Have you ever had the feeling that you just cannot escape sin. You know, the feeling that you are never gonna be set free; that feeling that you are trapped in this sin tendency. We've all been there! I have good new for you. JESUS LOVES YOU! Yes, that's right, He loves you. So why are you constantly loosing to a battle that has already been fought, and won. We spend way too much time trying to fix what has already been fixed. All we have to do is receive who we are in Christ and do our very best to maintain a minute by minute relationship with Him. Whoa! "a minute by minute relationship," that's a bit extreme isn't it? No way, I believe that to be our 'reasonable service" that Paul tells us about in Romans 12:1-2.
See the problem is that we tend to worry too much about the devil and how he is causing us to slip into sin. I need to remind you that the devil doesn't make you sin. STOP blaming him for what you willfully do; Luke 10:19 tells us that we have been given authority over the enemy. So really he is not an enemy at all, he is defeated; learning this is the first step of becoming free. However, this is how we fall, the devil tempts us and we obey. This is the process of sin, and that is how it happens every time.
I remember when I was training my Boxer, Ellie Mae, to stay within her new electric fence; I threw a piece of wienie outside the range of the fence. She ran after it so fast that she didn't know what hit her. The shock scared her so much, and it really hurt me to see it, but she had to learn. I pulled her back into the "safe zone" and loved on her, comforted her and let her know that she was safe and secure. After that, I stood up and threw another piece of wienie outside the boundary. She started after it quickly then stopped, realizing the the temptation was not worth the pain. I gave her a pat on the head and told how proud I was of her. Then, I threw another piece and guess what... ole Ellie Mae stood firm. She didn't move an inch! She looked at me with those puppy dog eyes that said, "I ain't that dumb, dummy." You see, she quickly learned that consequence comes from stepping outside the boundary. So Ellie Mae's response is, "I think I'll just stay here with you, the wienie just isn't worth it."
If we could learn to realize that "the wienie just isn't worth it," then we can overcome the temptation that satan put in front of us. Don't you know that he laughs at you every time you fall into his trap. You do NOT have to fall into that trap though, remember it's much safer right there in the presence of your Master. The next time satan puts a temptation in your path tell him, "I ain't that dumb, dummy; I am safe and sound in the presence of my Master and I am not about to fall for that trick." Never forget that God never allows you to be tempted beyond what you can overcome. So learn to be in God's presence every minute of everyday and you will see that it is much safer there with Him.
May the blessings of the Lord Overtake You!
