Three Sources of Temptationنموونە
Temptation from the Devil
The third source of temptation is temptation from the devil himself. 1 Peter 5:8, Apostle Peter warns us to be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil, he says, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
We are not to forget that we are part of a warfare. Warfare for our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our lives! There is, indeed, a spiritual power at work to bring us down in our faith. The devil will use lies and he will twist scriptures to lead us away from salvation. He will send flaming arrows of depression, despair, anguish, doubts etc. And when the devil stands up against us, we are not to flee. Instead, we are to FIGHT!
Are you about to give up? Are you giving in to your feelings? If so, it is the right time to give the devil a good fight with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Remember, Jesus being led by the Devil into the wilderness and when tempted in the flesh and lured by the world used the Word of God? ‘It is written', he tells the Devil.
So as we wrap up this study, recognise the source of your temptation. Is it coming from your carnal nature, the flesh? Is it coming from the World, luring you to conform to its patterns? Or is it straight from the Devil, who engages you in a spiritual warfare? Knowing the source will help you either Flee, Resist, or Fight and be able to live an overcomer’s life.
About this Plan
Temptation is not a new question, but rather an old question which is faced across cultures. Tackling temptation will require you to understand the source of your temptation. When one gives in to temptation things can get bad quickly. Join me to explore the 3 sources of temptations singled out by St. Thomas Aquinas as implacable enemies of the soul and develop a strategy to overcome them.
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