The Devil’s Prey
We forget that the Devil is a fisherman too. To capture and ruin people, he uses a hook so sharp we don’t even feel the point slip in. Each time we take the Devil’s bait, we set the hook a little deeper. But we don’t realize that we’ve been caught, until we start to struggle against a “bad habit.” Then the barb suddenly bites deep into our flesh and it becomes a fierce battle to get free.
When we’re first hooked on the Devil’s bait, warnings begin popping up in our thinking.
- “I know I shouldn’t, but…” The bait’s too tasty; just one more nibble…
- “I can quit anytime…” Meanwhile, the hook is sinking in deeper.
- “I hope my family/friend/pastor doesn’t find out…” Time to quickly swim away.
- “Just once more, then I’ll quit…” False promises; the surest sign that we’ve been hooked.
Fishing Techniques
Human fishermen study the type of fish they want to catch. What’s the preferred habitat? Deep ocean, still pond or rapidly flowing river? When is the species most active? What type of prey do they hunt? The greater the knowledge, the better chance of getting a bite.
Catfish-The best bait? Fresh, smelly chicken livers. Pieces of liver slip off the hook easily, but if a catfish is in the area, this bait is almost irresistible. The water washes away the liver’s smell in 15 or 20 minutes, so keep the bait fresh. A second good bait? Crayfish. These “little lobsters” are a staple in the catfish’s diet. Big juicy worms? Catfish love them.
- Salmon-Salmon eat roe or fish eggs. Strips of herring or smelt are also tasty. Salmon prefer low-light conditions, so a bait with something flashy attached helps attract this fish’s attention. Salmon have thick jaws, so use razor sharp hooks. The best fishing conditions are overcast days and at dawn and dusk.
- Rainbow Trout-This species has good eyesight and will avoid any fishing lines they can see, Most fishermen use the thinnest line possible, unless fishing in murky waters. Rainbow trout eat worms, crayfish, minnows, large kernels of corn, cheese, grubs and maggots, along with most other bug larvae. Grasshoppers and crickets are popular baits in the fall. Fishermen often cast upstream, letting the bait be pushed downstream by the current, This causes the bait to drift past the trout’s natural cover.
Most experienced fishermen know that a bait can produce multiple strikes in the first few hours and then none at all the rest of the day. Like people, fish have changing food preferences.
What Bait Tempts You to Bite?
I’m not going to list any of the baits the Devil uses against us. Each Christian knows what temptation is personally hardest to resist.
When Jesus spoke of catching eternal souls for God’s kingdom, he used the imagery of a fishing net.
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous. (Matt 13:47-49 NIV)
Fishing nets usually don’t harm the fish. At the end of the age, those who belong to Christ will be separated out from the sea of humanity and rescued, to spend eternity with Him.
In contrast, after cruelly hooking his prey, the Devil guts his catch, leaving them gasping on the hot sand, far away from the living water of Jesus’ salvation and forgiveness.
Ruining human lives is the Devil’s passion and he is very good at it. Beware of his hidden hooks.
The Almighty, because of His mercy, has filled the Bible with all kinds of scriptural warnings against doing evil. He sees the horrible pain and misery sin brings. Satan does too.
So what bait have you been nibbling on today?
Resources:
I don’t fish, so all my information came from expert fishing sites on the internet. My thanks to my friend Gene, who enjoys fishing and confirmed I got my facts straight. Here’s the sites where I did my research:
