pLet’s take a look at the first time in Scripture anyone was tempted and see what we can learn. The Bible says, ‘The serpent was the shrewdest of all the [creatures] the Lord God had made…he asked the woman, “Did God really say…?”’ (v. 1 NLT). First, Satan will blind you to all the good things God has in store for you. But then he’ll keep pushing. Just because you’re out of God’s plans doesn’t mean he’s stop paying attention to you. The enemy’s out to completely beat you back. The next step is taking your mind back with bad habits. ‘Temptation comes from our own desires…These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.’ (James 1:14-16 NLT). Any weakness that’s constantly indulged, excused, ignored, or hidden, gets the power to enslave you. It’s likely that the enemy has assigned certain people to feed your weaknesses. Be discerning. That’s not to say write friends off, just that your weakness will be drawn to any friendship that accepts it, enjoys it and feeds on it. It has an agenda of its own - to take over your life and sabotage God’s plan for you. It’ll always bond with the wrong people and make you uncomfortable in the presence of the right ones. So how do you overcome your weakness? Through willpower? Only through God’s power. And it’s available to you today - so reach for it./p
pWhat now?br /
Like we said yesterday, we need to run from temptation. But what next? When you’re out the door, reach for God’s grace and power./p