Bait and Switch

 

Back when gas prices began to be so outrageously high, the news media spent a lot of time on stories relating to the issue. One story I remember listening to was that customers in some locations were being tricked into purchasing gas at one price, only to find when they swiped their credit/debit card a higher price was being charged. This was because the price on the marquee was the “cash” price, but the price went up when the person used a card to pay. This type of trick is called “bait and switch,” where one offers a great looking product, but when the customer is locked into the purchase, a lesser product is substituted without the customers knowledge. Another is offering a product at a great price only to find out, when trying to purchase said product, “We just sold the last one, but for just a few dollars more we have a comparable product, and frankly the one on sale wasn’t all that good anyway.” The seller probably never had any of the advertised products to begin with. The old bait and switch is performed by lots of different people in lots of unusual ways.

As I recall that news segment about the price of gas, I started thinking that Satan is like that, isn’t he? He runs the old “bait and switch” on us all the time. He promises us something grand to disobey God, but then when we get what we desired it turns out to be worthless! Or worse, spiritually destructive! In what ways does he do this to us?

Satan baits us with riches, but what we really get is covetousness and all kinds of evil. As we know, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, but covetousness (love and desire for money and possessions) can cause us to refrain from a close walk with Jesus (1 Timothy 6:10). Remember the Bible’s account of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22)? He was eager to know about eternal life, but when Jesus showed him that his covetousness was holding him back, he went away dejected because he loved his worldly possessions. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Satan wants us to pay attention to physical goods, to the detriment of our souls. He baits us with material wealth, only to switch it with destruction. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Like Jesus, who turned over the tables of the money changers in the physical temple, we must be willing to turn over the tables of covetousness in our spirits!

Satan baits us with physical pleasure, but what we really get is disease, heartache, and judgment to come. Bathsheba was beautiful to David, and he desired to have her (2 Samuel 11:2-4), but it was not right in God’s eyes. Misery began heaping upon misery, as David had Bathsheba’s husband killed on the battlefield and took her as his wife. Because of this act that displeased God (2 Samuel 11:26-27), Davids house would be troubled continually (2 Samuel 12:1-14). Paul wrote that the body is not for sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:13), so we should flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18). It is God’s will that we abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). Satan presents us with opportunities for sexual sin. But after the bait and switch, what we really get are headaches as we hide and lie and reap the consequences of our actions.

He baits us with power, but what we really get is slavery. How vivid is the retelling of Jesus Christ being tempted by Satan! Indeed, Satan boasted to offer Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if only He would bow down and worship him (Matthew 8:8-10). The bait and switch, of course, is that Satan didn’t possess the kingdoms of the world to give to Jesus. When we obey Satan, we become his slave (Romans 6:16). Satan’s methods may seem to make us powerful in this world, but in the end, we reap only destruction. Don’t find yourself caught on Satan’s hook. Jesus is the true Word of God – no bait and switch here!