In His Name Devotionals
WHEN TEMPTATION COMES
In His Name Devotionals
WHEN TEMPTATION COMES
Jesus’ experience lets us know that temptation and sin are not the same things. That you can be tempted does not mean that you have sinned or that you must. It simply means that you must have a strategy for dealing with temptation in the power of the Spirit of God. Here are some suggestions that might help.
First, never be surprised by temptation. No one is exempt from it, and no one is invincible to it. Something that you have prayed about and struggled with and thought you had overcome may still have an appeal to you at some weak moment. Don’t be shocked by your humanity and weakness!
Second, stay in the Word of God and prayer for the sake of keeping your conscience tender to the Lord. It was not coincidental that Jesus responded to Satan’s temptations in the wilderness encounter with quotations from Scripture. If you are not living with that same Word in your life, it will not come to you magically in your times of temptation. And Jesus taught us to pray for deliverance from Satan and his seductions to evil (Matt. 6:13).
Third, be serious enough about your spiritual life to avoid people and situations you know to be unhealthy. All of us have the ability to play games with our own hearts to rationalize our presence in situations where we have no business. That person provokes you, but you continue being with her. He does not respect your personal boundaries and tries to seduce you into having sex with him, yet you still occasionally accept a date with him when he calls. Nobody needs to tell you the right thing to do in these situations. You simply need to decide how serious you are about following Christ.
Fourth, if there is an area of particular vulnerability in your life, dedicate a time of prayer and fasting to that issue this week—at least twelve hours, and perhaps a full day. Fasting does not force God’s hand. It signals your repentance, consciously opens your heart to the Spirit’s purifying power, and puts you on heightened alert against Satan. You have this promise from Jesus: “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, Who is unseen; and your Father, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6:17-18).
Fifth, see the positive side to temptation. And what is that? If you take it seriously, it will drive you closer to your Father. Resisting Satan has the effect of showing you the one safe place in all the cosmos (Jas. 4:7-8).
We will never develop Christian character except through struggle waged against Satan in the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. Don’t make peace with Satan, for he is the enemy of your Savior.
