Unsolicited emails are as annoying as a swarm of insects. Perhaps you made an online purchase and later received a stream of follow-up emails enticing you to buy other products. There’s only one way to try to stop them—unsubscribe!
Don’t you wish you could also unsubscribe from nagging temptations that attempt to lure you away from Jesus? While we can’t eliminate temptation, it’s encouraging to know we can subscribe to God’s help in our struggles with sin.
After spending time agonizing in prayer, Jesus returned to the three disciples, who should have been praying with Him. What He found was discouraging. They had slipped into slumber—failing another test (Matthew 26:40). Their deep sleep solicited a gentle rebuke and challenge from their Leader and Lord. Jesus urged them to remain spiritually alert and to continue praying to God for extra power to fight against temptation (Matthew 26:41). God’s strength would shore up their defenses and help them remain faithful to Jesus, especially in the dark hours that followed.
Like unsolicited emails, temptations keep coming at us in a variety of ways. Though we may not feel strong enough to ward them off, we’re not powerless to fight against them. We have the Spirit of the risen Christ empowering us in our struggle against sin. Because He has defeated sin, we too can experience victory. Our connection to His power through consistent and persistent prayer will assist us in fighting against our sinful desires and the devil—guarding our heart and strengthening our spirit. Then, instead of giving in to temptation, we’ll be able to resist its pull and stand strong by God’s faithful provision (1 Corinthians 10:13).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Nehemiah 2:1-20
More:
Read Matthew 4:4-10 to see how Jesus overcame temptation.
Next:
What temptations are you battling? How can you experience Christ’s victory and resist them?
Gary Shultz on April 29, 2017 at 5:30 am
Hi Marvin: They say two things are certain, death and taxes, but before either of those, was temptation. And until death, will at least be temptation, it is part of life. We are tempted to acquire for ourselves, maybe an object, maybe started by fantasy. Then there is the temptation not to do what we should be doing, like today’s reading. All angles are cover, it will shadow us as long as we are in the world. Then Jesus had a different process, He sent help bigger than the temptation. With the Holy Spirit we have the power to resist and turn back any temptation, although not easy, to say the least, as the disciples found. A way will be made. Okay, its not automatic, neither was the first temptation, but as Adam and Eve, we have a choice and now with the help of the Spirit we have the ability, through God, to survive. So Marvin, you ask what temptations are we battling? Most all of them in some degree, at some time. Thanks Marvin.
rick sonnier on April 30, 2017 at 1:49 am
Amen, Marvin! Thanks for that message. 1 Corinthians 10:13 comes to mind here. He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.