1 Peter 5:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
UGH! In week 4 of my Breaking Free by Beth Moore bible study, we talked about strong holds being past down from generation to generation.
There are some for me, but mostly, I’ve dealt with them or so I thought. This week slapped me in the face with one and I wasn’t expecting it.
Although, one of the questions in week 4 bible study did ask about the strong holds. I put that I’ve dealt with them. In the back of my mind, I had a little check. It had been so loooonnnnggg since I’d struggled with this particular temptation that I really didn’t think too much about it.
Well, I should have listened to that check, because the enemy got me. I was tempted and fell for it! Dang it!
Well lesson learned. Luckily, I am not the only believer who falls into temptation.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jeff and I like to watch Blue Bloods. The NYPD family sits around the table in each episode and talk about their week.
This last week a game was played. The game is a couple questions really. “What did you fail at this week?” and “What did you learn?” “If you’re not failing, you’re not taking risks. If you’re not taking risks, you’re not living.”
I really liked this game. It’s good to evaluate where we fail in a healthy manner. The reason for the game is to make sure one is taking risks and learning from their failures. Not just giving up, but really learning how they could have done things differently.
I failed by thinking I’d overcome this particular temptation in my life. I failed by not listening to the Holy Spirit. I learned that the enemy is always watching and tempting us to make mistakes. I learned that without Christ we can never be free.
Full Armor
The other thing the enemy likes to do, is remind people of their past. He wants to keep us broken and ashamed of ourselves. That way we are ineffective for Christ.
He tried that one too. I was able to manage through that one with prayer, but it was a low blow that he kept throwing at me all week. Then he went for the KO right for my chin! Thankfully, I have a husband and friends looking out for me as well. Praise the Lord!
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Final Musings
As Easter approaches, let’s keep in mind that Jesus came, was crucified and raised from the grave to set the captives free. By staying in the Word, praying and worshipping the Lord, we can stick close to Jesus and stand our ground against the enemy.
I received a great tool today in my inbox that I’m gonna share with you.
Faithalongtheway.com has a Free Easter Bible Reading Plan that you can download and print. There are 19 scriptures that you can print and study in the next several days leading up to Easter. I hope you enjoy them.
What did you fail at this week? What have you learned?
If this post has touched you in anyway, please remember to share it on social media. 😉
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