Hello ,

 

A 2013 Super Bowl commercial advertised the Mercedes Benz CLA. The ad starts with thirty-something man sitting in a cafe.

As the waitress serves him a cup of coffee, the man looks out the window and sees two workmen unveiling a new billboard for the Mercedes CLA.

His eyes look longingly at the car when a man dressed in black sits across the table from him. The Satan-figure (played by Willem Defoe) says, "Nice car!" "Sure is," the young man agrees.

The Devil himself than holds a gold fountain pen in his fingers with pointed and polished fingernails. He says temptingly, "Make a deal with me, kid, and you can have the car and everything that goes along with it."

As the young man takes the pen, he visualizes himself in a series of scenes that represent all the world has to offer. In the first scene he drives his Mercedes to a red carpet awards ceremony, exiting the car with a gorgeous woman on his arm.

In the next scene, he's at a nightclub dancing side-by-side with his good buddy singer-songwriter Usher. Then the young man is driving his car with several attractive women as passengers.

In the next scene he's a popular model being photographed for trendy magazines. Finally, as he jumps into his car to escape a mob of women, he's suddenly driving a Formula One race course speeding by the lead car.

Then the ad shifts back to the young man is back at the table in the café. The tempter asks, "So what do you say?" Holding the gold pen, the young man's eyes stare down at the contract and then gaze out the window where he sees the relatively low price of the Mercedes on the billboard. "Thanks, but I think I've got this!" Immediately, the tempter disappears in a cloud of smoke.

We are rarely tempted by things that we're not interested in.  The devil knows how to push our buttons in ways that can often leave us feeling stupefied and confused.  God has a better plan.

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Submission to our Heavenly Father is the key to overcoming temptation.  Once we submit, He can give us the power to resist...even when the temptation is white hot. 

Have a great day and God bless!

 

Pastor Mike / The Open Word