Tag: Walking by the Spirit

I Cannot “Not” Do!

MY FLESH WANTS WHAT it wants. It’s that simple. It craves. Many needs of the flesh are acceptable; critical to survival. Absolutely necessary. The flesh craves water, food, warmth, air. It longs to be sustained; indeed, it is sustainable. It is a vessel. It is a portal. It can be a tool in God’s hands or a weapon in Satan’s hands. Clearly, the apostle Paul understood wrestling with the flesh. His lesson in Romans 7 is critical to understanding our own struggles. It is not a “loophole,” but a battle plan. It is the theological baseline we must learn in order to become perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect (see Matt. 5:48). This is the very fabric of spiritual progress. As I will outline below, we cannot control our flesh with our flesh. More importantly, we cannot leave our flesh, or our innate sin nature, at the cross. LORD knows I’ve tried. This is the wrong approach; one that is doomed to fail. We remain in our fleshly body wherever we go. Accordingly, we take with us both the desire to obey God and the desire to fulfill our sinful passions.

Romans 7:5 says, “For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.”

We need to recognize and live in the solution and not the problem. I believe this is Galatians 5:16-18 in practice. Paul writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” This is a very powerful remark. Next, Paul tells us exactly why this is paramount to our Christian lifestyle: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (5:19). In the flesh, we are sold under sin, but in the Spirit we are free from the Law of sin and death (see Rom. 7:14; 8:2). When we walk in the flesh—especially when we try to tame the flesh by the flesh, under our own willpower—we actually strengthen the flesh by giving it priority.

Why Not?

Jon Snyder writes, “I fear we’ve bred a generation of believers whose souls are fixated in the way they shouldn’t go. My personal experience and the experience I have ministering to men is that most Christians are inherently focused on the nots and don’ts. We are acutely aware of what we shouldn’t be doing, what we shouldn’t be thinking, how we don’t measure up, what we don’t have, how we fall short, what we haven’t done, what we aren’t doing, etc.”(1) This has also been my experience. Refreshingly, Snyder tells us God is not interested in what we’re not doing. Instead, He is interested in who we are. I believe Snyder is saying God knows we cannot “not” sin; that we cannot please Him by “not” doing fleshly things. He knows it is impossible for us, while in the flesh, to not do things of the flesh. We need to grasp Paul’s lesson: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7:15) (emphasis mine). Paul cannot “not do.”

Of course, this is not the end of it. Instead of failing constantly at “not doing,” we need to change our focus. The Serenity Prayer is recited in AA meetings worldwide. I want to share it here because it is spot-on regarding what we are discussing. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Consider the first part of the prayer: there are things we cannot change. AA is suggesting we stop trying to fight against those things we must accept. Take life as it comes and not as we would have it. The good news is there are things we can change. The prayer suggests we need “courage” to change them. Courage is an amazingly complex word. It means “ability,” “strength,” “resolution,” “spirit,” “tenacity,” “zeal.” In the Old English, “courage” meant “valor, a quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and trouble without fear.”

The Serenity Prayer ends with, “…and the wisdom to know the difference.” The difference between what and what? Foremost, between what we can change and what we must accept that we cannot change. But it also includes what Paul taught regarding an inability to control the flesh. Flesh wants what flesh wants. Flesh is not able to stop itself from being “flesh.” In my struggle to break the habitual sin of watching pornography, I constantly focused on not watching pornography. But guess what my mind was focused on? Yep, pornography! On good days, when I was feeling “spiritual” and was walking with and praising God, my flesh was not craving sexual release. On bad days, however, when “up in my head” and in need of an escape from pain, boredom, poor self-image, my flesh drowned out any thoughts of God. This stopped me from being able to take my thoughts captive to Christ. Ultimately, the committee in my head decided to watch porn “one last time.” The flesh won.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

We cannot “not,” but that’s not the end of it. Paul admitted, “…it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Rom. 7:17). But he didn’t stop there. He concluded, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 7:24-8:2). Paul is saying that when we focus on the Law—or obsess over that very thing we do not want to do—it leads to sin. It is the gospel that delivers us from the consequences of sin.

Snyder summarizes this dilemma very well. He writes, “When tempted, ‘Don’t do that! Don’t think that! Don’t watch that! Don’t like that!’ All those sound godly, don’t they? What we’ve been taught as ‘spiritual advice,’ the Bible actually calls carnal thinking. Don’t get me wrong, lust is sin; we just can’t beat it the way we’ve been taught. You see, don’ts have no power against the indulgence of the flesh. They tell you what not to do, but don’t tell you what to do or how to think. They tell you not to think like [the] devil, but don’t teach you how to think like God and see life from His perspective.”(2)

What Then?

