Lead Us Not Into Temptation...

"Satan doth not tempt God's children because they have sin in them, but because they have grace in them. Had they no grace, the devil would not disturb them... Though to be tempted is a trouble, yet to think why you are tempted is a comfort."  - Thomas Watson

When was the last time you fell victim to temptation? How did you feel afterwards? Did you beat yourself up over it? Did you shake your fist in anger swearing that you'd never let temptation get to you again?

After all, temptation is only for the weak of heart and faith, right? And any strong, Spirit-filled, Bible-waving, Christian would never let temptation get the best of them. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Scripture is full of people who battled with temptation, for instance: Adam and Eve, King David, Abraham, Job, Jonah, even Jesus himself. I certainly wouldn't call any of these people lightweights by any stretch of the imagination!

Temptation is one of Satan's most potent weapons to use against us. He especially loves using it on the faithful of Christ. Nothing makes him happier than to trip up a believer and make him or her question their faith, and perhaps even forsake it.

Granted, it is very difficult to stay strong when under the assault of temptation. And the longer we are under attack from it, the harder it is to resist. But what if you do happen to buckle to temptation?

For one thing, you're not the first, and you won't be the last to do so. We've all succumbed to temptation of one kind or another, and do it more often than we probably care to admit. It doesn't make one evil to stumble. It merely shows that you're human.

Our faith is tested constantly, whether we're aware of it or not. It never ends. Over the course of the lives of true believers there will be many times when they yield to temptation. But, if the roots of faith run deep, they can beat back Satan.

A quote from an early Hebrew wisdom book, Ecclesiasticus says, "He who is not tempted, what does he know? And he who is not tried, what are the things he knows?" We can learn much from it.

Faith in Christ is the only thing strong enough to deal with temptation. Though we may fall flat on our faces, if our faith is deep and genuine, we will not stay down. We can take Satan's best shot, and come back stronger than ever.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 26:41; James 4:7; Hebrews 2:18; James 1:12 

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to resist temptation when it comes, thereby strengthening my faith and and increasing my love for You, amen.

In Christ,

Gianna