Battle Ready? How to Dress for Victoryنموونە

Deliver Us...

A Vietnam War veteran once shared a story with me. He described the terror of walking through open fields between dense stretches of jungle. Landmines were hidden everywhere, yet he and his fellow soldiers had to keep walking. Though this happened decades ago halfway across the world, there are spiritual minefields we walk through every day. Thankfully, we have a spiritual GPS inside of us pointing out these spiritual landmines.

They are areas of temptation and destructive sin waiting to explode in and around our lives. However, Jesus shows us in the Lord’s Prayer that we have a God who leads and delivers us from these dangers.

In Matthew 6:13, Jesus prayed, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” We’ve all heard about temptation, but it’s easy to overlook the second part of Christ’s statement: There is an evil one to be delivered from. We are in a real spiritual battle against an enemy named Satan. In John 10:10a, Jesus explained his evil intentions like this: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

That sounds like a fight to me! However, check out what Jesus said about His role in our lives in the next sentence, John 10:10b: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Satan brings death. Jesus brings life.

No matter the landmines of temptation, the Holy Spirit will help us navigate tumultuous pathways to a godly, abundant life. The Apostle Paul also knew this, saying in 2 Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

Tomorrow, we’ll explore more of what Paul teaches about temptation so we can begin living the overcoming life God has called us to!

As you engage with God’s Word:

● What is God saying to me?

● What does it mean to me?

● How can I apply what God is teaching me?

● How can I be specific in prayer today?

After you reflect on these questions, bring everything to God in prayer.