Remember the word “courage” in the Serenity Prayer? The above list of definitions for courage includes “…a quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and trouble.” This dovetails nicely with Paul’s teachings: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4-5) (emphasis mine). I am including verse 4 here because of its reference to “strongholds.” In this case, Paul is speaking of mental strongholds which trigger our emotions and drive our decisions. The “quality of mind” we require to courageously and effectively change comes only from Christ.

Joyce Meyer tells us our mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions (see Rom. 8:5). She writes, “Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts.”(3) Meyer defines “stronghold” as “…an area in which we are held in bondage (in prison) due to a certain way of thinking.”(4) Beth Moore says, “Basically, a stronghold is any argument or pretension that sets itself up against the kingdom of God.”(5) Meyer and Moore agree that the primary battlefield is the mind. It is the easiest and most effective way Satan can influence our behavior. I said earlier that we cannot defeat our flesh by focusing on our flesh; zeroing in on the “don’t.” Moore writes, “It is never the will of God for warfare to become our focus. The fastest way to lose our balance in warfare is to rebuke the devil more than we relate to God.”(6)

The ultimate goal is to stand against strongholds whatever they may be, commanding them to bow to the power and authority of Christ Jesus. Paul sets the stage for this battle in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Eugene Peterson gives us a unique translation of verses 5 and 6: “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”(7) What a powerful interpretation of Paul’s words! A perfect picture for the common application of his instructions regarding our daily struggles with the flesh and with the “false” narratives we often tell ourselves in order to justify our wayward behavior.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

References
(1) Jon Snyder, “How to Overcome the Flesh,” Covenant Eyes (Dec. 6, 2021), accessed June 25, 2022. URL: https://www.covenanteyes.com/2016/06/03/overcome-flesh-walk-by-spirit/
(2) Ibid.
(3) Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind: Wining the Battle in your Mind (New York, NY: Warner Faith, 1995), 11.
(4) Ibid., 16.
(5) Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 3.
(6) Ibid., 7.
(7) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), 1700.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

The Law, Sin Nature, and Moral Choices

THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS us that the Law is binding only on those who are yet alive. Paul chose a simple illustration for this: a married woman is bound to her husband by the Law so long as he is alive. Accordingly, if her husband dies, she is released from him by the law of marriage. If she marries while her husband is still alive, she is guilty of adultery. From a legal and secular position, we are permitted to marry as many times as we wish and do not have to wait until our former spouse dies. Imagine the impact our having to wait to remarry would have on whether couples call it quits. Many might think twice and perhaps find a way to repair their relationships. However, as we will see, Paul is speaking of “divorce” from our former self (our previous lifestyle) and our “marriage” to Christ. This is what Paul means by serving in newness of spirit, and not by the oldness of the letter of the Law (see Rom. 7:6).

In Romans 7, Paul informs us that our new life in Christ does not fully negate or destroy the flesh. Rather, it provides the ability to serve in newness through the Spirit of God.

Eugene Peterson writes in The Message//Remix, “You shouldn’t have any trouble understanding this, friends, for you know all the ins and outs of the law—how it works and how its power touches only the living” (Rom. 7:1-2).(1) He adds, “When Christ died he took [the] entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to ‘marry’ a resurrection life and bear ‘offspring’ of faith for God. For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in” (7:4-6). Paul writes, “…you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (7:4). The gospel offers Jesus Christ, whom the Law (i.e., the OT) promised.

Jesus Fulfilled the Law

The Law is of great importance insofar as it illustrates our inability to obey “to the letter” no matter how hard we try. Yet, the Law has not been discarded. Rather, it points forward to Jesus. Jesus literally fulfilled OT revelation. Not only does the OT point forward to Jesus, His teachings refer back to the OT. That is, the Law points to Christ, and Christ points to the Law. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). We absolutely cannot earn salvation through obedience to the Law. Matthew Henry writes, “Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God’s holy law… [for it] is the Christian’s rule of duty.”(2) Every biblical teaching and prophecy, regardless of how small, must be fulfilled. We obey the Law by conforming to the Word, who is Jesus Christ.

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

We read about the priestly order of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:1-2: “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. [Melchizedek] is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.” The writer of Hebrews here is quoting Psalm 110:4, which says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Derek Kidner, in his commentary on Psalm 110:4, says in Melchizedek priesthood and kingship were pulled together as they would be in Christ.(3) Both the name Melchizedek and his realm of Salem (“Jerusalem”) resoundly point to the One who was yet to come (Heb. 7:2).

