“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13)

     Jesus dealt with all of the temptations the devil wanted to throw at him, and he was able to overcome each one of them by using the word of God as a defense.  This prompted the devil to flee, knowing that there was no way he could win in this fight.  But after regrouping, he would look for that “opportune time” to offer up more temptations.

     We can conclude that throughout our lifetimes, temptations will not cease.  This is the struggle which we are all up against.  We are warned in 2 Peter 3:17, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” Even when we have had victory over sin, the struggle is still there, as Proverbs 16:18 warns us to not be too proud, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

     The Good News is that we have God on our side.  “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) This is an additional reason for us to stay close to God, relying on his Spirit, equipping us with the things we need in all of our struggles.  We can have victory in Jesus!

Prayer: Dear Lord, you know my strengths and weaknesses.  Thank you for forgiving me during the times when I have confessed my sins against you, and I pray that your Holy Spirit will sustain and strengthen me throughout this journey.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.