by Arthelo Palma
Introduction (Please click to read)
Tip number one: Reason out (Please click to read)
So let us move a notch higher this time as we are almost about to complete the schemes we need to give Satan the moment he would throw open the floodgates of temptation to us.
Aside from the fact that God has given us the opportunity to
reason out when faced with temptation, here is another idea we need to congregate
with the first tip we have just learned and apply with all touch of dexterity
to stand against Satan’s deceptive plots opposed to us.
How should we react to temptation? The second point is act
in response to it by using our WILL (Lim, 1990).
God gives us all free will, allowing us to understand and
choose right from wrong, and good from bad. So we sin when we know it is wrong
but we are still doing it.
With our will, we are adept of making decision, so in this
way, God would guide us but we are responsible to decide and be accountable to our individual actions. God could not decide for us because He designed us
having our free will, but one vital role He plays in our life is to provide us
His DIVINE GUIDANCE. Now, it is up to us to listen to Him (follow His will) or
follow our own will. Note, if God does not give us free will, then we should
not hear Him teaching us about OBEDIENCE from time to time.
Allow me to cite once again the life of Joseph and how he
successfully used his will in line with the will of God. Prior to implementing
his will, we learned that Joseph managed to reason out, pointing before Satan that
having sex with Potiphar’s wife is a wicked thing and a sin against God (Genesis
39:9). Joseph understood this point quiet well. Consequently, even though he
spoke day after day to Potiphar’s wife, he refused to go to bed with her or
even be with her (Genesis 39:10). This is a manifestation of employing his own
will, as seen through his high level of SELF-CONTROL, resulting his will
aligned with the will of God. In other words, Joseph managed to refuse Satan’s
wicked scheme.
Job’s wife challenged him to curse God in the midst of his
trials (Job 2:9). Job, a man of INTEGRITY managed to reason out and he chose to
believe that God is a good God even in his troubles (Job 2:10). It is then
clear that Satan was trying to convince Job to curse his God amidst his
troubles, but Job opted to choose to believe the goodness of God even in his
trials. In other words, Job managed to refuse Satan’s wicked scheme.
When Jesus was fasting for forty days and became hungry,
Satan was convincing Him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:3). Jesus’
fasting for forty days is His commitment to the Father, so He would eventually
sin when He would give in to Satan’s idea of turning stones into bread and have
something to eat. However, Jesus managed to reason out, His first act of
contradicting Satan’s plot by telling him that “man does not live on bread
alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). After
this, Jesus stood still to believe in this reason and eventually succeeded
fighting against Satan’s deception because He chose to trust in what He
understood from the WORD OF GOD. In other words, Jesus managed to refuse
Satan’s wicked scheme.
The problem with some Christians lies on not being able to
refuse Satan’s evil intent. It is clear that it would become harder to refuse
to temptation if in the first place a Christian will not be able to reason out.
Thus, the mind, as designed by God, gives us power which particularly enhances
our free will to be aligned with God’s.
So here are some noteworthy ideas we need to know for us to
exercise our free will and successfully align it with God’s.
Just like Joseph, we need to exercise self-control, by using
our mind in reasoning out, and then we could finally refuse Satan’s scheme.
Just like Job, we need to exercise integrity, by using our
mind in reasoning out, and then we could refuse Satan’s plot associated with
jeopardizing God’s wonderful plan for our future.
Just like Jesus, we need to apply God’s Words (found in the
BIBLE) and use our mind to reason out and beat Satan, so we could finally
refuse giving in to his deceptive plans.
Remember, refusing Satan is a decision to make, and it
involves our free will. Learn to understand that we only have two options in
this world, and generally, they could either be good or bad, and we are free to
choose which of which.
So the next time around Satan would lure you to sinning,
feel free to use your mind, manage to reason out, and then exercise your will for
good and refuse.
If you want to read the first tip on how to overcome
temptation, kindly click on this article “How to overcome temptation: Reason out.”
If you want to read the third tip on how to overcome temptation, kindly click on this article "How to overcome temptation: Run."
Reference
Lim, B. (1990). Bible study guides. Manila : OMF Literature Inc.
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