Exercising caution against temptation
I have to confess. I've finally done it. I've joined the exercise craze.
Two weeks ago, my wife and I purchased a YMCA family pass that allows us to work out and have access to a personal wellness coach. We chose it because the YMCA provides babysitting, so we can work out together and lose weight.
It's a dual function. We get to hang out and spend time together. At the same time, we can lose weight and get healthier. It seemed like a win-win situation.
Everything went great until the wellness coach walked away to help my wife. A little voice in my head told me it was OK to slack up. "You don't really have to do 12 of these," it said. "She'll never know."
I have to confess again. On at least one machine, I listened to that voice. I didn't do the full number required. I was too pooped and it was too hard.
Temptation comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. A piece of moist, rich, chocolate cake in front of dieter. An easily seen test sheet in view of a test taker. A lottery ticket to someone down on their luck. A lie to someone about to be grounded. A photo of a naked woman to a young teen with an iPhone. Male attention to a woman in a crumbling marriage.
Temptation always strikes our weakest points. Satan is going to attack our most vulnerable situations. He knows just where to hit us.
When dealing with temptation, we must exercise caution. We have to trust in the one who knows how best to protect us.
In Ephesians 6, Paul, using an armor metaphor, says we must take on the Shield of Faith to protect us from the fiery arrows of Satan. Of all the armor mentioned by Paul, the shield is the only mobile piece. It can be redirected to cover any area of weakness and defend any part of the body.
Only through faith in Christ can we protect ourselves from the onslaught of temptation. There are temptations we cannot handle alone, nor should we. We must rely upon Jesus and his strength to endure those temptations. We must use his shield to protect our most vulnerable areas.
Make no mistake about it, we all have weak spots in our character, will power and soul. As human beings, we will struggle with sin. It is only by relying upon the sinless one that we can have any hope of defeating Satan and turning back his attacks on our soul.
Two weeks ago, my wife and I purchased a YMCA family pass that allows us to work out and have access to a personal wellness coach. We chose it because the YMCA provides babysitting, so we can work out together and lose weight.
It's a dual function. We get to hang out and spend time together. At the same time, we can lose weight and get healthier. It seemed like a win-win situation.
Everything went great until the wellness coach walked away to help my wife. A little voice in my head told me it was OK to slack up. "You don't really have to do 12 of these," it said. "She'll never know."
I have to confess again. On at least one machine, I listened to that voice. I didn't do the full number required. I was too pooped and it was too hard.
Temptation comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. A piece of moist, rich, chocolate cake in front of dieter. An easily seen test sheet in view of a test taker. A lottery ticket to someone down on their luck. A lie to someone about to be grounded. A photo of a naked woman to a young teen with an iPhone. Male attention to a woman in a crumbling marriage.
Temptation always strikes our weakest points. Satan is going to attack our most vulnerable situations. He knows just where to hit us.
When dealing with temptation, we must exercise caution. We have to trust in the one who knows how best to protect us.
In Ephesians 6, Paul, using an armor metaphor, says we must take on the Shield of Faith to protect us from the fiery arrows of Satan. Of all the armor mentioned by Paul, the shield is the only mobile piece. It can be redirected to cover any area of weakness and defend any part of the body.
Only through faith in Christ can we protect ourselves from the onslaught of temptation. There are temptations we cannot handle alone, nor should we. We must rely upon Jesus and his strength to endure those temptations. We must use his shield to protect our most vulnerable areas.
Make no mistake about it, we all have weak spots in our character, will power and soul. As human beings, we will struggle with sin. It is only by relying upon the sinless one that we can have any hope of defeating Satan and turning back his attacks on our soul.
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