My Righteous Lord, I am comforted in the knowledge that, as a human, You were tempted every way that I have been and overcame them all. I am counting on You to help me deal with the struggles I have with the devil and temptation. I never show You my true allegiance if I have not been presented with the opportunity to disobey You. Testing that I must endure is meant to teach me humility and perseverance. Because I am sure that temptations will come my way, I must remain alert and ready to combat them. In each, You are wanting to see whether or not I will obey You. My righteous convictions are only strong if they hold up under pressure. The devil tempted Adam and Eve and You in the desert, so why do I feel I will be immune to being tempted. Satan is real and constantly fighting against me to prevent me from following You. Satan’s temptations are meant to get me to live by his way or my way rather than Yours.
When temptations seem especially strong or when I think I can rationalize giving in to them, this should be a sign that Satan is trying to block Your purpose in my life. Your temptation in the desert gives me an example to follow when I am tempted. It shows me I should never give in. If I feel dirty and unworthy after I am tempted I should remember that temptation is not a sin. I sin when I give in to the temptation and disobey You. If I can keep this in mind, I should turn away from temptation before I sin. I must pay particular attention to times when I am under stress when weighing big decisions or facing uncertainty. The devil seeks those opportunities to tempt me when I am most vulnerable. I must be very careful to watch for temptations that come after my strengths because they make me susceptible to sins of pride.
The devil’s temptations seem to focus on physical needs and desires, possessions and power, and pride. I know You understand this because You had first-hand knowledge from Your experiences. As a result, You are able to help me in the midst of my trials. When the devil attacks me the hardest, I must turn to You for strength and direction. Many of the things the devil uses to led me astray are things I encounter in my daily life. Sometimes I may be tempted to satisfy a perfectly normal desire in the wrong way. If I indulge in sex before marriage or if I steal to get food, I am trying to satisfy a God-given desire in the wrong ways. One way You showed me to resist the devil was to know the scriptures and be willing to obey them. Ephesians 6:17 describes Your Word as a sword to be used in spiritual combat. If I stand on You and Your Word, I know I will always be victorious. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Romans 12.21 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.