Years ago, a young man stood before the Judge, ready to hear his fate. The courtroom was hushed with a deafening silence. Before the bench stood a youthful prisoner under twenty, he was about to be sentenced for a terrible crime. Time and time again, he had been in the juvenile detention center, and each time after he got out, he would commit another crime and be shuttled from freedom to prison with the regularity of the tides. This time the Judge tried to reason with him about being good. But the prisoner answered with a look of utter hopelessness.  The Judge again asked the young man if he would stay out of jail if they let him go. He replied that he was as tired of going in and out of prison as the Judge was of sentencing him. But no matter how hard he tried, something inside him always seemed to tempt him to do wrong, and he felt powerless to resist. Feeling hopeless and defeated, he suggested that the Judge just put him in jail and throw away the key.

Like the young man, there are many who struggle with temptation. Sometimes they have victory, but all too often, they fail and find themselves being returned to a prison of their own making, sitting in a cell of despair and self-rejection until they do penance and are released. The battle is real, and the only way they can live in victory is to put on the whole armor of God.

The Lure of Temptation

Our adversary, the devil, has many goals in mind to bring about our destruction.  One is to decimate our sense of worth and dignity. He uses a variety of tactics to accomplish this, but his three main tactics remain the same, ‘good for food,’ ‘lust of the flesh,’ and ‘cravings of sinful man,’ his intent is to belittle, shame, and ultimately erode our self-worth. When we give into temptation, we become short-sighted and base our decisions on what will satisfy our immediate desires. This thinking can lead us to make dangerous and irresponsible decisions that have long-term consequences. James 1:14-15 reads: “But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” This verse reveals how the allure of temptation can lead to sin which when repeatedly chosen without repentance will ultimately bring our destruction and death.

The Armor of God

According to the Bible, we must don the full armor of God in order to effectively stand against our adversary’s schemes. The scriptures tell us that by doing so, we will be empowered to make strong, wise decisions in the face of temptation, and be united with our heavenly Father in the battle. It emphasizes the need to be spiritually prepared so that we can endure the devil’s attacks and stay strong in our faith. James 4:7 says, ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The belt of truth grants us the Godly wisdom that comes from our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, enabling us to discern what is true from what is a lie. The breastplate of righteousness guards our hearts and soul against any spiritual harm and helps us stay on the path of righteousness, so our thoughts and actions will remain pure. The shoes of the gospel of peace make us prepared and ready to share God’s love with others. The shield of faith protects us by extinguishing the fiery darts from the enemy. These darts are the temptations,

(anger, lust, etc.), that the devil uses against us. It gives us time to recognize the tactics of the enemy so we can remain firm in our faith and trust God’s plan. The helmet of salvation provides spiritual protection from Satan’s attacks by giving believers assurance and hope in times of doubt and despair. It shields them against negative thoughts and destructive impulses, helping to keep them secure in their faith. The sword of the spirit is God’s word that defends, counters, attacks, and ultimately destroys the enemy’s attacks. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  With these weapons, we can stand firm against temptations and extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one.

The devil does not appear to us as most of us would expect, having horns, a pitchfork, and dressed in a red outfit; if he did, most of us wouldn’t fall for the snake oil he sells. Instead, he comes as the Father of Lies, clutching deception in one hand while grasping craftiness in the other. He doesn’t appear as we had anticipated, yet he arrives as everything we have longed for. Remember the devil does not “play fair”. His skill of mixing just enough truth with falsehoods to make us believe him is insidious. Even Adam and Eve, living in paradise, were deceived into sinning by the devil’s craftiness. Jesus faced the same temptations when led out into the wilderness, but resisted, using the sword of truth to cause the tempter to flee. We must be prepared to overcome temptations, we need to hold onto the truth relentlessly – only then will we be able to overcome the enemy’s schemes. “Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands to take heed lest he falls. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

People think that those who are good are exempt from experiencing temptation, but that’s not true. We all face temptation, but resisting takes humility as we trust in God’s strength, courage, and perseverance. Jesus was perfect, yet he was also tempted, so we must face the reality that we will face temptation no matter how righteous we are. Those who continually give in to ungodly impulses are confined to a life ruled by immediate gratification. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

The Sword of the Spirit

Spiritual preparedness is essential in the warfare we will face. To be an overcomer and win the fight, we need to put on the “whole armor” of God;  being vigilant to not neglect any part may prove disastrous. As an illustration, when Jesus was tested by the devil in the wilderness, He used Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12 and 11:13-21) i.e., the ‘sword of the Spirit’ to respond to each temptation. For us to have the Word of God within, we must first be in His Word. Our enemy, the devil, is relentless in his attempts to harm us, often utilizing multiple strategies. May we remain vigilant and outfitted with God’s full armor to thwart and prevent a damaging wound that may lead to our downfall.

1. Make a list of five areas where you recognize potential temptations in your life (such as gluttony, lust, pride, envy, anger, greed, and lying).

2. Find Bible verses related to each temptation and write them down.

3. Read one of the verses three times per day until you have memorized it.

4. Whenever you experience temptation, recite the corresponding scripture from memory.

5. Repeat this process with the other four scriptures until all five are memorized.

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Our prayer is that each of us stay aware and activate the whole armor including the powerful “Sword of the Spirit” to overcome the enemy and live in the victory Jesus Christ has already attained for us.

In His Love Always.