Have you ever said, ”It’s not my fault”?
Maybe it wasn’t or maybe it was. Often we choose to do something and it all goes wrong and rather than admit we have done something wrong we try to blame someone else for our actions or inactions.
Many in the secular world we live in today would argue that there is no absolute truth. Can a wrong be considered right if done for an appropriate reason? Is there no black and white only shades of grey?
The secular world may ignore the truth of God’s Word. They may even ignore His words recorded for us in the Bible.
Perhaps for some people ignorance is bliss as the saying goes. But there is a very real battle taking place that has been going on since the beginning of creation. A spiritual battle between the truth of God and the deceptions of God’s standards.
Yet the devil tries his hardest to lure us away from the truth. He tempts us and beckons us away from God’s will and purpose. Satan even tried to tempt Jesus away from following the will and purposes of God.
In the 4th chap. of Luke’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. The devil perceived an opportunity to tempt Jesus and says to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus resists the temptation and tells the devil, ‘No!,’ people do not live by bread alone.”
We are also read the devil took Jesus and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He then says to Jesus, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
Now perhaps to some people that would be enticing, the prospect of wealth, power and fame. A lifetime Luxury, but at what price? What’s the bottom line? What is the small print on the contract. I can imagine the devil standing there, contract in hand, pen at the ready, thinking of himself and saying this is going to work.
The devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple and says, “if you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scripture says, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands, so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
The devil tried to entice Jesus and he failed so the devil gives up and leaves.
When temptation comes, what do you do? Do you choose to do what you feel like doing or do you choose to do what God would want you to do?
The secret to resisting temptation is to pray that you will not give into it, asking God to strengthen you. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. Trust God and resist the devil.
While we are in the world we will be in a constant spiritual battle. The devil will try to tempt us in our weak moments.
Daily we need to put on the whole Armor of God. God has not left us defenseless. As believers and as disciples of Christ, we are God’s children and we are also his soldiers. As soldiers our job is to fight the enemy. Satan is already defeated. He may try to make our lives difficult, he may try to tempt us away from God and God’s plan for us, but his fate is certain. The devil has no escape.
When temptation comes, when our determination to follow the path God wants us to follow waivers, when Satan tries to tempt us on to what seems to be the easy way, when things become difficult, stand firm in your resolve, pray and put on the armor of God.
May God help us daily to put on that armor.
