Pastor's Article 04-06-25

Do you face a lot of temptations in your everyday life? Most of us do. We are tempted by greed, tempted to act wrongly when angered, and of course so many other issues that arise from being in an evil world with a body of flesh.
There are many things that we do to try to avoid or to withstand temptation. We often stay away from places where we find temptation is more likely or, as is the case sometimes, we fill our lives or bodies with good stuff so we don’t crave bad stuff. The Bible tells us to flee temptation, to resist the Devil (James 4:7). This reminds us that we are tempted with greater wrong once we give in to so-called lesser evils in our lives.
The greatest defense against temptation may be the one most neglected, and it is plainly taught in the Word of God. Jesus taught His Disciples to pray that they would not be led into temptation and for deliverance from evil (Matthew 6:13, Luke 11:4). He also asked His disciples to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane that they enter not into temptation (Matthew 26: 41, Mark 14:38, Luke 22:40,46). If this was important for the Disciples to pray, it is surely still important for today’s disciples of Christ, that is, you and me. I think arrogance often leads us into a false sense of security in thinking that we can handle our spiritual battles through our own determination and reputation. Pride goes before a fall because an arrogant Christian does not depend on the power of God for spiritual safekeeping. When Jesus said to pray, He really wanted them to pray and Satan really wanted them to neglect prayer. If we want to stand, we had better learn to watch and to bow in prayer. We need to watch for the Devil’s tricks and traps and to pray for wisdom to maneuver through an evil world with a godly walk. Right now, we may be in the garden that comes before the battle and not even know it. So let us watch and pray that we are not led into temptation.
Pastor,
Rev. Wayne Marcus