“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (NIV)
We are weak as much as we do not like to admit it. There are occasions where we have given into temptation dispite knowing we am doing wrong. Often its because we have been convinced by the lie of that temptation, that we will feel good for doing it, that we will be satisfied. As Jesus said, the body is weak. We alone lack the strength to resist temptation, to go the right course, that is why it is so important we have help. Some tempt ation c
an creep up on us and get us when we are particularly vulnerable. Other temptation can be in front of us for a long time, if we know it or not, slowly breaking us down should we become tempted by it.
The Lord in His great wisdom provided us with a helper. His Holy Spirit whom guides and strengthens us to do the right thing. We need to keep ourselves spiritually fit and active so we are not lulled into any false sense of security before sin pounces on us. How can we do that? Sounding like a broken record from many of my past posts the main ingredients are always regular Bible Study, Prayer, Worship and Fellowship. Keeping ourselves fixed on the word, and continuing to develop our relationship with our Saviour is vital if we are to be prepared for any battle.
We need to understand and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of All, it is the Lords strength that allows us to resist temptation, not our own. And any time we resist, it is for His glory and not to pat ourselves on the back saying, “didn’t I do well?”
Before I sign off on today’s reading, I am also reminded of the importance of rest (including sleep). Yes the disciples were not being alert when the time required them to be. We need to also remember however that rest and sleep are important tools in spiritual warfare. When we have had too little (and the same affect can be had from too much sleep), we are not as quick to react, we are tired, vulnerable, and that is when Satan can pounce to try and steer us from the right path. Remember satan is like a prowling tiger, waiting to pounce. We need to be well rested, alert, full of the Spirit, and have fed on the Word regularly.
