TheBETTERLife Post
Week of January 19-24, 2015
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TEMPTATION?
Everyone gets tempted. If you are not being tempted right now you will be tempted in the days ahead. Not only that, your biggest temptation will be difficult for you to resist. Reason is simple: Temptation is never detestable or unattractive. Real temptation is a subtle evil with a strong appeal. Call it a "desirable evil" if you please. The power of temptation lies in the fact that they are often blended with the necessities of life. For example - sleep, food, money, rights, self-esteem, expectations and standards.
Think of sleep. Sleep by itself is not evil; it is essential for a healthy mind and body but sleep can also kill if one falls to the temptation to sleep at the wrong time and place. Many lives have been lost to the temptation to sleep either on the wheel while driving or with the wrong people at the wrong places. Another common temptation is a sense of right. It is essential to know and fight for our rights but if we fall to the temptation of allowing our sense of right and entitlement to run wild, we can become victims of resentment, separation, divorce, suicides, murder and wars. How? Uncontrolled sense of right will usually build mountains of unrealistic expectations and fights that lead to resentment, strife, sickness, separation, divorce and wars.
Need I say that every temptation comes from the devil and not from God? God may test our strength from time to time in order to build us up but God will never tempt anyone because temptation is evil in intent. But knowing that temptation is ill-intended is not enough to overcome it. We need God's help. Without this, no one can truly overcome any temptation that is wrapped with life's essentials or things we consider important or normal and needed for a happy life.
The question is what is your biggest temptation? By "biggest" I mean "one that has power to break you". Yes, if you have a relationship with God through Christ, God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear but that is by PROVIDING A WAY OF ESCAPE for you. Do you know what that way of escape is? Do you know how to find and use it? The word of God has answers: PRAY AND PREPARE
A. PRAY.
When we pray we see temptation for what it is: Satanic strategies designed to trick and trap us away from divine protection and provision. That is why God tells us to "Give no place to the devil"(Ephesians 4:27) but to resist him. The only way to effectively resist the devil is to pray on the basis of the word by the help of the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus did. After fasting and praying for extended period, Jesus became hungry and Satan came with food. Does food appeal to a man who has not eaten after 40 days? But Jesus was still able to dismiss satan and overcome his temptation with the word because he had prayed. Without prayer we become "IGNORANT" of the strategies of the devil.
This was why Jesus warned his disciples: "Get up and pray so that you fall not fall into temptation"/ Luke 22:46. They did not get it. Like most people today, they thought that all they needed to overcome any temptation was "willpower". Jesus repeated the warning 3 times and 3 times they fail to heed. To help Peter, Jesus prayed for him. When temptation came, Peter was terribly sifted because he did not pray but he survived because Jesus prayed for him. Not much was heard about the others after that. So, prayer is the key to overcoming temptation not willpower.
B. PREPARE.
In addition to praying ahead we also need to prepare to overcome temptation in three ways:
1. Avoid temptation. Isn't it easier to "give no place to the devil than to cast him out"? It is far better to refuse to open your door to smoke than trying to get the smoke out of the room after the fact.
2. Protect yourself. Put on every piece of the personal protective equipment (PPE) that God has provided for all his children. The bible calls our PPE "the Whole Amour of God" Ephesians 6:10-18.
Belt of truth - refuse to believe anything but what God says in his word.
Breastplate of righteousness - protect your heart from evil suggestion by pleading the blood of Christ.
Shoes of Peace - let Christ form in your heart by feeding on the word and telling others about him. This will make you stable and peaceful even in tough times.
Shield of faith - choose to live by faith in God through the leading of the Spirit rather than by common sense. It's a fight of faith anyway. No one can see, feel or touch the devil who is behind all evils as opposed to physical fight.
Helmet of salvation - saturate your mind and heart with the work of Christ's atonement
Sword of the Spirit - seek revelations from Gods word and learn to use it against evil thoughts and occurrences.
Pray in spirit - learn the language of the Spirit and use it to instruct your angels and confuse the devil.
3. Stay in the protected zone.
Stay in the safe zone by submitting to the higher power. Psalm 91. The easiest way to become a victim of temptation is to fly solo or be the lord of your life. Learn to submit to God's authority and to human authorities. Join a local bible-believing church and be committed. This will build an hedge of protection around you and your loved ones.
#PeterOkaka, #TheBETTERLife #FreshwaterChristianHouse, #Fastingandpraying, #newyear, #dominion,
Week of January 19-24, 2015
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TEMPTATION?
