Temptation

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Psalm 91:13 The Lion And Serpent Under Foot

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Psalm 91:13

Walking in high brush areas can be a dangerous location to be in. If one is in Africa, there is a danger of lions prowling about looking for prey to capture and devour. In many other parts of the world, there is a danger of hiding snakes ready to strike anything that comes near. Very few people would be willing to take their chances of stepping on a snake, and none would step on a lion that is in their pathway.

The psalmist writes that the one who makes God a refuge will be able to tread upon the lion and the cobra and put both under the feet.

The majority of people live in places or cities where walking upon a snake or a lion is not a common threat. Although there may be no real danger of a real lion or a real snake, there are dangers everywhere one may be of a spiritual lion or snake out to consume and destroy.

Satan is portrayed as serpent from the beginning and is also seen as like a lion. The entire goal of Satan is to kill and destroy. This is done in lies and deception through people.

Regardless of where one lives, there is always a threat trying to get one to sin against God. Any sin against God brings about death and destruction immediately spiritually and eventually physically if not dealt with.

Temptation will rise to get one to sin, but God has always made a way out of that temptation. Believers, who trust in the Lord, will be able to step upon the lion and the cobra’s head of temptation and trample them under foot, rejecting sinning against God.

The world and Satan are out to destroy in any way possible. Both are focused on trying to deceive you into stepping into sin against God. Goals are to bite and devour you in sin. Put your whole trust in God and follow His ways of living. Jesus removed the guilt of sin and has given you life. God shows the way to live and how to resist sin and the temptation to sin. With God, you can step upon the head of the serpent and the lion of temptation and trample them under foot.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will trust God with your life; that God will give you strength and wisdom to step upon the temptations of Satan to sin; and that God will put Satan under your feet.

Picture by Meg Jerrard on Unsplash

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2 Chronicles 5:14 Filled With God’s Glory

and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God. 2 Chronicles 5:14

In many locations around the world, it is very common, throughout the year, for a great fog to roll in during the morning time. The fog is often so thick that it makes it very difficult to do anything. Great care must be taken when a person leaves to drive somewhere because of the limited visibility. Sometimes it can completely stop people from doing what they wanted to do while it is so clouded with fog.

After Solomon dedicated the temple of God, the glory of God filled the temple so much that the priests were unable to perform their services.

Although church buildings exist all over the world, they are not the focus of where God dwells. Since Jesus arose from the dead, left the earth and sent the Holy Spirit, God now dwells in the lives of people, His believers and followers.

Most people go about their day to day living with very little to no thought of God. They are able to do whatever they desire with no apparent consequences. People ‘see’ the path of the world and follow it.

Believers have God’s Spirit dwelling in them. They are the newly dedicated temple of God. Their hearts, minds and souls are to be so filled with God, that they are unable to do the works or sin of the world. All that they can see is the glory of God and what He is doing or saying. They are shielding their eyes from the temptations to sin against God in seeking their own personal glory and honor in order to let God’s glory and honor shine in the world.

The moment you chose to repent and believe in the saving work of Jesus, you became the temple of God. He has chosen to dwell in you and put His Holy Spirit upon you and in you.

Allow yourself to be so filled with God that He is all that you see. It will strengthen you to take a stand against the temptations to sin. The world will be able to see that God’s glory is upon you and in you. This will make you a witness for the world to see, because you set apart for God’s glory and honor, not your own.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be filled with God’s Holy Spirit; that God will shield you from the temptations of the world; that you will do the work of God; and that the world will see God’s glory in you.

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Judges 7:21 Hold Your Position

While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. Judges 7:21

During a battle the soldier must be willing to hold his position as long as necessary to bring about a victory. Holding a position may be extremely difficult and possibly bring about a lot of pain, leaving the position will nearly always guarantee failure or defeat.

Giving up a position allows the enemy to step into it and take greater control. Only the brave and the dedicated will hold their position until the end in victory or given relief to change position.

The Israelites, under the leadership of Gideon, held their position in a battle against the Midianites as the Midianites fled in fear.

Every believer is in a battle. This battle is for their own soul and for the souls of others. It is not a physical battle, as the Israelites were in, but a spiritual battle.

The world is the enemy and is out to destroy the souls of every person through sin and deception.

Although believers do not have to hold a physical position, they must hold on to a spiritual one. What they believe, do, say, or think are all spiritual positions that will either bring defeat to the enemy or give the enemy victory.

Throughout the Bible God has given commands, rules, and principles on how to fight the war against the enemy. As one does everything that God has directed him to do, he must stand and continue to stand, holding his position and not backing down, not giving in to the temptation to sin against God.

Holding his position with God and not giving in to sin will bring about victory for his soul. It will strengthen him and draw him closer to God and more like Jesus.

The world is out to destroy you spiritually. They want you to sin against God and will do whatever it takes for that to occur.

Know what God requires of you and hold on to that. Do not give up your position in Christ Jesus for a moment of temporary pleasure in sin. As you hold your position, temptation, the enemy will have to flee.

The world cannot stand up against the truth of God’s word and the faith in God that you hold on to. In the end you will have a victory that goes into eternity.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the truth of God’s word and commands to you; that you will hold your position in Christ Jesus; that God will give you strength to resist temptation to sin; and that you will see God scatter your enemies from before you.

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Deuteronomy 33:27 God Carries You

The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ Deuteronomy 33:27

Young children often like to be in the arms of their parents when things are not going very well. It is in the arms of the parents where they feel secure and safe.

Adults also like to feel secure and safe. Instead of climbing into someone’s arms, adults turn to other things to grab on to the security and safety. Holding onto things is their hope that disaster will be kept away.

Moses reminds the people that God is their refuge, that they are in His arms and that He will drive out their enemies from before them.

The world claims that the best way to have security is in the things of this world. People seek greater finances, more things, better things, better positions and more, hoping for better security. While all of these things may give some form of security, they are all temporary and will fade away. Many of these things can also be taken away by someone else.

Standing on and believing in God is the only eternal security a person can possibly have. God is the only One that is greater than any enemy a person may have.

Believers today do not have to physically go in and take a land or physically destroy an enemy, but they do have enemies and need to take back people and lives that Satan has stolen. Battles against temptation and sin will arise daily in the life of the believer and he needs God to go before him to destroy those enemies.

God will hold the believer in His everlasting arms of peace, comfort and protection. The body may be destroyed, but the soul will be saved for eternity. This is the refuge the believer has.

At a minimum you will have spiritual enemies that are out to destroy your soul and get you to sin against God. The world does not want to see you succeed.

Know, believe and trust that God has you in His arms, protecting you and keeping you safe from all eternal harm. As you trust in God, He will destroy your enemies from before you. He will give you strength to overcome the attacks of the enemy upon your soul.

You can rest assured that God has you in His arms safe and secure.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know God has you in His arms; that you will trust the security of God for your life; that God will remove the enemies from before you; and that God will give you victory over the temptations that come your way.