OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 07/09/2013 - DESIRES DRIVE TEMPTATIONS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DESIRES DRIVE TEMPTATIONS

MEMORY VERSE

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:14

READ

James 1:13-15

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

MESSAGE

To overcome the devil, you must first overcome yourself – your flesh and its desires. Most times, what we like is what the devil uses to ensnare us.

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

James 1:14

Unknowingly or out of carelessness, a lot of believers over indulge their flesh. If you develop a fondness for some new sport, activity or area of entertainment, you can be sure the devil will try you out in that area. The onus is on you therefore to strike a balance to prevent such from becoming your lord. You would observe that when you decide to engage in activities that will bring your flesh under subjection like fasting, the devil will battle to thwart such efforts by arousing some feelings like love for some foods which ordinarily you would not have been compelled by. It is at such times that you will feel so much hunger pangs even before 12 noon, when ordinarily on some days, you don’t eat before then and you don’t feel any such pangs. Hold the fort and resist such onslaught by the kingdom of darkness.

Watch your hobbies! If you like football, Satan can use it to get you to speak unadvisedly in the course of arguments and to miss church services. If a crucial football match were to take place on a Sunday morning, workers service that morning may suffer because some people will want to watch the match before going to church. If Satan succeeds in getting you to do so, he has already overcome you because by so doing, you would have proved to God that He is secondary in your life i.e. He comes after the god of football. If you love movies, Satan could use this to target your life of holiness by tempting you with sex scenes sandwiched in the movie, as well as use it to kill your prayer life. When you should be praying or worshipping at night, you might be watching movies. To help yourself, say No to the things that your flesh loves, deliberately deny yourself of them and you will overcome.

KEY POINT 

Because of Heaven, you might have to deny yourself of some things you love.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

2 Samuel 13-15