Sometimes our experience in life is outside of our expectations seeing that in the knowledge of our expectations we have perceived little knowledge about the work of our adversary. We can be living in a false sense of security because of our adversary lures us to sleep concerning his ability to deceive us. We so often forget that our adversary the devil, goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1^st Peter 5:8 speaks clearly. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour.” His devices will find our limitations and invade our space, and can lead us astray. Paul in writing to the church at Philippi, says in verse 9 of Chapter 1: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more knowledge, and in all judgment: that ye may approve things that are excellent: that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ: being that with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

We may have heard or discovered in the Bible that we have an adversary, but he is a deceiver and deceptive in all his doings. We can think he has no way of invading our space, but when we get lazy, and a bit distant from the discipline of being a disciple of Christ, and we don’t continue in faith, trusting the Word of God to keep us, our eyes get blinded by a false sense of security. Paul writes these words by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Philippians 1:8 “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And his I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. That ye may approve things that are excellent: that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. The meaning of that word is helpful. In the Greek, “aproskopos”, and it means as one that is not lead into sin. Our adversary the devil goes about seeking whom he may devour. We even may think we are strong, but our adversary can and does deceive at times, and we end up regretting our limitations as men and women of God, and God gave us the Holy Spirit to discern and stay away from those things that can and will destroy our testimony.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth in 1^st Corinthians 10: for we see in verse 7 that some were idolaters, and in verse 8, some committed fornication, and he writes in Verse 9 “Neither let us tempt Christ, and after giving a few more examples, he says these powerful words. “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it.” It is wisdom to not be alone with another woman as a married man, and the same for married women alone with another man. It is even better when we don’t place ourselves in situations where things can happen. Thank God this morning that God does teach us and instruct us in the things of righteousness, providing the Holy Spirit to deliver us. Do we have godly expectations: Where do they come from? By the Holy Spirit’s unction written in the letters to the saints. God prepares a way for us in the Word of God so as I have said recently, it is important to put on the whole armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-20