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While I was in prayer the Lord laid a message on my heart that is
important for each of us to remember. The Lord spoke to my heart
concerning protecting our mind and body from the wiles of the devil.
There are so many people that have trouble with fighting off temptation
that I feel led to share with you how we can be successful in
defeating the enemy by the authority of God's Word.
Being tempted is not a sin in itself, but following through with the
temptation is where sin comes into the picture. There are hundreds if not
thousands of ways the enemy will come and try to tempt God's people and
the only way we can be successful against temptation is by standing strong
on God's Word and resist in the name of Jesus.
When Jesus was on the earth, He went through every emotion that we go
through, even temptation, yet He never sinned. When Jesus went into the
wilderness and fasted forty days and nights, the enemy came to Jesus to
tempt Him and with every temptation Jesus answered the devil with
scripture. The devil tempted and Jesus answered, It is written. The
devil tempted again two more times and again two more times Jesus
answered, It is written and He quoted scripture (Luke 4:9-13). If Jesus
Christ, the only begotten Son of God defended Himself from temptation by
answering the enemy with scripture, then how much more do we need to equip
ourselves with God's Word to fight off temptation.
The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places." We need to always keep in mind that this is not a flesh and
blood war, but a spiritual war. Whenever you feel an attack, you are to
speak the scriptures and believe by faith that God has sent forth His
angels to protect you and deliver you from every plan of the enemy.
Never allow sin to take you out of the will of God. Sin will always start
out small but it will eventually grow and grow unless you stop the cycle
and repent before the Lord. Sin when it is finished will bring forth
death as it is written in James 1:15 "Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
It is up to us to be alert and recognize the tricks of the devil and
resist them in the name of Jesus. (James 4:7)
Imagine for a moment if a burglar broke into your house while you were
home. Would you welcome him in and allow him to go through your house to
see what things he wants to steal from you? Of course you wouldn't. You
would do everything in your power to get that thief out of your house as
quickly and harmlessly to yourself as you can. It is the same thing with
your mind. The enemy will come ever so subtly to tempt you or plant an
evil thought. He will then sit back and see where you will go with it.
It is then up to us to cast that temptation out or to leave it in and
pursue what the enemy tempted us with. Just as you would do whatever is
necessary to get the thief out of your house, we need to have that same
mentality when the enemy comes to us with temptation.
The Bible says in James 4:7 to submit yourself to God, meaning to give Him
all your cares and worries, and to resist the devil with all your might
and because you have resisted and not followed through with the
temptation, the devil will flee from you because his power has become
ineffective.
Remember, it is a spiritual war we are fighting and our sword in combat is
the Word of God as we read in Ephesians 6:16-17 "Above all, taking the
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the Word of God."
Never allow the sin in your life make you think that God will not or can
not forgive you. Forgiveness will come, but you must first repent and ask
the Lord to forgive you. It is simple, yet we must take the first step.
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
James 1:13-17 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:
for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But
every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning."
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
John 10:10 Jesus says "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's."
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
All scriptures can be found in the King James Version.
Again, to God belongs all the Glory, Honor and Praise because without His
leading, this ministry would not be the blessing that it is to the
thousands of members that we have around the world.
In Christ Service,
Dwayne Savaya
Gods Work Ministry
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