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I want to love Jesus so much that when I look up to Heaven and say, 'Dear Jesus, I love You,' He'll look down and say, 'Yes, Charles, I know it.' —Charles Spurgeon

When you pray, you talk to God; but when you read the Bible, God talks to you.—D.L. Moody

Friday, March 25, 2016

Enabled for the Evil Day - Temptation

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."—Ephesians 6:12-13

Whether we like it or not, we are involved in a spiritual warfare. This isn't a physical conflict with the Devil; it is a spiritual battle, a conflict in the heart and mind. It is a battle for how we see things. It is a battle of values. It's a battle for what we trust in, believe in and understand to be true. 

Because of these battles, we are told to "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

What is the evil day?
This evil day can be any day when the Devil lays evil, wicked and morally diseased opportunities in our path.

1. The evil day of temptation.
There are certain days when temptations are more intense, sometimes to the point of almost overwhelming us. The Bible says "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Cor. 10:13).

There are times when Satan comes in like a flood and seeks to tempt the child of God in unusual ways. 

  • Satan strikes where we are weakest
  • Satan is an expert justifying our disobedience to the Lord
  • Satan never quits

we are in a continuous spiritual warfare, and it is very real. The battle begins in our mind. Satan wants to get our minds off God so we will not be controlled by His Word.

we wrestle against spiritual wickedness

—adapted from the January 1, 2016 issue of the Sword of the Lord newspaper. Written by Dr. Dennis Leatherman of Mountain Lake Independent Baptist Church, Oakland, Maryland

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