Preparing for Temptation – What is Your Battle Plan? (Part 4)
Posted on November 14, 2016 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters
Good morning, brothers. I am thankful that you are joining us for a brand new week of Freedom Fighter blogs. I appreciate you taking time to read our blogs, and if they are a blessing to you, would you prayerfully forward them to a friend and encourage him to sign up to receive them.
Today is Part 4 in our discussion about PREPARING FOR TEMPTATION. We have talked about:
- Identifying your area of temptation/weakness
- Searching the Scriptures to see what the Bible says about your area of temptation/weakness
- The importance of using the weaponry that has been provided for you in Scripture
Today I want to add to our plan #4 Watch and Pray.
Prayer is one of the weapons given to us in the Ephesians 6 passage combined with using the “Sword of the Spirit.”
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints …” Ephesians 6:18
Do you remember after the Last Supper when Jesus led the Disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and instructed them to pray with him while He went further to pray with His Father. The disciples fell asleep twice!!! Jesus admonished them with these words: “Watch (keep watching) and (keep praying) pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
One of the bloggers that I follow is Pastor Tim Challies. I don’t agree with everything he posts, but he recently posted on what it means to keep a watch on your life:
Think of someone you know who committed one of those grave sins, the kind of sin that disqualified him from ministry or wrecked her home and marriage. Think, perhaps, about the person who was caught in an illicit affair. It’s not like this person just woke up one morning and said, “I think I’ll commit adultery today.” No, that sin was the result of a long relaxing of vigilance. He first allowed his eyes to wander, then allowed lustful thoughts to linger. She began to strike up conversations she knew she shouldn’t have,
to go where she shouldn’t have gone, and to linger in the presence of someone she should have stayed away from. Over time these small actions prepared them for that big sin, primed them for that major fall. The sin was so unnecessary, so avoidable. But it became possible, it became inevitable, when they failed to keep a close watch on their behavior, on their life, on themselves.
God calls us to keep a close watch on our behavior and this requires both inner and outer vigilance, knowing ourselves and being known by others.
Inner vigilance is seeing ourselves through the lens of the Bible and believing what we see there. It is reading the Bible in such a way that the Bible reads us. The Bible exposes our hearts, lays bare our motives, calls us to believe and obey. We are to mine the darkest depths of our hearts through the brilliant light of scripture, to know our specific weaknesses and favorite temptations, and to do the difficult work of putting sin to death while coming alive to righteousness.
Outer vigilance is allowing others to see and know us. It is joining in community with others, exposing our hearts before trusted friends, allowing them to have a voice, and believing what they see and say. It is humility expressed in transparency. We keep a close watch on our lives by allowing others to keep a close watch on our lives.
A business principle that was written many years ago is true in the spiritual realm: If you fail to plan, you will plan to fail.
Part of our plan means keeping a watch on our lives and praying. How are you doing with this step? Here is the link to the full Challies article Keep a Close Watch on Yourself.
Have a great day, friend. I am praying for you to walk in victory. Trust you will do the same for me.
Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: He has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.
The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 14; Proverbs 14
Daily Quote: There is not an issue you’re facing that prayer cannot address because nothing is to difficult or impossible for God to handle. Living The Battle Plan
This Week’s Verse to Memorize:
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:10-11