Devotionals

Temptation The Unwanted Guest that Drove Me Crazy

by Dale Buchanan 
12/19/20
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I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Temptation is his business!

Whack!  That’s what I wanted to do to that fly.  I was working in my office at the computer.  That fly would land on my desk, or on my hand, or on my nose, or on my computer screen.  I scared it away and kept working.  Finally, I could ignore it no longer.

I retrieved the fly swatter and returned to my desk.  Presto!! That fly did not come back and I never had the satisfaction of effecting its demise.   Now all flies are not that smart, but this one was.  I should have gotten the fly swatter the first time he showed up.

Did it ever occur to you that sometimes Satan works that way?  He is watching every Christian that wants to serve the Lord.  Then he begins to bother us with every temptation, distraction, and annoyance that he can possibly use.  If he can distract you, or slow you down, or throw something in your way to make you angry, he will do it.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing.   No! Just any little thing that will tempt and turn you away from serving the Lord. For example, Satan might:

• Make you so upset that your attitude will ruin any Christian service you do


• Make you late or make you miss an important obligation in the Lord’s service


• Make your thinking so irrational that when you speak no one can figure out what you’re saying.

Whether Satan acts like a roaring lion or instead is transformed into an “angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14) the Christian needs to be vigilant and act immediately to defeat Satan and get the victory.  That’s why Paul admonished Christians to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand against the “wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). 

Get the victory today!  Be ready with the armor of God, when he first attacks, and defeat Satan’s deceptions and distractions.  By God’s grace, you can do it.