Sin Popsicle

Up in the arctic circle there is tribe of Eskimo's who have learned to set a very simple yet effective trap for wolves. First they sharpen a knife razor sharp. Then they dip it in the blood of a seal they have killed. (you see seals are fairly easy to trap but wolves are very dangerous). After dipping the knife in blood they set it outside in the cold so the blood freezes on the knife. After if freezes (a matter of minutes) they dip it again into the seal blood and again take it out an let the blood freeze. Layer after layer they make a blood popsicle. When they are done, the knife's blade is hidden inside just like a popsicle stick. Now they take the knife out into the wilderness where they think a wolf might be. There the bury the handle of the knife in the snow leaving the blood popsicle standing up and they leave.

Now after a while a wolf will come along guided by his sense of smell and find the "bloodsicle". He will being licking it, enjoying every taste. Over and over he licks the knife and soon his tongue is so cold he cannot feel it any longer. It's numb. But his taste for blood is growing and he is not getting as much as he wants - you see, popsicles are slow eating. Finally his licking exposes the razor sharp edge of the knife. It cuts into his tongue again and again but he does not even notice for his tongue can no longer feel anything. The wolfs own blood now flows from his cut tongue. The wolf is thrilled, blood is now more plentiful and he continues to lick more and more.

Soon he notices something is wrong, he is getting weaker not stronger. Since he knows blood as food he increases his efforts to feed on the ever increasing flow of blood. His last thoughts are of how good the now warm blood tastes. Within minutes he licks his last and collapse next to the now fully exposed knife. Here the Eskimo knows he will find the wolfs body the next morning.

Now Satan's is capable of much more elegant schemes to trap us and injure us with sin than the Eskimo and we are often less wise than the Wolf. So Peter and Paul have both written to encourage us. They write -

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet 5:8 (NIV)

The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ......, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 2 Cor 2:9 &11 (NIV)

The Bible teaches us that temptation itself is not sin. (see Heb 4:15). It begins with our natural desires and Satan. Satan knows about our sin nature just as the Eskimo knows of the wolves desire for blood. He then sets a trap for us and lies to us to convince us we must act outside of God will in some area of our life.