The winds of temptation blew into my mind and for just a moment those not-so-long-ago feelings tried to maneuver their way first - into my heart and then - my behavior. Trust me when I tell you this was no slight urge - this was strong, sudden and out of the blue. For those of you who will understand this, I had not been standing looking at the tree of forbidden fruit and then touching it and then finally succumbing to the lure of sin and metaphorically, consuming it.
No, this was genuinely an attack outside myself that was trying to appeal to my old self and I recognized it for what it was – a strike from the “forces of darkness”. Really, you might say? Oh yes! There are those battles that I fight simply because I am encased in this jar of clay and have certain propensities for certain things and therein lies the daily struggle of walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit.
But this time – nope – one right out of the BOOK, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” If you are a true believer in Christ, YOU ARE IN A WAR! The very light of Jesus that dwells in you through the sealing power of the Holy Spirit makes you an enemy of the world system and you have forces of wickedness in high places that are seeking to utterly destroy you and me.
So, there it was, staring me in my face, working on my mind, messing with my emotions but the “grace by which I stand” raised itself up for God’s word is alive and working in me. With a boldness that can only come from "being strong in the Lord and the power of His might", I spoke Truth.
Excuse me, but this is a case of mistaken identity, I am not who I used to be, “I belong to Christ and have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”(Galatians 5:24) “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20).
Every errant thought in the heat of the battle that “raised itself up against the knowledge of God, was taken captive and brought into obedience to Christ.”(2 Corinthians 10:5) I “resisted the devil and he had to flee”.
• From me!
• Weak, vulnerable, human me.
• Because of Christ in me.
• Because I was prepared and never take off the Belt of Truth – because I am committed to live by the Word of God and therefore, the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word was effectively wielded against the kingdom of darkness. And for this moment in time, this storm of temptation was made still by the Master of the Wind - Jesus!
All glory be to God!
Be sure you know who you are in Christ, so that when temptation comes you will know that you are a “new creature, the old things are passed away and. behold new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) KNOW who you are in Christ so that YOU will know there is case of mistaken identity.
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