Dear Heavenly Father,
Now more than ever, we are being bombarded with temptations, but You have not left us defenseless, and You tell us in Your Word how to handle things. We learn in James 4:7-8(NLT) “7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” The greatest victories in life are won by humbling ourselves before You and trusting Your Word. In Matthew 4, Jesus Christ was tested by the devil in the wilderness after he had fasted 40 days and nights. After every temptation, he responded with the truth of Your Living Word. This is how to resist the temptations of the enemy.
If there had been another way to handle the evil trickster, then Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son, would have used it. He knows how to please You, and He knows Your Divine Secrets and Mysteries. So we have learned an extremely valuable spiritual defense tactic from Christ. He didn’t struggle and fight against the enemy. He simply stood on the truth of Your Living Word. That’s what we must do as well.
The enemy knows our weaknesses, and this is why his attacks sometimes cut so deeply. You’ve warned us about this. In 1Peter 5:8(NKJV), You tells us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The enemy wants to gobble up all the goodness that You’ve blessed us with, but we have a Rescuer in our Master Jesus.
Hebrews 4:15 tells us that our Lord and Master dealt with the same temptations we do. He’s our High Priest, and he understands all the stuff we go through down here on earth. He endured way more than we do, yet he did not sin. We have the Spirit of Christ dwelling on the inside of our temples, so we can confidently know that through the example of Jesus Christ, we can stand firmly planted in Your Word. By doing this, the devil has to flee.
Sometimes, the flesh seems to be gaining ground, because we’re vulnerable in certain areas, but through the name of Jesus Christ, we speak life to our dead places; we are covered through his blood and we declare his power in every area of our existence. We rebuke any attempt to pull us down, and stand in the victory that Jesus Christ won for us. The devil is a lier and has no power over us.
1Corinthians 15:57(NLT) declares, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thank You for victory after victory over sin, Heavenly Father. Thank You for warning us through visions, dreams, and others about plots of the enemy; please do not let the devourer trick us at our unawares. Let us wake up, Dear Heavenly Father, and pay attention to what You reveal. We love and honor You, Holy and Glorious God. Thank You for manifold blessings and opportunities to uplift Your Kingdom. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Thank You for Victory over Temptation”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.