Paul wanted so much for the church to see that we cannot live as the world does, going after the things that the world has to offer.  He continues to say:  “But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 3:20    

We are on this earth for only a short while.  We don’t know when the Lord will return for us, or what day each of us may depart in death, but we cannot afford to compromise our relationship with God by giving in to temptation that leads to sin. There are temptations of many kinds. Often we are tempted by those things that elevate our status in the eyes of others.

“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:2-4

The Leaf

The vision of the fallen leaf is a warning to those who succumb to temptation.  A fallen leaf represents death. Every year, after the leaves change color and fall from the trees, winter comes.  The leaf in the vision was green. It had fallen face down. This is a warning to the young, who are tempted by our “anything goes” culture.

So many children are left alone with the television  as their babysitter, their full time companion. They grow up viewing the world and its values through the eyes of the entertainment industry.  They learn to take on the world’s values. And because the word of God is never taught in the home, they are crippled spiritually, and not adequately prepared to face the challenges of life.  

Children today have a lot of time on their hands, which is unproductive. With hours after school, and no where to go, they can become bored and anxious. I know of a young guy who for all his summers year after year was not allowed to go anywhere. His home was like solitary confinement, simply because both parents worked, and they were afraid that he might get into trouble, if he went out with friends. No wonder so many teens get discouraged and become depressed. So many attempt suicide.  The devil is working overtime on our children to tempt them with alcohol to numb the pain of rejection.  Some teens are tempted by vaping or taking drugs just to “fit in” with the group. Some kids lacking the love of a father, are tempted with premarital sex, hoping to find love and acceptance.  There is no lack of temptation for the young. The internet gives them access to pornography, music and movies which are filled with images and messages promoting the fast life of wealth and crime, alcohol consumption, drug use, sex and violence. 

As Christians, we are to pray for our children, our families, our nation, and the world.  We need to pray for those that are most at risk. Even in the Lord’s prayer is a plea to not be tempted.  

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!   Yes how great you are, our true Father who loves us. We are your children, and we want to praise your holy name!

Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!  That is our desire.  To put you first. You are seated on the throne in heaven.  How wonderful to have you seated on the throne of our hearts!

Give us this day our daily bread.  Yes Lord, you are our provider.  We have nothing without you and we have everything with you!  Thank you for your provision, our food, our clothing, our shelter.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Please Lord forgive us for sinning against each other and against you.  Help us to be reconciled to one another.  

And lead us not into temptation.  Thank you Lord that you watch over us and instruct us to flee temptation. Thank you for your promise to provide a way of escape, when we are tempted.  Thank you for your promise to never leave us nor forsake us!

But deliver us from evil.  Hallelujah!  You are faithful; you will save us from the wicked one.  Thank you Lord, for you have given us authority in your name, over the powers of darkness, that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven!  

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen!  Hallelujah that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and that we will spend all eternity with you Jesus!

So we pray and we remember to flee temptation, but stand and resist the devil!

“They overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death”  Revelation 12:11

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13

Please share this message with those you know. Perhaps you can share it with your Facebook friends, or other social media platforms. I would love to see more people coming into the kingdom of God and growing as disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Thanks for reading! Be blessed!