1. Introduction
   1. I remember many years ago, having these friends or so-called friends that were in the ministry. I remember my ministry was just getting off the ground when this woman had an interest in me while I was married.
   2. She was always very friendly until one day she came out and told me that she was in love with me. I was married at the time and I knew that I had to get away from these people who were professing to be Christians.
   3. My ministry was just getting started and I could feel the trap, the trials and the snares, though the Lord protected me.
   4. I was able to tell the person I wasn’t interested in any way, shape or form and that I was very dedicated to my wife, and she needed to get counseling.
   5. The devil is always out there like a roaring lion. to seek and devour anyone he can who’s trying to do something for the Lord Jesus Christ. 1st Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
   6. I remember that time like it was yesterday. It was devastating. It showed me how quickly the trap can be set and how subtle the devil can be to ensnare you, and the consequences and trials that you would go through to come out alive on the other end.
   7. You and I need to remember that when you begin to do something, the enemy will be right there. Rest assured of it, with his legion of demons to destroy you.
   8. This is why I preach on a consistent basis that you must be prayed up. You must be studied up and have the full armor of God on 24/7 because when you least expect it, the devil is there to entrap you, ensnare you, and then laugh at you as you face the consequences and the trials that come before you.
   9. What about you this morning? Have you ever been involved in something that has entrapped, ensnared and brought you into trials?
   10. If you have, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Now let us start our study today.

 

2. What is a trap?
   1. For the purposes of our study, a trap is an ambush; a stratagem; any device by which men or other animals may be caught unawares.
   2. Here are a couple of scriptures to demonstrate what a trap is. Psalm 69:22: Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. The devil can take what we think is good for us, and make it a trap to get uss off track.
   3. The enemy uses people to entrap us as we see in Jeremiah 5:26: For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. Even among God’s People, there are those the enemy can use to entrap us, so we always need to be prayed up and have discernment.

 

3. What does it mean to be ensnared?
   1. It means to be captured in, or involved as in, a snare. Synonyms are; entrap, entangle, and enmesh. A snare is another word for a trap.

 

4. Why are there consequences and trials we must go through?
   1. When you fall into a trap and make a mistake, God will forgive you, but there will still be consequences
   2. David is a prime example of this. He fell into a trap and made sinful choices. He wasforgiven but had consequences for the rest of his life. . 2nd Samuel 12:10-12: Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.  When someone commits a crime, and later becomes a Christian, they will be loved and forgiven by God, but will still face the consequences for what they did.

 

5. Why do we need to study God’s Word?
   1. When we study God’s Word and hide it in our hearts, we will be aware of the traps and snares, and sin against God less and less. Psalm 119:11: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The more time you spend with someone, the more you know who they are, what they like and don’t like. When you study God’s Word you become more like Him.
   2. You won’t stumble into a trap if you have the lamp in front of you. Psalm 119:105:Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. At our house we have traps near the trash to trap any rodents that try to rip the bags open. If Mike doesn’t heed my word, he could spring the trap himself and get in trouble.

 

6. Why is it important to have on the Armor of God?
   1. Every piece of the armor is needed to fend off the attacks of the enemy. Ephesians 6:11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Here are a couple of items, and why they are so important.
   2. We need our helmets to protect our heads, particularly our minds, and we need the sword to go on the offensive against the devil. Ephesians 6:17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: The place where the devil attacks primarily is our minds. One of the tactics he uses is to try to make us doubt our salvation. When He puts those doubts in your mind, you can use your sword which is the Word of God. We can never lose our salvation! Once we have truly asked Jesus to come into our hearts and be our Lord and Savior, we are SEALED forever as one of his.

 

7. Why is it important to stay prayed up?
   1. We should always be praying and making our requests known to God.                  Philippians 4:6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  Notice it talks about thanksgiving in this verse. We should have prayers of thanksgiving and praise along with our requests.
   2. If you spend time in prayer, God is with you and will answer you. We have this promise in Psalm 145:18: he Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. There’s an old song that says that He’s as close as the mention of His Name. Call upon Him and He will show up.
   3. We should pray always, not just for ourselves, but for all of the saints. Ephesians 6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The success of the Little House is that we let Jesus in every service, and we persevere in faith for one another, and God answers.

 

8. Who in the bible was ensnared?
   1. Sampson was ensnared by Delilah. Judges 16:4-5 and 16-17: And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. The enemy will often use the closest ones to you to ensnare you as was the case here.

 

9. Who in the bible faced many trials?
   1. The Bible tells us that David grew increasingly frustrated from his constant running and hiding, living in caves and surviving on whatever food his men could find or what those loyal to him would give. Psalm 142:1-2: I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. Even though King David struggled mightily, he never remained in this state for long, as he still concludes every psalm praising God and giving Him glory.
   2. Moses also faced trials. One example is when God was testing Moses and his people to see how they would react at having no water. The people of Israel murmured against Moses, wondering what they should drink. He turned to God for help in his struggle, and God delivered. Exodus 15:24-25: And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, Then afterwards, they came to Elim, where the Bible tells us there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees — plenty of water to go around.

 

10. What’s the outcome of someone who is disobedient, and chooses to go his way, and cloaks it with the flavor of Christianity?
    1. Adam and Eve were the first to disobey, and we’ve dealt with the outcome ever since. Genesis 3:17-19: And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  When we go our own way instead of being obedient to God, everthing becomes harder. We will face trials when we’re obedient, but when we are not, we have greater struggles.

1. The Apostle Paul gives a list of sins here to avoid, because those who practice them will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. These works of the flesh Paul describes, are in disobedience to God. If you find that you practice any of these, you might want to examine whether you are truly born-again.

 

 

 

11. Who in the bible was trapped but succeeded through prayer and God’s Word?
    1. The Bible tells us that Satan was trying to sift Peter like wheat. Luke 22:31-32: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. This was just before Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Jesus. He did deny the Lord. Then after Jesus died, he went back to his old lifestyle, but when Jesus rose from the dead, Peter was restored, and we know He was instrumental in the establishing of the early church.

 

12. Conclusion 3 questions
    1. Are you doing anything today that would make a difference to the devil and his gang or are you going along not making any waves, laying on your laurels because you’ve been saved?
    2. Are you studying God’s Word?
    3. Are you making a difference in the lives of others?
    4. Do you have a discerning spirit to know when the enemy’s trying to trick, deceive, and destroy you?