"If a man is not
strong enough to resist Satan in a lesser thing, how can he believe he will be
able to repel a greater temptation? Satan is an encroaching enemy. Therefore,
you must resist him constantly. "Let not the sun go down upon your
wrath," warns the apostle; "neither give place to the devil" Ephesians
4:26-27. A soldier assigned to guard duty on the outskirts of a city must keep
watch as faithfully as the king's personal bodyguard, or the enemy will break
through the outer limits and thereby gain access to the heart of the town.
If you yield to
temptation along the perimeter of your heart, you give the devil a foothold
from which to create havoc in your inner spirit. For example, you may become
angry and thoughtlessly spew out some bitter words. At the very moment this
unholy language spills from your mouth, the devil finds the floodgates open and
enters. Then comes gushing forth such things as you never dreamed of saying! He
is a cunning opponent and will not easily relinquish any ground he gains. The
safest strategy, then, is to give him no ground at all from which to work. If
you so much as hesitate as you walk by the door where sin dwells, you give
Satan more time to entice you to enter. Then you are on his territory.
Who will stop by a
tavern to enjoy the company of drunkards, or frequent places of sin, and yet
pretend he does not intend to partake? Who will prostitute his eyes to unchaste
objects, and yet remain chaste? Who will lend his ears to any corrupt doctrine
of the times, and yet be sound in faith? Such a person is under a strong
delusion. If a man is not strong enough to resist Satan in a lesser thing, how
can he believe he will be able to repel a greater temptation? You say you
cannot avoid being surrounded by deep waters of temptation, yet you think you
have the strength to hold your head above water? Then give careful thought to
some practical advice: It is far easier, when in the ship, to keep from falling
overboard than, when in the sea, to get safely into the ship again.”
AWESOME WORD!
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete
Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell.
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