TEMPTATION'S TENDENCIES

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“We must remember that the adversary knows us extremely well. He knows where, when and how to tempt us.” -- Robert Hales.

So true.

A good friend of mine MJ describes our minds and spirits as hotels; lots of doors and access points. And unless we are mindful of those open doors in our hearts and minds, those doors where we are susceptible to the enemy, then we are at risk of attack and infiltration by him.

Never forget, the enemy prowls around our hearts and minds looking for a point of entry and open door. He is relentless and tireless. And while he is neither omniscient nor omnipresent, he has carefully observed our tendencies over time and he knows where and how to strike just as Hales surmises.

1 Peter 5:8

Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.

So the hard core truth is the enemy is real and is constantly working and seeking ways to tear you apart. And his best weapon is temptation.

And as I said yesterday, Jesus warns us of our enemy and his plans. He knows and has experienced the intoxicating power of temptation. Jesus knows our enemy intimately and He knows our susceptibility

Matthew 26:41

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!

Unfortunately we will never be beyond the reach of temptation. Not until they cover us with dirt. It is a permanent part of our world and of human experience. But the temptations that we face are not unique to us nor are they bigger than us or capable of getting the better of us. The Bible makes that crystal clear.

1 Corinthians 10:13

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

And even if we could rid ourselves of all external temptations, we'd still have to live with the destructive desires within our secret selves.

James 1:14

Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes.

The bottom line is we need to accept that we will always be susceptible to temptation in our areas of weakness and predisposition. It is unrealistic to believe that our sinful nature will ever get better. When we put away the magical belief that temptation will disappear, we will be more aware and better able to avoid falling under temptation's power.

So how do we do that?

We need to simply and prayerfully seek God's help in dealing with this reality of life. For GOD has the answer!

1 John 5:4

…every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

Therefore our response to temptation is simple.

It is a choice.

Will you choose to trust Jesus to HELP you with your temptations today?

He is ready to help!

Have a great day!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney