As a Christian, I find myself tempted to do the things I did before I got saved. I thought after being saved, those temptations would go away.
Listen: 54 Question 3
As a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, you gained a mighty enemy when you got saved: Satan. Before you were saved, you weren’t a concern to Satan. But now, as a child of God, Satan will try to use you to dishonor the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan takes no great pleasure in your sin, but he does take great pleasure in the dishonor that comes upon the name of the Lord when you sin. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Satan looks for those who are weak and away from the Lord so that he might ruin their testimony by tempting them to sin. This, in turn, will bring disgrace on His precious name.
Although we often face the same temptations after we get saved, we now have the power to resist and overcome these temptations. Let’s read Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour 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 armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
In Romans 13:14, the Apostle Paul tells us, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” As believers on the Lord, we should be so taken up with our savior that people will be able to see Christ in us. We should not give room for the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh. As we read in Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
So, we are instructed to put on the armor of God so that we might resist Satan’s attacks and temptations. We should put on the Lord Jesus Christ; living a life that reflects our savior’s characteristics. We should live according to the leading of the Spirit of God. When we “walk in the spirit”, we allow the Lord to lead us according to His Word.
The power of the Lord in our lives comes from being in the Word of God. In His Word is where we learn how to put on the whole armor of God; how we put on Christ; and how we walk in the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” We just cannot emphasize enough the importance of staying in the Word of God. When we feed from God’s Word, He strengthens us; He leads us; He comforts us; He draws our hearts to the Lord Jesus. The attack of the enemy will never cease while we are in this world, but God’s Word empowers us to live our lives as the overcomers that we are. Romans 8:37 tells us, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
In Matthew 4:1-11, we have the account of Satan tempting the Lord while in the wilderness. I encourage you to read this portion. With each temptation, the Lord responded with a quote from the Word of God. Our strength to defeat the tempter’s snares will also be found in the proper understanding and application of the Word of God. (54.3)