Overcoming Temptation ~It’s About Fellowship Not Food ~Part III
“Then Jesus was lead by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:1-2
It was one of those days for me. I woke up late, and in my hurry forgot to grab my cooler. I had to be on shift, and ready to save the world at 5am and no later. It was three days in to a five day stretch of 12 hour shifts, that would be demanding and exhausting. I settled into my patrol unit, thinking I may have time to run by the local deli for some healthy breakfast options. Not the case. My radio began squawking, and I was headed to a three car accident with injuries. I was going to be there for a while. By 9am the accident was wrapped up and my hunger pangs were screaming loudly. I knew I had to get some food in my stomach before I did anything else. My wallet was back at the station so I would have to go there first. As I entered the station the smell of Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuits filled the air. Someone had graciously brought our unit as many fried chicken biscuits as we could eat. The temptation won. Two huge chicken biscuits later I was miserable, BLOATED, and kicking myself. Ugh.
Have you been in a similar situation before? We’ve all had those times where it seems like the day is doing everything it can to thwart our clean eating efforts. Do you ever wonder why temptation usually comes when your unprepared, exhausted, and stressed? My friends, this is not by accident. It’s a plan of attack from your enemy. That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about today in part III of this blog series.
In order to overcome temptation you need to first understand who’s doing the tempting. Whether you admit it or not, you have an enemy that’s been studying you since the dawn of creation and would love nothing more than to watch you destroy yourself. It saves him time and resources. MAKE. NO. MISTAKE. Whatever your THING is, he will give it to you. Until IT kills you. In this nation, it would seem the big thing is food. Ever wonder why obesity rates in adults and children are epidemic? It’s a planned attack and it’s not a new one. The same thing was apparent in Rome and Babylon. They didn’t have McDonald’s then, but the game was still the same. Awareness of the battle is key.
The second thing you need to do is watch for the patterns of attack in your life. The pattern I see the most is : Exhaust, Distract, Stress, Present. In my story earlier, I was physically tired and woke up late (exhaust). In the hurry of being late, I forgot my cooler (distract). Then, at work I was called into a high priority situation (stress). Lastly, at the opportune moment free chicken biscuits appeared (present).
These aren’t new patterns. Satan did the same thing to Jesus in Matthew 4. I encourage you to read the whole chapter, and watch how the enemy operates. The very first thing he tried to get Jesus to do was to turn stones to bread! Satan saw Jesus was tired and hungry, so he tried to manipulate his basic human need for food. Satan then went on to tempt him to deny God and even promised him the whole world. But he started with food first. I’ve always thought that was interesting.
So what does this look like in your life? How many times have you ordered a pizza and eaten the whole thing, because you were too TIRED to cook? How many times have you made decisions you normally wouldn’t have because you were too TIRED to think straight? How many times did you get so distracted with something, you forgot to prepare? Or, the stress of the day has you literally grabbing any and everything in sight? Look for those patterns, and recognize them for what they are.
Lastly, know that you have a weapon in the word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome any and every temptation. You must get equipped with your weapon and USE it! In Matthew 4, Jesus overcame temptation by quoting the word of God and telling Satan to get out of his face. You can do the exact same thing. Also, know that what you believe earnestly for and ask for in prayer will be given to you (Matthew 7:21-22), and in Christ you can do all things!! Even eat well. Funny how we think some parts of our lives are separate from him isn’t it? He wants to help us in all things big and small.
When you find yourself in a situation that falls under Exhaust, Distract, Stress, or Present:
Pray for supernatural energy and focus.
Pray for strength and ability during high stress situations.
Pray for spiritual sight when the enemy seeks to give you exactly what you want.
Pray the fruit of SELF CONTROL in your life.
Wrapping it up, the Word of God does not return void. Get it in your heart and speak it out. Please know that I don’t profess to have all the answers. My prayer is that what I’ve experienced and learned in this life can offer you a glimpse of hope and help you in your journey as well.
Speaking The Truth in Love,
Lindsey
P.S.
I would love to hear about your journey and if any of this is helping you. Post your comment below or head on over to the Facebook page and let me know.
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