Everyone gets tempted. If you are not being tempted right now you will be tempted in the days ahead. Not only that, your biggest temptation will be difficult for you to resist. Reason is simple: Temptation is never detestable or unattractive. Real temptation is a subtle evil with a strong appeal. Call it a "desirable evil" if you please. The power of temptation lies in the fact that they are often blended with the necessities of life. For example - sleep, food, money, rights, self-esteem, expectations and standards.
Think of sleep. Sleep by itself is not evil; it is essential for a healthy mind and body but sleep can also kill if one falls to the temptation to sleep at the wrong time and place. Many lives have been lost to the temptation to sleep either on the wheel while driving or with the wrong people at the wrong places. Another common temptation is a sense of right. It is essential to know and fight for our rights but if we fall to the temptation of allowing our sense of right and entitlement to run wild, we can become victims of resentment, separation, divorce, suicides, murder and wars. How? Uncontrolled sense of right will usually build mountains of unrealistic expectations and fights that lead to resentment, strife, sickness, separation, divorce and wars.
Need I say that every temptation comes from the devil and not from God? God may test our strength from time to time in order to build us up but God will never tempt anyone because temptation is evil in intent. But knowing that temptation is ill-intended is not enough to overcome it. We need God's help. Without this, no one can truly overcome any temptation that is wrapped with life's essentials or things we consider important or normal and needed for a happy life.
The question is what is your biggest temptation? By "biggest" I mean "one that has power to break you". Yes, if you have a relationship with God through Christ, God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear but that is by PROVIDING A WAY OF ESCAPE for you. Do you know what that way of escape is? Do you know how to find and use it? The word of God has answers: PRAY AND PREPARE
A. PRAY.
When we pray we see temptation for what it is: Satanic strategies designed to trick and trap us away from divine protection and provision. That is why God tells us to "Give no place to the devil"(Ephesians 4:27) but to resist him. The only way to effectively resist the devil is to pray on the basis of the word by the help of the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus did. After fasting and praying for extended period, Jesus became hungry and Satan came with food. Does food appeal to a man who has not eaten after 40 days? But Jesus was still able to dismiss satan and overcome his temptation with the word because he had prayed. Without prayer we become "IGNORANT" of the strategies of the devil.
This was why Jesus warned his disciples: "Get up and pray so that you fall not fall into temptation"/ Luke 22:46. They did not get it. Like most people today, they thought that all they needed to overcome any temptation was "willpower". Jesus repeated the warning 3 times and 3 times they fail to heed. To help Peter, Jesus prayed for him. When temptation came, Peter was terribly sifted because he did not pray but he survived because Jesus prayed for him. Not much was heard about the others after that. So, prayer is the key to overcoming temptation not willpower.
B. PREPARE.
In addition to praying ahead we also need to prepare to overcome temptation in three ways:
1. Avoid temptation. Isn't it easier to "give no place to the devil than to cast him out"? It is far better to refuse to open your door to smoke than trying to get the smoke out of the room after the fact.
2. Protect yourself. Put on every piece of the personal protective equipment (PPE) that God has provided for all his children. The bible calls our PPE "the Whole Amour of God" Ephesians 6:10-18.
Belt of truth - refuse to believe anything but what God says in his word.
Breastplate of righteousness - protect your heart from evil suggestion by pleading the blood of Christ.
Shoes of Peace - let Christ form in your heart by feeding on the word and telling others about him. This will make you stable and peaceful even in tough times.
Shield of faith - choose to live by faith in God through the leading of the Spirit rather than by common sense. It's a fight of faith anyway. No one can see, feel or touch the devil who is behind all evils as opposed to physical fight.
Helmet of salvation - saturate your mind and heart with the work of Christ's atonement
Sword of the Spirit - seek revelations from Gods word and learn to use it against evil thoughts and occurrences.
Pray in spirit - learn the language of the Spirit and use it to instruct your angels and confuse the devil.
3. Stay in the protected zone.
Stay in the safe zone by submitting to the higher power. Psalm 91. The easiest way to become a victim of temptation is to fly solo or be the lord of your life. Learn to submit to God's authority and to human authorities. Join a local bible-believing church and be committed. This will build an hedge of protection around you and your loved ones.
#PeterOkaka, #TheBETTERLife #FreshwaterChristianHouse, #Fastingandpraying, #newyear, #dominion,
