Sun Tzu, one of the most famous and successful generals who ever lived, said … “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” And, of course, as Christians our most considerable enemy is none other than Satan. Satan is the villain who tricked Adam and Eve and he has been creating distance between humankind and God ever since.
Satan’s Name Clues You In
The name Satan, from the Greek, means to “oppose" or "to act as an adversary.” So, if Satan is “opposing” you, what is he trying to keep you from? From God, of course. Satan is trying to keep you from all the blessings that God wishes to bestow upon you. But here’s were we have to take some responsibility, because we’re allowing Satan to get between us and God.
Satan’s number one tool in keeping you from more of God’s blessings is your ego that wants only for itself. The more you desire for yourself alone (without consideration of other and God), the more Satan wins. But the more you desire to receive so that you can do God’s will, the weaker Satan becomes.
James 4:7 -- "Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
It’s Okay To Run Away
Jesus, while teaching followers to pray during the Sermon On The Mount, said these words …
Matthew 6:13 -- "And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
In other words, as Christians we should not welcome temptation. We should avoid temptation altogether. And we should ask God to keep temptation away from us, as Jesus instructed in the Lord’s prayer. After all, we’ll resist 100% of the temptation that is nowhere near us.
If We Give in To Temptation What Is The Price We Pay?
We pay a high price for succumbing to temptation.
Romans 6:23 -- "For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Of course, the ultimate price is losing our eternal life in the presence of God. But there will be more immediate prices to pay, also. There could be the death of the trust someone has in us … the death of our marriage … the death of our financial stability. Very simply, there is no way we can hide from the consequences of sin.
There’s No Way Satan Comes Out A Winner.
The more we learn to resist our selfish inclinations and to live free of sin, the stronger our walk with God becomes. Just like a tough adversary can make a team play its best game, our personal fight to avoid and resist Satan’s temptations will bring us closer to God. Satan, by being our adversary, is playing right into God’s hands.
