The Lord Jesus Christ issues a warning to his disciples in the book of Matthew 26:41.
He says, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I believe this word is not only applicable to his disciples but also to us today.
Temptation happens to all of us.
It comes to all of us. We are all susceptible to temptation. That is why the Bible warns us over and over to keep ourselves safe.
2 Timothy 2:22 gives another warning when it says, "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts.
Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts."
Run, it says. And it is paramount that we run because when we do not run or take note of the warnings we have been given, what follows is usually devastating.
First to our faith and even to our lives as Christians.
The Bible tells the story of a man named Samson, a man heavily anointed with strength from the tribe of Dan.
The Bible has no record of a man like Samson until we get to the book of Judges. And after him, there was no one like him ever recorded.
It was recorded in Judges 13:5, where his birth was foretold to his mother. This is what was told to her.
You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazerite dedicated to God from the womb.
He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
Samson's sole purpose was to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
That he was a mighty man, was not in doubt. The Bible is full of verses that record the feats of strength Samson performed in his time. Feats that left his enemies trembling.
Samson was feared by the Philistines and he seemed untouchable for the longest time.
But then the Bible tells us something about this man.
Great as he was, the Bible tells us of this man's lack of caution. His fall began when he fell for a woman named Delilah.
Judges chapter 16 ,verses 4-6 says sometime later he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Sorak whose name was Delilah; the rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, see if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him. So we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you shekels of silver.
So Delilah said to Samson, "'Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued."
The Bible records that she pressed him day by day until he conceded and told her the secret of his strength, and that led to his losing his power and his life.
All it took was temptation to trap and kill a man. So great, a man destined to do great things.
And that is why the Word of the Lord cries out to us about temptation.
Many great men and women have fallen to temptation through the years.
Destinies that were to be great were cut short, never to be remembered again.
People who were to do great things were forgotten because they fell to temptation.
Temptation has always been one of the most deadly and effective weapons the devil has used against believers through the ages. And he has won over and over again through this weapon.
He has destroyed and silenced destinies all over the world. It does not just come to the weak. It comes to the weak and the strong alike. Jesus was tempted. The disciples were tempted and several men and women, several Christians have been tempted and the devil is not stopping.
And the horrible fact about it is that many never get a do over, once they fall.
All it took for Samson to lose it all was one fall. One fall. We never really know how many chances we have. That is why we must abide by the rules of scripture.
The Bible does not assure us that we are stronger than temptation. It does not tell us to stay where we are tempted and challenge the temptation.
The verses we have read today give us two very clear directives. The first tells us to watch and pray. The second tells us to flee.
When the Bible says to watch, it means to be vigilant, to know what and who come around us.
This has saved me as a person more times than I can count. Just being vigilant and intentional about what I allow around me.
You have to be truthful to yourself, to what you want for your life, and to who you are as a child of God.
If what is coming around you does not help you draw closer to God, if it drives you closer to temptations that can hurt you, temptations that can harm your faith, temptations against which you are weak, then you have every right to say no to that thing without apology.
The first person who must be protected is you and your faith.
The Bible tells us very clearly in Proverbs chapter 4: verses 14 to 15, "Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it. Do not go on it. Turn away from it and pass on."
But caution alone is not enough.
The Bible says to pray to God.
Prayer empowers us for a multitude of things.
Prayer covers us, shields us, and protects us from many unseen hings, many of which we will not even know the Lord has protected us from or taken away.
That is why we must have the daily habit of praying.
Praying must become a lifestyle for us.
It is something we must practice daily.
And one of the things we must pray against is temptation.
When you feel those things that make you weak are getting too close, you take them to God.
And then the Bible says to flee.
It does not say stay. It does not say negotiate. It does not say pamper. It does not say ignore. It says to flee.
It means to run hastily away from temptation.
To run hastily away from things that even look like temptation in appearance.
And the Bible gives us yet another directive today.
A word recorded in Psalm 119:1 where the psalmist says, "I have stored up your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."
The instruction in this verse is very clear.
When we stay in the Word, when we hide the words of the Lord in our hearts, it helps us to stand against sin.
It helps us to be prepared, to have a heart ready and willing to honor God.
Declaring the Word God gives us the strength to say no in the face of tempting circumstances.
If you feel that you are in a place where you are being tempted or if you have been tempted and have fallen or maybe you are stuck in the cycle of temptation, that cycle of being unable to say no, then the first thing I recommend to you today is prayer. I invite you right now to stand against temptation in the place of prayer and to let the Lord work in your life. Let's pray together.
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Heavenly Father, I am weak and I feel that weakness spreading by the day.
I have not been very watchful of who or what I let into my life and into my space. And Lord, I have not been very prayerful. I have also not fled. And I feel the negative impact that not doing these things has had on my life.
That is why I come before You today to ask that You help me. Deliver me from temptation, Lord.
Deliver me from the things that I have let into my heart and into my life that are now leading me toward ruin. Help me to overcome them and to stay faithful to you.
I also ask Lord that you have mercy on me. Forgive me today Lord and help me to walk righteously before you.
When I need to stay away, help me to stay away. When I need to flee, help me to flee, Lord.
And when prayer is needed, help me to pray.
Help me to guard my life against all the vices of the enemy. Help me to guard my life against all the subtle attacks of the enemy.
I also pray Lord that you help me to have the right people around me.
The right people who will help me to be closer to You and help me Lord to be firm and to say no where needed.
Give me the wisdom to say no the right way and the courage to stand against whoever will reintroduce temptation back into my life.
Help me, Lord, to build a life of prayer. A life that has learned to call upon You in joy, in distress, and particularly in times of temptation.
Help me build a life that is fully tuned into You with a relationship of consistent communication.
And I also ask Lord that You help me to study and stay in Your Word.
Help me to commit your Word to my heart and mind so that it can change my life, so that I will not sin against You.
Help me to know what You are saying in every situation from Your Word.
Heavenly Father, I also need strength today. Give me strength to stay faithful and strength to do what is right when temptation arises again.
Strength to stay in Your Word, to stay in prayer, and to stay in my consecrations.
I also ask for restoration, Lord.
Whatever has been stolen from me because I fell in the past, Lord, I ask, let there be restoration.
The parts of myself, my testimonies, and the blessings that the enemy has taken because I have not been able to keep myself from falling to temptation. I pray for mercy today, Lord. And I ask that there be restoration.
Lord, I am grateful because I believe You have answered my prayers today.
Thank you for deliverance, for giving me strength, and for showing me mercy. I appreciate your restoration and renewal in my life.
Thank you for breaking every cycle of temptation that has taken from me.
I am thankful for a renewed spirit of prayer and a fresh life in Your Word.
Most of all, I thank you for your endless love. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus.
Respected reader, I hope this devotion helps you stay watchful, prayerful, and strengthened against every temptation that tries to pull you away from God.
I believe the Lord give you wisdom to flee from what can harm your faith, give you courage to say no where needed, and give you the grace to walk faithfully in His Word today.
If you have any special prayer requests, feel free to share them in the comments. We would be honored to pray with and for you.
Your prayers and support mean so much to us.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
God bless you.
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