JUN 6

1 Peter 5:8
Memorise Ephesians 6:11
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The reason to resist sin should not be unfamiliar. Romans 6:23 tells us that the ‘wages’ given for sin is death. Sin is hideous and destructive. Although sin often yields initial pleasure, it’s ultimate destination for the sinner is death. Hence we have no doubt about why we should resist sin. However, why should we resist temptation as our title suggests? While we are to resist sin, do we also resist temptation? Is temptation something so sinister that we should play an active part in resisting it? 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion, a fierce and angry beast, with strong destructive power. Just as a lion can crush and tear its victim, we too are defenceless if not for the restraining hand of God. And what does 1 Peter 5:8 say he is doing? He “walketh about”; this means he is active, not lazy; he is busy finding those he can destroy. This is who he is. He is not compassionate, he has no mercy, he is full of hatred and he desires to destroy you the first opportunity he gets and the way he does that is to tempt you. He cannot force you to commit sin, but he can entice and tempt you within the limits that God sets (1 Corinthians 10:13) – remember Job? If you recognize that our adversary the devil seeks to tempt us unto sin and destruction, wouldn’t you also agree that we should then be actively resisting temptation? The answer is “yes”.

If the adversary is strong and means us nothing but harm, we should then take every precaution to stay far away from anything that can cause us to sin. Never assume that you are strong enough to resist a temptation. Remember, the devil is far stronger and smarter than you. We mustn’t take any chances. We must remove anything that hints of temptation. If we can, we must stay away from places or situations where we know there will be temptation. By their lifestyles, some of our friends will unwittingly become a source of temptation. We may have to reconsider our activities with such friends and perhaps sacrifice friendship for holiness. Ladies, be careful of how you dress as you may become the source of temptation yourself and become used by the devil to lead a brother into sin. Remember that with God’s enabling, we can all resist temptation and sin. The choice is yours.

Thought: Is a mature Christian less vulnerable to sin?
Prayer: Lord, give me strength today to resist all manner of sin.