It's To Our Advantage To Know This In Life

Judges 7:2 - The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.' …" NASU 
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• Origin Of Victories 

God informs Gideon if he went into battle against the Midianites with 22,000 soldiers the Israelite's victory would be their downfall. They would become puffed up with pride, boastful, and believe the victory happened because of their strength.
 
God wanted Israel to trust Him then. God wants us to trust Him today. 

• Faith 

Are we walking each day in faith so that no matter what enemy we meet we know we will be victorious because we walk with God?
 
Are we facing prideful enemies today?
 
Has the job promotion helped us or hurt us? Has leading a Bible study helped or hurt us? We have an enemy who is constantly trying to get us to believe we can get through this life without God's help.
 
There is one who wants us to believe what we have accomplished we have done it on our own. 

• The Way Temptations Come 

In I John 2:16 we are told the three ways we will be tempted. There will be the Lust of the Flesh, The Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. The temptations you and I face will be able to be placed under one of these three categories.
 
The devil has been very successful in getting God's children to sin. Sin has conquered all people except Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve's sin in the garden, David's numbering Israel and Samson's sin of using his strength incorrectly were all three sins which fall under the category of Pride of Life.
 
You and I need to know the devil will use the Pride of Life to conquer us. We must stay alert for we have an enemy who seeks to hurt us by getting us to be prideful.
 
One of my mentors told me this on numerous occasions: "Don't believe everything people say about you, good or bad." 

• The Way To Defeat Temptations 

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 
 
The way to defeat temptations is to know God has provided for you a way to escape.
 
While visiting with some friends in Florida we all decided to go to an Escape Room. They go over some rules with you and then place you in a room and give you 45 minutes or an hour to escape. If you escape you can have the feelings of accomplishment. If you don't they show you how you could have escaped by using the clues that were in the room.
 
God has given us all the clues we need to escape every temptation the devil throws at us.
 
You have not been left alone. God has not only provided the way to escape He has given us a map (The Bible) how to get out of the temptations we are facing. 

• Temptations Didn't Work On Jesus 

When tempting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:1f) look at the devil's plan:
 
First, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God turn these stones into bread."
 
The devil tried to get Jesus to doubt Himself. Jesus had been fasting so the devil tries tempting Him with a Lust of the Flesh temptation. Jesus quotes scripture to the devil, the same road map we have in our possession and we have the example of Jesus defeating the devil. Therefore, we can defeat him as well if we will follow the course Jesus used.
 
The devil will try and get you to doubt yourself.
 
Secondly, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You;…"
 
With this temptation, the devil uses the Pride of Life against Jesus. It fails also. Jesus quotes scripture to him.
 
Thirdly, he said to Jesus, "I will give you all these kingdoms if You will worship me."
 
Jesus once again will quote scripture and the devil's Lust of the Eyes temptation is defeated. God had provided a way to escape and each time it was using the Holy Scriptures.
 
The more of the Word of God you know the better equipped you will be to overcome all temptations.
 
Think About These:
 
Pride hides a man's faults to himself and magnifies them to everyone else.
 
When success turns a man's head, it leaves him looking in the wrong direction.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word