Last weekend, I went fishing with my three boys. To be honest, fishing is not something I enjoy. I went more for their sake, thinking I could sit by the water and read a book while they had their fun.
My boys came fully prepared—with rods, hooks, and bait. They cast their lines with excitement. I opened my book, expecting a quiet time. But very soon, one of them shouted with joy. He had caught a fish! Then another. And another.
I looked at the process carefully. The fish did not come near the hook by itself. The bait made all the difference. It was the bait that tricked the fish into believing there was food. But behind that bait was a sharp hook. That is exactly how sin works in our lives.
The Devil’s Bait
The devil knows that we will not run straight into open sin. So he uses bait. Just like different fish need different bait, the enemy also studies each of us.
For some, he uses money or possessions.
For others, he uses pleasure, comfort, or romance.
For some, it is pride, reputation, or power.
Not all baits look the same. What tempts me may not tempt you. What tempts one person in their teenage years may look very different when they are older. But the truth remains: behind every bait is a hook. The bait is sweet; the hook is deadly.
The Deceptive Nature of Sin
This is why Hebrews 3:13 warns us: “…that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin always hides the hook.
Think of Eve in Genesis 3. The fruit looked good. It was pleasing to the eyes. It promised wisdom. But in the end, it brought shame, guilt, and death.
That is the way sin works:
- It looks attractive.
- It promises joy.
- It pretends to be harmless.
But once we take the bite, we feel the sharpness of guilt and separation from God.
No One Is Exempt
Age does not protect us from sin. Children, youth, adults, and the elderly—all face temptation. And Christians are not exempt either. Believers are forgiven and freed from sin’s penalty, but until Christ returns, we still live in a world full of temptations and an enemy who seeks to deceive.
The bait may differ, but the goal is the same: to pull us away from God.
- Children may be tempted to lie, to disobey parents, or to compare themselves with friends.
- Young people may be tempted with lust, pride, or peer pressure.
- Husbands and wives may be tempted with selfishness, anger, or neglecting each other.
- Parents may be tempted to rule harshly, without love and patience.
- Employees may be tempted to cheat time, avoid responsibility, or gossip at work.
- Employers may be tempted to misuse authority, show partiality, or treat workers unfairly.
- Older people may be tempted with bitterness, regret, or unbelief in God’s care.
- Christians may be tempted to hide sin, neglect prayer, grow proud of their knowledge, or live with divided hearts.
No one is innocent of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The enemy’s bait may look different in each season of life and in every kind of relationship. But his goal is always the same—to draw us away from God’s truth and trap us in destruction.
How Sin Breaks Relationships
Once we take the bait, sin does not only affect us personally. It damages the very relationships God gave us for joy and blessing.
- With God: Like Adam and Eve, we hide in shame and avoid His presence.
- With others: Husbands and wives drift apart. Parents and children clash. Friends and co-workers lose trust. Sin breeds anger, lies, pride, and distance.
- With ourselves: We feel guilt, restlessness, and emptiness inside.
Sin promises happiness but leaves wounds.
The Only Escape: Christ
As I watched my boys pull the fish out of the water, I noticed something else. Once the fish was hooked, it struggled hard to free itself. But the more it fought, the deeper the hook sank. Every movement only made its situation worse.
That is exactly how sin works in our lives. Once we are caught, the more we try in our own strength to fix ourselves, the more trapped we become. We try to clean up our guilt by doing good works, but guilt remains. We try to hide our sin, but shame grows. We may even fall into more sin while trying to cover the old one.
Sin makes us helpless. And this is exactly what the Bible says: “While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).
This is our only hope. We cannot pull the hook out by ourselves. But Christ comes to rescue us. On the cross, He bore the punishment that we deserved. He takes away our guilt, not by our strength, but by His grace.
In Him, we are no longer helpless victims. We are set free. We enjoy freedom not by our own power, but by the Gospel. The cross gives us forgiveness. The resurrection gives us new life. The Spirit gives us strength to resist future bait.
Application for Families and Relationships
- Stay Awake — Recognize that temptation can come at any age and in any relationship.
- Guard Your Relationships — Husbands, love your wives. Wives, respect your husbands. Parents, shepherd children with patience. Workers and leaders, act with honesty and fairness.
- Stay in God’s Word — Scripture opens our eyes to see the hook behind the bait.
- Run to Christ — When we fail, do not hide. Confess quickly and cling to Christ. He is faithful to forgive and restore.
Conclusion
That day by the water, I realized how much fishing teaches us about sin. The fish only sees the bait, not the hook. And once it is caught, the harder it struggles, the more hopeless it becomes.
We are the same when we face sin. Children to the elderly, husbands and wives, parents and children, workers and leaders—no one is exempt. Even Christians are not free from temptation. But Christ came while we were helpless. He died for us, rose again, and now offers us true freedom.
So let us not trust in ourselves. Let us run daily to Jesus, our Rescuer. Only then can we see through sin’s bait and live in the joy of His freedom.
