Paul wrote, ‘I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray.’ Temptation always begins in the mind, and in order to protect it, we need to dwell on God’s Word. It was Satan who planted the idea in Eve’s mind to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve wasn’t standing around trying to think of ways to disobey God. So whenever we’re tempted, we need to remember that it’s not God speaking to us. The new natures we have from God don’t think that way. The devil studies and analyses us, in the same way an experienced coach studies the game videos of the opposing team, until he knows our weak spots and which temptations have the best chance of success. When we give in to a temptation, we can often say to ourselves, ‘I promise I won’t do that again.’ But we do. That’s because Satan knows what works on each of us. But we don’t have to feel defenceless and discouraged. The Bible says: ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). Satan waits until our defences are down before he strikes, but God always provides ‘a way out’. For every temptation we’ll ever face, God has an escape route. So although we’ll never be free from temptation, we can have victory over it. And once Satan discovers his tactics no longer work, he’ll go looking elsewhere.

What Now?

Write your own personal prayer to help you resist temptation and defy the devil. If you know of any specific temptations that always seem to catch you out, include them in your prayer. Say your prayer every morning before you start your day.