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TemptationBy Rev. Everette C. Hunter, M.S.W. Dear God, let this message reach the weak so they may be strong; the sinner so they may be saved; the believer so they can carry out the will of God. In Jesus Name, Amen. Luke 4:1-13 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. These are the days and times in which we must be aware of the temptations of Satan, indeed, since the dawn of man this has been the bane of humankind. Luke tells us of how Jesus went into the wasteland of Judea and how Satan tried to tempt Jesus into going against God. Satan wanted Jesus to put God to a test by asking for certain things. You have to understand that Jesus had not eaten in forty days...some of us cannot go forty minutes without eating! Satan knew that Jesus had been fasting and was very hungry. This was the same kind of temptation Satan used on Adam and Eve, food. Don't be fooled, he knows our weaknesses. Satan then asked Him to get down on His knees and worship him. He offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Are you tempted by fame and fortune? Some of us seek the riches of the world. We seek to be the center of the conversation, the center of attention. We seek the woman or man next door. What we are not realizing is that Satan has put these things before us in order to have a victory over God. You may not know it but every day of your life Satan is tempting you to go against God's will. As Christians we must have our armor on each and every day to protect us from Satan's temptations. In Ephesians 6:10-18 the Apostle Paul writes:
Notice that Paul tells us to use the "sword of the Spirit, which is the world of God" against Satan. This is exactly what Jesus did when He was tempted. It is your most powerful weapon against temptation, a weapon that Satan is very familiar with. We must be strong enough to say "No!" to Satan. There is a war going on and time is getting short. The war is for the minds and souls of men and women, boys and girls. What I am saying to one and all is it is very easy to seek the temptations of Satan without thinking about what it means. But it is harder to turn our backs on something we feel we want, even if we know it is not right. Because Satan tries to con us into thinking we should have what we want and that it will be ok. You have to tell Satan to get behind you, just like Jesus did. Why? Because in each of us there is a strong desire to serve God. Some of us follow that desire and accept Jesus Christ as Lord. We focus our lives on becoming more like Him, giving up the things of the world. Others defeat that desire and accept Satan as lord, bowing before him in exchange for the things of the world. Don't you know Satan wants to make serving God bad and boring? As Christians we have a responsibility to our youth and the world to set a good example as Christians. We have to be strong in the will of God and learn to say, "No! Satan get behind me!" I know that it is hard for some of us to say no. I also know that it is harder to serve God and not let Satan control our lives; but, Jesus gives us the power to do it if we truely make Him the center of our lives. We must be aware of these temptations and rebuke Satan in the Name of Jesus. God has given us control over Satan. He did not give Satan control over us. If you are out there doing wrong, saying you are a Christian, then you need to stop it right now! Having affairs and saying that it is OK because he/she will never know. It doesn't matter if he/she never finds out, God knows! That should be enough for you! What about the preacher who started out in the ministry full of fire for God and His righteousness? Years passed and he discovered how much money he could make from using the guise of prophecy to tell people that God is going to make them rich, just give a big offering and He will multiply it back to you 100 fold! Have you given up on the truth for a lie? You traded the gospel for money, and now you are empty, striving for more and more money, saying you are anointed when you know you aren't! You are bilking people out of thousands of dollars and saying all the while, "I'm blessed!" Wake up! God will not suffer a liar in His presence. Revelation 21:7-8 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. These are just a few of the temptations that Satan has out before all of us. Have faith in God and trust what the Holy Spirit tells you. Be a good example and not a distraction. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, it is just a simple prayer that is between you and Him, and remember, He doesn't expect you to be perfect or even to clean up your life before accepting Him, He accepts YOU just as you are: Lord Jesus, come into my heart and life. I want to know You. I want to stand against the temptations of Satan. I renounce Satan now, and accept You as Lord of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and help me learn how to be more like You. By the power of Your Blood, spilled for me, I am saved. In Jesus Name, Amen. That is it! You are saved. Please tell us about your new life by clicking on Make a Prayer Request. If you are thinking about Jesus, but aren't ready to make a commitment; if you have many reasons why you shouldn't be a Christian or if you just want a better understanding of Jesus and His sacrifice, click Do You Know God Offers You Eternal Life? you will find answers to many questions. For other questions you may use our Prayer Request form and ask whatever you like. You will receive a personal response via e-mail. Perhaps you would like to know more about the Holy Spirit, select Understanding the Holy Spirit to learn about Him.
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Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your
waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having
shod you feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking
the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the world of God; praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance
and supplication for all the saints -
