“Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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 armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:11-13
As a professed Christian, at some point you will have to be baptized. And yet, when someone is baptized as a Christian, I tell them that their life, as they knew it, just got harder. Decisions will become more complicated, temptations will somehow feel larger-than-life, past friendships may become strained, and of course, let's not forget family life. It does not matter whether the person is young, middle-aged, or as old as the hills, the determination to walk in faith will always be blindsided by some type of adversity. Akin it to the story of Jesus on the mountain for 40 days and nights with every temptation, known and unknown to man, offered by the king of Sin. All while The Enemy of our soul searched for a weakness or slight crack in the armor of Jesus.
In the case of Jesus, He had no known weaknesses except Love. In our case, our weaknesses are known, every last one! And, be certain, the king of Sin knows even our most secret weaknesses. They are not new; most of them have been woven throughout our family lineage for ages. Many of them, long-standing family strongholds and weaknesses that have been passed down for generations. But thankfully, we are not alone! Our only resource and recourse is to truly call for Divine help when we find our own armor has a slight flaw, crack, or gaping hole. It is sort of like one of those 12-step programs designed to help former addicts where, you must call your mentor when you feel yourself slipping into any of those old dysfunctional habits. In our case, our Mentor is only a prayer away.
So, whether you are on your knees or standing up, with your eyes open or closed, under siege or riding high; don't forget to say a prayer calling on the name of Jesus to keep yourself from falling into the gaping hole that is temptation. L.
Reference Study: Luke 4:1-13, Ephesians 6:11-20
From: "Yield Not to Temptation (I)." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Mohau Modisakeng /tumblr
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