Tag: Temptation

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Nobody Ever Said It Is Easy

AUGUST 18

MATTHEW 6:31_Therefore take no thought…

Remember when the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for a time of testing? There was nothing easy about it. Jesus was called to fast, and the devil tempted Him to break the fast and eat. If you recall, Jesus used the same weapon against the devil that we should use – the words of truth. In this instance Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV), “… man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” 

If your family is going through some kind of a struggle, the devil’s temptation is for you to worry. Nobody ever said it is easy not to worry when you are struggling. Use this time to shout out the Joshua chapter 1 cheer: “Be strong and of a good courage.”This is the time to defy thoughts of worry about where your next meal is coming from, or some other need. This is a time to quote the entire verse of Joshua 1:9 (KJV), “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” You’re not in this alone.  Whithersoever covers everywhere. Thou goest doesn’t necessarily mean a certain place. It could mean where you are in the circumstances of your life.

You don’t have strength to just not worry – overpower worry with the truth of Scripture.

PRAYER

Mighty Warrior, You know my circumstances and are with me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is a warrior for me—wherever I am in life!

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Your Heavenly Body

JULY 30

MATTHEW 6:25_Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Raiment is translated as clothing or apparel or garments. Meat in this verse represents any kind of food. 

When you die, you won’t be packing a sack lunch. Food stays here – heavenly food will be provided for your heavenly body. Jesus’ first temptation in the wilderness was to eat when He had been called to fast. Do you recall what He said to the devil? Matthew 4:4 (KJV), “But he answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’’ This calls for the spirit to be stronger than the body. You can practice strength building for your spirit just as your body.  

When you die you won’t be packing a suitcase either. The clothes stay here. You will have clothes on your body in a coffin, but the body in the coffin isn’t going anywhere either.

Again, heavenly clothes will be provided for the heavenly body. Heavenly bodies will not be dependent upon anything from the earth.

Your heavenly clothes may be full of light. How cool would that be?

Whatever you wear in heaven, I promise there will be no fashion police! 

PRAYER

God in Heaven, Thank You my spirit can withstand difficult times. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ strengthens the spirit—He will strengthen mine!

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Don’t Give Him the Satisfaction!

JULY 20

MATTHEW 6:22_if therefore thine eye be single…

When Jesus refers to the eye being single He does not mean a person with just one eye. Neither does He mean a person who has sight in only one eye. Jesus is teaching a principle here, not a lesson in physical science.

If you are a person who only has sight in one eye or if you’re totally blind – don’t you dare think you are in some way inferior. Thoughts of inferiority come from the devil – never from Jesus. As the Creator, Jesus understands the body, soul, and spirit. He understands the principles by which they operate. He created them to function together, with the spirit being the mainspring.

The devil has no understanding, or even knowledge of how Jesus’ principles of life work. He is the deceiver.  It doesn’t really matter to him how Jesus’ creation works, because he plans to deceive you into believing his lies and not the truth. He knows how to discourage. He knows how to intimidate. He knows how to tempt.

The devil wants to deceive you out of your hope. He knows if he can get your focus off of Jesus, and into a defeated, giving up, I-don’t-stand-a-chance attitude, he’s won a major battle in your life. Don’t give him the satisfaction!

Remember, light expels darkness.

PRAYER

Holy God of Heaven, Help me not to be discouraged by the devil’s lies. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ knows the devil’s lies—He helps me overcome!

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Because He Knew the Truth

JULY 8

MATTHEW 6:18_That thou appear not unto men to fast…

We have discussed how after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into a time of great self-denial. Matthew 4:1-4 (KJV), “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ 4 But he [Jesus] answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'”

There were no people in this wilderness experience. Jesus did not have anyone to show-off His great piety for God. The devil came up with another form of temptation, since his, “See how good I am,” scheme would not work. The devil tempts Jesus to break the fast and eat. Jesus overcame the temptation because He knew the truth – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus understood the purpose for His fast. He was led to fast in preparation for His earthly ministry. Jesus knew He needed this set-apart time.

You may think the cross was the only sacrifice Jesus made for you – but there is so much more.

PRAYER

Lord God, Praise You for all the sacrifices You made for me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ gave all of Himself—He did it to love me!

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Good-Versus-Evil

JUNE 19

MATTHEW 6:13_but deliver us from evil…

Because the world is full of evil does not mean good does not exist. Nor does it mean good does not prevail. Good prevails more than evil – it is just harder to see. Ultimately, it will prevail once and for all. In the meantime, you live with evil.

Every day is a good-versus-evil battle. The times when evil wins are difficult. Just to see some of the world’s evil on the News can be disturbing. It causes an oppressive spirit to hang heavy in your soul. You ask God how such things can happen. You wonder how humans reach such a level of degradation.

When there is evil in your personal life – you need hope.  

When you pray not to be led into temptation, add as Jesus did to be delivered from evil. The devil intends evil daily. That’s his intention. It does not mean he wins. God intends mercy daily. God holds all the cards. One card God holds which the devil can never get his hands on is found in Romans 8:28 (KJV), “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“

Get to know this verse and praise God for it. This is why good prevails more than evil. God can take the devil’s evil and cause good for His people. The times when evil wins a battle are not the end of the war. Your hope is in this verse.

Somewhere in the long run, God’s compassion and power will use pain to make you a better person!              

PRAYER

God of Hope, Please deliver me from evil. I know evil is in the world, but I know You are greater than the world. I praise Your power that helps me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ can make good from the devil’s evil – He does it for me!