Know Your Enemy

President Theodore Roosevelt had a very feisty little dog that could not resist fighting with other dogs. Sadly, he lost every fight.

After one such loss a friend said to him, “Mr. President, your dog isn't much of a fighter.”

“On the contrary,” he replied, “he's a good fighter. Unfortunately, he underestimates his adversaries!”

“Know thyself. Know thy enemy” was the advice of a Greek philosopher. We often think that we know our strengths and limitations and how to meet the challenges of life. But, for whatever reason, we know neither one of them well enough to keep us from falling into temptation and then into sin.

Paul said that “God is faithful and…He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you the way out so that you can endure.” Note that Paul said God “will show us the way out.”
The important fact here is that God's faithfulness must be coupled with our willingness to accept a way out. God always provides a moment between the temptation and the choice to sin. But we must seize the moment of decision.

Prayer: We pray, Father, that we might become more alert to the temptations we face and know that with Your strength we need not fail You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.