Flee temptation

Every moment of resistance to temptation is a victory.  Frederick W. Faber

In the previous devotional, we spoke about King David and how he fell into Satan’s trap (2 Samuel 11 & 12). It would seem that things were going well in David’s life at that moment. He had just defeated the Syrians and was on His way to defeating the Ammonites. Could it be that his successes had caused him to let his guard down? Could it be that his relationship with God was not where it should have been? Did he let go of the boundaries that the Lord had put in place in his laws and precepts? We don’t know why David gave in to this temptation with Bathsheba, but we do know that no one is exempt from temptation. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT),

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

The Way Out

So what do we do when temptation comes? The short answer is, “flee!” Exercise your will and flee immediately, don’t hesitate. But how do we find that way out that Paul talks about, so that we can flee? As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been given boundaries within which we are to conduct our lives. These boundaries are the weapons that give us the victory over Satan’s lures. To be able to flee Satan’s temptations, we go into spiritual battle mode and use the weapons found in scripture to declare victory over our lives. We can declare:

“Greater is He (almighty God) who is in me, than he (Satan) who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Prayer is a crucial way out of temptation. An important element in our prayer is confession. We confess that we’ve given in to temptation or are contemplating it and allow God to provide the grace and strength to flee from it. Jesus taught us to pray that we will not be led into temptation, but be delivered from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). Perhaps we need to pray this intentionally each day.

But the ultimate way out for us is through Jesus Christ, who commanded us to stay close to Him. To stay in the vine (John 15:1-17) so we can be nourished by Him, and bear fruit for His kingdom and glorify Him. When we give in to temptation, we are not glorifying Him. We are glorifying our baser instincts, which betray our declaration of faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

“The weapons of my warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

Reflection

Have there been times in your life when you have found it difficult to resist temptation? Are you facing temptation right now? Trust God to provide the way out for you. Trust Him to give you the grace and strength to flee this temptation.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that You have provided a way out for me in this temptation I am facing. Show me how to take up the weapons that You have given me and declare Your victory over Satan. Lord, I confess this temptation to You. Give me the grace and strength I need to flee from it. Help me, Lord, to stay in you so that I can be nourished and bear fruit for Your kingdom and glorify You. In Jesus ’ name I pray, amen.