A very familiar passage of Scripture retelling a time shortly after John baptized Jesus when Jesus entered the wilderness/desert and fasted 40 days, during which time He was tempted by the devil.
Each time Satan tempted Christ, Jesus responded without wavering with the truth of Scripture thwarting Satan’s best efforts. (See Luke 4:3-12). Finally, “when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” (vs. 13)
What are the opportune times in your life? Perhaps there are times in our lives when we sin at the first suggestion of temptation. We don’t even make an effort to overcome or have victory. Perhaps there are times we put up some resistance, half-hearted at best, and soon our hearts give in to the temptation and we sin. Perhaps there are times that by faith we mount our best counterattack, and experience the victory won at the cross.
I find that all too often, I fall into the second category. I offer some resistance to temptation and walk away, but then a few days, hours or even minutes later I have somehow convinced myself that it isn’t really sin, or it is no longer sin, or whatever the ploy of the day is, and I no longer see it as temptation but rather as a choice I am making. Two areas I experience this most frequently regard food and purchases.
Why am I sharing that? I believe it illustrates that Satan does not slither off easily. Half-hearted efforts to overcome temptation and to walk in victory still leave the other half of the heart to the cravings of the flesh. Satan is oh, so patient. He will wait until an opportune time to draw you away into sin, whether it takes seconds, minutes, weeks or years. He will wait until an opportune time.
What are opportune times? Those times we fail to have on our battle armor of faith and truth. When are your opportune times?
