Cut It Off

You know the one thing I hate is that the devil knows my weaknesses. He knows what things to dangle in front of me that might cause me to sin. Recently, he was coming at me with something very tempting that I found myself praying every day for God’s armor. While I was able to resist the temptation, I knew that if something didn’t change soon, there was a chance that I might give into it. And, that is when I remembered Matthew 5:30 that says, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” So, I cut off my hand…no seriously, I knew that I had to cut off that one thing that could cause me to sin. 

We all have different temptations, whether it is shopping, eating, drinking, or even sexual temptations. There are ways to resist those temptations. My first suggestion is to avoid it all together if possible. Don’t go looking for Satan just to show that you can withstand his wiles. Draw boundaries for yourself that keep you away from the danger. 

One lesson we should learn about resisting temptation is that we aren’t very good at it. It is dangerous to trust ourselves to always say “no.” We might say “no” 98 times in a row, and weaken on the 99th time. One of the best ways to avoid problems is to keep out of situations that test our resolve. If we are tempted, maybe that’s a sign that we are already too close.

So, you can’t do it on your own? Get help! Peer pressure can keep us honest, if we are with the right kind of peers. The more we are open with those we trust, the better they can help us. No one has all the strengths, so we need the strengths that other people have, too.

We all fall short sometimes. Thankfully, we have a forgiving Father who knows are weaknesses and is there to help us every step of the way. Maintain that intimate relationship with Him and remember to read His Word! It is a weapon that we can use to fight off the devil and the temptations that he throws at us.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “NO TEMPTATION has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”