Melchizedek is also identified in Genesis 14:18, where Moses wrote, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)” The name Melchizedek is from a combination of the Hebrew words for “king” and “righteous,” making Melchizedek a righteous, kingly priest. Bread and wine were suitable refreshments for Abram (later, Abraham) and his followers upon return from rescuing Lot. Henry writes, “Christ appointed the same as the memorials of his body and blood, which are meat and drink indeed for the soul.”(4) He continues, “Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is the Mediator both of our prayers and praises, and not only offers up ours, but his own for us… Jesus Christ, our great Melchisedek [sic], is to have homage done to him, and to be humbly acknowledged as our King and Priest; not only the tithe of all, but all we have, must be given up to him.”(5) Melchizedek is also discussed in Psalm 110. Verse 4 describes Him as “king of righteousness” whose sphere is Salem or Jerusalem.

Martin Luther on Romans 7

I have mentioned before how Martin Luther struggled immensely with Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'” Luther’s obsession with the issue of righteousness caused him much grief. Nothing mattered to him more than his faith and his obedience to God. Yet, he often felt overwhelmed by the fear of death and hell.(6) A feeling of terror overwhelmed him during the writing of his first sermon—a foreboding sense of being unworthy of God’s love washed over him. He was convinced that he was not doing enough to be saved. Over-wrought with a sense of his own sinfulness, he supposed he was not a good monk; that his life was full of lust and immorality despite his commitment to the gospel. Luther repeatedly punished his body—whipping himself, enduring harsh winter conditions without a coat or shoes, denying himself of basic physical needs. He worried that his confessions would not be exhaustive enough to cover all his wrong deeds; that he would die in his sins.

After years of much prayer, meditation, and struggle, Luther discovered the true meaning of God’s Word. He said, “Then finally God had mercy on me, and I began to understand that the righteousness of God is a gift of God by which a righteous man lives, namely faith, and that sentence, The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel, is passive, indicating that the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ Now I felt as though I had been reborn altogether and had entered Paradise. In the same moment the face of the whole of Scripture became apparent to me.”(7) Gonzalez says Luther came to understand that the “justice” or “righteousness” of the righteous is not our own, but God’s. He settled on salvation through faith alone, in Christ alone. “Justification by faith” does not mean that we must do that which God demands of us in order to be saved, as if it were something we have to achieve. Rather, it means that both faith and justification are the work of God, free to sinners. Luther writes, “God’s righteousness is that by which we become worthy of His great salvation, or through which alone we are (accounted) righteous before Him.”(8)

Luther provides an amazing expository explanation of Romans 7. Despite being redeemed from our sins through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross, we need to work on walking by the Spirit rather than in the flesh. Luther writes, “…unless first the inward dying (to sin) takes place, sin remains and has dominion, and with it the Law which rules through sin.”(9) Paul, in Romans 7:4, means to show that there are two men (in the believer), the old and the new, corresponding to Adam and Christ. This refers, of course, to fallen Adam. By divine grace, our old man is dead. Accordingly, we are delivered from the letter of the Law, making it possible to serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).

We cannot forget that while we yet remain in the flesh, sin continues to be present. But, as followers of Jesus and lovers of the Law and all that is good, sin no is longer present as a dominating power over us. He who has confessed his sins should not believe that he can quietly live on in sin.

In Romans 7:14, Paul says, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.” He knows he remains in a physical body and subject to temptation, and is displeased with himself when he walks in the flesh. As a spiritual man he recognizes only that which is good. Yet he says, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (7:15). Paul (as a spiritual or “new” man) does not consent to the sinful passions of his flesh, but admits that his spiritual walk is not perfect. Sin nature remains in him. This is also true for us. As Luther notes, “The one and the same person is both flesh and spirit.” We have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. This “desire” is the readiness of our spirit to live in righteousness and newness.

Concluding Remarks

Paul reminds us, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17). Luther calls this dilemma “twofold servitude.” Paul said that with his mind (will?) he serves the Law of God, but with the flesh he serves the law of sin (Rom. 7:25). He clearly believes that as believers we have the potential to serve God and Satan, although arguably never at the same time, for we can only serve one master at a time (see Matt. 6:24). Psalm 1 is among my favorites in Scripture. The first and second verses say, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

We cannot stand on the promises unless we know them. We are to hide God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin. Paul said we should put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (see Eph. 4:22-24). This is the same righteousness Paul talks about in Romans 1:17. Luther quotes Paul from his Epistle to the Galatians: “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:16-17). Luther concludes his remarks on Romans 7 by saying, “The Spirit (that is, the spiritual man) does a good work by not yielding to the evil lust; but he does not perform that which is good inasmuch as he himself cannot destroy the evil lusts.”

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the ESV (English Standard Version).

References
(1) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Sprints, CO: NavPress), 2006).
(2) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 865.
(3) Derek Kidner, Kidner Classic Commentaries, Psalms 73-150 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008),
(4) Matthew Henry, Ibid., 28.
(5) Matthew Henry, Ibid., 28.
(6) Justo L Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 22.
(7) Heiko A. Oberman, Luther: Man between God and the Devil (New Haven, CN:Yale University Press, 2006), 183-85.
(8) Gonzalez, Ibid., 25.
(9) Luther, Ibid., 108.

