A few nights ago, I made sausage and cream cheese dip (the heavenly version of Rotel).
I had already eaten one plate of it, and wanted a little more when I’d finished. But after I ate half of my second plate, I realized I was full. Before I threw it away, I offered it to my sister who was standing nearby. She made this disgusting face and said, “Oh Kelsi, I just ate. I really am so full,” and she probably was full, considering she’d just eaten supper.
But, I put a bite of dip on a chip and put it up to her mouth. Sure enough, she ate the bite I placed in front of her. I looked at her and said, “I thought you were full?” and she said, “Well it’s hard to keep my mouth shut when you shove it in my face.”
And while that is true with food, it is also true with sin. And you see, even though we may not necessarily want what Satan has to offer, or if we know we don’t need what he’s flaunting, it’s hard to refuse it when He’s shoving it in your face.
But it’s especially hard to refuse it when it looks like that ‘perfect’ boy you’ve always dreamed of, or the job you’ve always wished for, or the friendship you’ve always hoped for, or the activity you’ve always wanted to participate in.
All Satan is good at is stealing, killing, and destroying, and he is always at work. As a Christian, if there isn’t any spiritual warfare going on in our hearts and lives, we may need to examine our hearts. Because God is always working in the lives of those that love Him, and If God wasn’t up to something, Satan wouldn’t constantly be trying to rob us of our joy.
It’s always hard for people to believe that God doesn’t want to make up happy – He wants to make us Holy, as He is Holy. And while there is abundant joy in following Christ and in who He is, that often means saying ‘no’ to things that world considers appetizing.
In order to refuse what Satan offers, we have to be full of the Word.
In order to combat lies with truth, we have to know the truth.
It’s impossible to faithfully follow God if you don’t know God. And knowing God comes from reading & studying His word.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Ephesians 6:10-11 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Today, I am so thankful for a God who loves us with an incomparable love. And because He loves us, He promises to deliver us from temptation through faith in Christ and knowledge of His word.
