Neither give place to the devil. — Ephesians 4:27
In one of my jobs in college, I worked for a retail store in loss prevention. My job was to help the store management reduce the risk of theft and even catch people in the act of stealing and contact law enforcement. In this job, I learned a lot about how temptation works.
One day, I remember a young kid who was acting strangely in one of the aisles. He had his hands full of some form of collectible cards that the store sold. He was pacing back and forth, appearing nervous. As I watched him from just out of view, I noticed him taking the cards and placing them in his pockets.
He continued to remain nervous as he finished his shopping with his mother. As they exited the store, I approached them, showed her my employee badge, and shared with her that we needed to go back inside so we could talk to her son. After she was aware of what he had done, she was mortified. She explained she was a Christian and taught her kids better. Her son gave into temptation, and she struggled with the thought of it.
The truth is not a single person is exempt from temptation. From the youngest to the oldest, all face temptations in this life. Even the strongest of Christians will battle temptation. But how we respond to that temptation is important.
Our heart’s desire should be never to be deceived by temptation. Temptation is a work of the heart. If we give the devil a place to place temptation in our hearts, we can easily fall into that temptation. Thankfully, we have a God who can help us overcome temptation and help us guard our hearts!
No matter what temptations you may be facing in life, share them with God. Tell Him what you are struggling with. Let Him know that you need His help to overcome. He can help you set a guard over your heart, filling it with His word rather than the temptations of Satan.
Across the world, there are Christians who need encouragement and strength that only God’s word can provide. We are focused on helping Christians find encouragement, develop stronger relationships with God, and help non-Christians come to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Another Well Ministries is a non-profit ministry that relies on donations to continue our work. You can find out more about us and ways to support us here.
If you enjoy our devotionals, subscribe for free to receive them daily in your email!