1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
THEME OF THE DAY: TWO WAYS TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION. In one of the great hymns of the faith, A Mighty Fortress is our God, Martin Luther penned these words in verses one and three – “A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe. His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. And tho’ this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph thro’ us. The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him, His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure: One little word shall fell him.”
Does this hymn describe our view of the Christian life in this world? Do we wake up each day with an awareness we are about to enter a battleground filled with devilish temptations ready to lure us into sin? Are we walking in each day of our lives knowing there are spiritual foes lurking all around plotting ways to personally attack us and cause great spiritual damage? I hope so. I hope we are living each day armed with both knowledge of the spiritual conflict we are in as well as the knowledge of the armor of God we are to wear (Ephesians 6:10-18). Remember, an uninformed Christian will be an unarmed Christian which always produces a spiritually defeated Christian.
So, as we enter each day of battle, one of the most important truths to keep before us is the fact we will be tempted to sin. It doesn’t matter what area of sin – attitude, action, or speech – we will be tempted today and throughout the day. Not a day in the Christian life is temptation-free. If we think it is otherwise, we are uninformed of the true nature of the Christian life. And let me repeat myself; the uninformed Christian will be the unarmed Christian which always produces a spiritually defeated Christian. Be forewarned, there will be temptations that come our way today. Some will be easy to detect and avoid. Others not so. Others will be more subtle and if not watchful, will snare us, lure us, and lead us to temptation’s sad end – sin against our loving and holy God.
When it comes to recognizing and successfully defeating temptation, two things are essential. First, a prayer life that is constant. Yes, constant. We are told to “pray without ceasing” and that is possible (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Walk with God throughout the day. Live in a conscious state of His presence. Talk to Him as we do our jobs, run our errands, and fulfill our responsibilities. This is the first line of defense against temptation. Live prayerfully. The next thing is to be on guard of the first sign of temptation. The Puritan Thomas Guthrie gave wise insight on watching out for the first sign of temptation. He wrote, “Take alarm at an evil thought, wish, or desire! These are the germs of sin–the floating seeds which drop into the heart, and finding in our natural corruption a fat and favorable soil, spring up into actual transgressions. These, like the rattle of the snake, or the hiss of the serpent–reveal the presence and nearness of danger! The experience of all holy men proves that sin is most easily crushed in the bud–and that it is safer to flee from temptation than to fight it. Fight like a man when you cannot avoid the battle–but rather flee than fight.” Guthrie tells us, “When the first indication of a temptation starts to put its self before us, immediately avoid it, pray against it, flee from it whether it be a thought, action, or attitude.”
Yes, the Christian life is one of daily temptations, but we can avoid the sin that comes when temptation is fulfilled. The weapons of our avoidance is prayer and being on watch for temptation’s first alluring sign.
PRAYER: “Father, make so sensitive to temptation and sin that puts me on guard throughout the day.”
QUOTE: “The spiritual war a Christian is called to is daily, all day along, and must be fought as such.”