Romans 12:2: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Christians don’t always know what God’s will is in every situation. When I say “God’s will” I mean we don’t always have His wisdom and direction to guide us, so we must train ourselves to seek Him before we take action based on our carnal mind’s decisions or emotions.

Satan understands that even though we’re children of God, we’re still humans. Do you remember how he tempted Jesus in the wilderness by using His human needs as a stumbling block in an attempt to get Jesus to abort God’s will? In much the same way, Satan tries to get us to react to his seductive ways by playing on the weaknesses of our carnal nature. Do you have an area in your life where you struggle to overcome your fleshly ways and obey God’s will for you? Over the course of time, the enemy will observe you, and he will discover points in your life where you struggle, and he will “push your buttons.” If this principle sounds strange to you, just look up the Hebrew meaning for Serpent found in Genesis 3.

In Chapter four, Luke tells us that Satan left Jesus alone when He wouldn’t fall for any of his attempts to lead Him astray. Satan, however, was waiting for a more opportune time to return. This’s why we must be very careful to guard our own hearts and seek God about things that “set us off” lest we give place to the Devil and sin.

The answer to overcoming the tactics of Satan (and of this world)—that try present difficult situations to get us to conform to the ways of the world—is to walk by faith. This simply means that we learn the ways of God, place our trust in His ways, and don’t rely on our old ways of getting through trying times. As we place our trust in Him and wait for His wisdom and direction, it gives us time to cool down and not be moved by the heat of the situation.

When Moses led the people of God to the shores of the Red Sea, and they saw Pharaoh closing in on them, they began to panic. God told Moses to instruct the people to trust Him and to be still. Trust and patience are essential if you’re going to overcome the temptation of the enemy who wants to keep you weak and in bondage to the old ways. As we wait and trust in the Lord to bring us through without reacting the same way we always have to certain situations, we can begin to learn the good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. It’s a growing process which takes time and practice until you master the one who wants to rule over you.

Do you want to get your way, or do you want to be free of getting your way and live in freedom by obeying God’s way? When we “get our way” we’re choosing to conform to the ways of the world, but when we respond to temptations God’s way, we’re choosing to allow God to transform us through His Word and will. We want our circumstances changed, but God wants us to change. He doesn’t want His children to live in bondage to Satan, since He’s already set us free from his authority at the cross of Christ. Choose today to take the “HIGH WAY,” which is God’s way, and respond to Satan’s fiery darts with His Word.  —submitted by Asa Dockery, US