Hi, ladies!
I am so happy to be back with you today. I’m enjoying our first few days in the New Testament! Stacy’s study tip yesterday is helping me soak every bit of it in. I hope it’s helping you too.
Confession. I have been tempted.
Tempted by pride.
Tempted by gaining physical satisfaction.
Tempted by power.
Tempted by lust … of desserts.
I have not always won the battle (I have given in to dessert more often than I care to admit).
In all seriousness, though, looking back on specific times when I have been tempted and led astray, I recognize I was not in the best place in my relationship with God. I hadn’t been reading my Bible. I hadn’t been praying. I hadn’t been listening. This left me vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.
The enemy tempted Jesus too, but He wasn’t left defenseless and vulnerable. God had gone before Jesus and filled Him with the Holy Spirit (at His baptism) to prepare Him for the enemy’s upcoming temptations. For 40 days Christ fought the enemy. And, for 40 days, Jesus defended Himself through God’s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because the Holy Spirit was with Jesus, and because He had His Father’s Word buried in His heart, Jesus was fortified to defeat the enemy. He had all He needed to be victorious.
We have the Holy Spirit with us too. We have God’s Word hidden in our hearts! We are fortified to battle the enemy’s plans against us!
Do you want to praise the Lord right now? I sure do!
In today's bookwork, we're digging deeper into the "Temptation of Jesus" with:
Ladies, we have an enemy that is constantly working against us. That is not a secret. Let’s take the example Jesus gave us through His life; let’s dig deeper into God’s Word and fortify ourselves against the ever-present temptations and plans of the enemy.
In the battle with you,
Nancy
Let’s Chat!
What temptation do you see the enemy using against you most often? What Scripture will you draw from to fortify yourself against his temptation?