First Principles Part Three: Temptation

TO UNDERSTAND TEMPTATION is to understand our tendency to sin; what Christian theology calls our “sin nature.” Detractors often argue that it is possible to go through your entire life without committing murder, adultery, rape, theft; without cheating on your taxes or watching porn. I agree. However, to suggest that we have the human capacity to not sin simply because we don’t commit the acts listed above is to misunderstand the nature of sin and the dilemma it causes. Sin nature is sometimes referred to as “the flesh,” which explains why it remains after conversion. Although we are redeemed through the atoning death of Christ on the cross, we remain in a physical body, vulnerable to fleshly needs and desires. Salvation grants full pardon from the wages of sin. Sanctification comes from progressive spiritual growth. As we mature in Christ, renewing our minds and bringing our flesh under control, we are increasingly able to deny the flesh and resist temptation.

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary on temptation: “an enticement or invitation to sin, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience.”

The apostle Paul provides a prime explanation of this dilemma in Romans 7: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… so now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me (Rom. 7:15, 17-20). I remember falling into the trap of using Paul’s dilemma as a loophole—if the apostle Paul struggled with doing the things he did not want to do, how is there any hope for me? So, I kept choosing to engage in habitual sin. Finally, I felt convicted by this and decided to do something. Habitual, premeditated sin and disobedience is what we are most able to wrangle. We take every thought captive to Christ, the first step toward tearing down strongholds (see 2 Cor. 10:3-5).

The website GotQuestions provides the following: “The sin nature is that aspect in man that makes him rebellious against God. When we speak of the sin nature, we refer to the fact that we have a natural inclination to sin; given the choice to do God’s will or our own, we will naturally choose to do our own thing.“(1)

James talks about how we will undergo testing of our faith. It is joyful, however, to meet trials of all kinds because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness, which leads to completeness, spiritual maturity. James adds, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:12-14). Our efforts to resist temptation will be weak and ineffective unless they are powered by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God—the only effective path to renewing our mind (see Rom. 12:2). Paul wrote, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:2-3). If our minds are filled with the wrong thoughts and images, we will inevitably give in to sinful lusts.

Paul tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Jesus is able to sympathize and relate with our weaknesses because He was tempted in every way we are in our daily walk yet He did not sin (see Heb. 4:15). It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to avoid sin when tempted. As Paul said, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). It is not a sin to be tempted; we cannot avoid being enticed or pulled away from God. The key is what we do when this happens. Impossible as it seems sometimes to walk away, we can conquer the flesh by choosing to walk in the Spirit.

Jesus Was Tempted as We Are

The Passion Translation of the New Testament gives a remarkable version of Hebrews 4:15-16: “So then, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we draw near freely and boldly to where grace is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.”(2) Paul reminds us that we are able to overcome through the power and strength of Christ (see Phil. 4:13). When we think about sinning, we need to stop and tell ourselves, “This is not what Christ wants for me.” Speaking truth helps us fall in line with truth and withstand temptation.

Jesus spoke the truth in defense of Satan’s temptations by quoting the Word of God. According to Scripture, after being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judaean desert. Satan appeared to Jesus at the end of the 40 days and nights, perhaps thinking Jesus was at His most vulnerable. It is very important that we do not put the temptation of Jesus in the desert on a higher plane, or think His “grand” enticements don’t apply to us. Satan tempted Jesus on three levels: hedonism (appealing to the lusts and desires of the flesh over the Spirit); egoism (appealing to the lust of pride and power); and materialism (appealing to the lust of the eyes).

From The Message translation:

Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for a Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: ‘Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.’ Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: ‘It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.’ For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, ‘Since you are God’s Son, jump.’ The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: ‘He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.’ Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: ‘Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.’ For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, ‘They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.’ Jesus’ refusal was curt: ‘Beat it, Satan!’ He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.’ The test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs (Matt. 4:1-11).(3)

We must guard our hearts and minds and avoid sources of temptation. Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Most Christians do not openly decide to jump into sin, yet it is impossible to resist the flesh with the flesh. We should take all precaution against placing ourselves in situations that fill our mind with lustful passions and lead us into sin. It is crucial that we allow the Word to have influence over us, and not the world. Otherwise, we are open to anything Satan wants to throw at us. Moreover, Satan comes at us when we are most vulnerable. Remember, he waited until Jesus was forty days in the wilderness, without food or water, before beginning his temptation.

In Part 4 we will examine the principle of faith.

References
(1) “What is the Nature of Sin?” Got Questions Ministries, accessed May 26, 2022. URL: https://gotquestions.org/sin-nature.html
(2) The Passion Translation New Testament With Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon (Savage, MN: BroadStreet Publishing), 2020.
(3) Eugene Peterson, The Message//Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress), 2006.

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the ESV (English Standard Version).