May 18,
2003
TEMPTATION,
Part II
"And
do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one" (Matthew 6:13, NKJV).
"The
prayer, 'Do not lead us into temptation,'
is itself a promise. If we commit ourselves to God we have
the assurance, He 'will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able; but with the temptation will also make
the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it' (1 Corinthians
10:13).
"The
only safeguard against evil is the indwelling of Christ in
the heart through faith in His righteousness. It is because
selfishness exists in our hearts that temptation has power
over us. But when we behold the great love of God, selfishness
appears to us in its hideous and repulsive character, and
we desire to have it expelled from the soul. As the Holy Spirit
glorifies Christ, our hearts are softened and subdued, the
temptation loses its power, and the grace of Christ transforms
the character.
"Christ
will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. The soul
may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ
can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of
His own life. Could our spiritual vision be quickened, we
should see souls bowed under oppression and burdened with
grief, pressed as a cart beneath sheaves and ready to die
in discouragement. We should see angels flying swiftly to
aid those tempted ones, who are standing as on the brink of
a precipice. The angels from heaven force back the hosts of
evil that encompass these souls, and guide them to plant their
feet on the sure foundation. The battles waging between the
two armies are as real as those fought by the armies of this
world, and on the issue of the spiritual conflict eternal
destinies depend.
"To
us, as to Peter, the word is spoken, 'Satan
has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have
prayed for you, that your faith should not fail' (Luke
22:31, 32). Thank God, we are not left alone. He who 'so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life' (John 3:16), will not desert us in the battle
with the adversary of God and man. 'Behold,'
He says, 'I give you the authority to
trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power
of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you'
(Luke 10:19).
"Live
in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold you firmly
by the hand that will never let go. Know and believe the love
that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress
impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan. 'The
name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to it
and are safe' (Proverbs 18:10).--Thoughts From The Mount
Of Blessing, pp., 118, 119.
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