To do otherwise leads us down his path of destruction. Therefore, we must choose to trust Him and reject the enticements Satan offers us. 10:13).īecause God is faithful, we don’t have to yield to temptations. We have a promise from the Lord that teaches us to rely fully on Him: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. This kind of overconfidence is no foundation at all because our only hope is to be strong in the Lord and His might, not in our own power. Since Satan is always seeking to deceive, divide, or destroy us, we must be alert and watchful at all times and never think that we are too strong to be tempted. This is Satan’s ultimate purpose-to destroy our testimonies, lives, finances, marriages, and families by deceiving and dividing us. He wants to create chaos by stirring up criticism and distrust. The devil seeks to cause division in nations, churches, families, and friendships. They make excuses for their sin based on their situations and needs. Those who love their sin are quick to question or twist the truth of God’s Word in order to justify their choices. Believing Satan’s lies is the first step toward following him. We must remember that he is our enemy who feeds us lies to keep us from living faithfully and righteously as God desires, which is the best possible life. Yet the devil keeps trying to move us in a direction away from the truth by convincing us that we don’t have time to read the Bible or that we won’t understand it. However, we know that God’s Word says nothing can separate us from Christ. ![]() The devil wants to demolish our relationship with God, our interest and faith in Him, our desire to pray, and confidence in our eternal security. Satan hates the fact that God alone is worthy of all worship and honor so he offers us a plateful of other options to distract us from Him. To deny God the worship and glory He deserves.Although the Lord is infinitely more powerful, Satan is always trying to undermine what He desires for us. ![]() ![]() One of his goals is to take our minds off the Lord and spiritual matters in order to get us to focus on material and sensual desires. He often tempts us with what we do not need or should not have as he seeks to bring us down. The devil tries to trip us up when we are at our weakest, and he knows exactly who or what to use as a lure. These attacks could come at any time or from anywhere. It’s a deliberate, willful assault by Satan upon an individual for the purpose of doing harm in the spirit, soul, or body, or all three. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Chapter 6 addresses the reality of spiritual warfare and the provisions Christ has made for us to successfully resist temptation and deception. The next two chapters tell us how we are to walk with the Lord in righteousness. The first three chapters of this letter deal with the spiritual wealth that belongs to us when Christ is our Savior. It’s described at the end of the book of Ephesians. However, for those of us who belong to Christ, we are not without a defense strategy. God still loves you and will forgive you.” He is ready with a long line of excuses: “You deserve to have this. The devil knows when we are the most vulnerable, what suggestion is most appealing, and how to make us think we must have it. Only the elements of his temptations vary according to the desires and weaknesses of each person. Satan lied to Eve about the wonderful benefits of eating the forbidden fruit, and he’s been doing the same thing to humanity ever since. Temptation began with Adam and Eve shortly after creation. Will we yield quickly without a struggle, successfully fight against it, try to resist but eventually give up, or make excuses for surrendering? Today we are living in a sensual age in which enticements are everywhere, and we could respond in several ways. ![]() However, we need to stop and consider that the voice we’re listening to is Satan’s, and what he’s offering is a path to destruction. We’ve all experienced this, and sometimes the pull is so strong that we begin to come up with reasons why yielding isn’t so bad. When was the last time you felt vulnerable to a temptation? SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES: 1 Corinthians 10:13 | 1 John 1:9
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