The Topic Room:TEMPTATION; PURPOSEFUL THEFT
I cannot count the number of times I’ve read Mathew Chp 4 v 1-11. Christ’s wilderness experience is one of the most popular and widely studied events in the Gospels. It’s a favourite with my children when we study Bible stories together, and it’s an account that reminds us of our ultimate weapon (God’s word), sure to send the enemy packing EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Clearly the enemy sought to thwart the plan of salvation. He sought to circumvent the very purpose of Christ’s presence on earth, but thankfully he failed miserably, scuttling off with his tail neatly tucked away in his treacherous hind. Christ triumphed; the ultimate Kiniun King had won His first known face-off. However, let us not ignore the neon warning sign flashing through the pages of this scripture. The enemy wasn’t there just to mess up God’s redemptive plan, he was there to remind us of his desire to steal our destinies.
Yielding to temptation has a much larger price than simply giving in to a habit or a sin. Temptation is designed to prevent you from reaching your purpose on earth. The very nature of temptation is devised to weave its sinewy tentacles around any perceived weaknesses we may have. The nature of the weakness is irrelevant – if it’s a weakness, it’s a target. And ensuring we cower under the weight of temptation isn’t a mere sidenote, it’s the actual plan, similar to how the enemy audaciously asked Christ to fall before him. And if the enemy can make us bow to our weaknesses then he has a better chance at laying his grubby hands on our purpose on earth.
It is important that we place the correct premium on our purpose because not only is it the blueprint of God’s plan for us, it is also designed to be a blessing to those around us. But perhaps most importantly, our purpose is deadly to the enemy’s kingdom. Temptation is merely the door through which the enemy sneaks in. If necessary, he will pick the lock, or straight-up bulldoze the door down to get to the real prize – your future. His desire is to steal and destroy your destiny. Please understand that the enemy gains nothing by watching you hiding in your basement, glued to the computer screen while your oblivious spouse sleeps upstairs. He gains nothing by watching you scoff down that sixth slice of cake after you’d promised yourself you would stop at two. His goal is a most prized gift, your destiny.
On the flip side, the enemy is also very aware of our strengths, sadly, often more than we do. In the Biblical account, the enemy asks Jesus to perform certain tasks, one of which we find in verse 3.
Mathew 4 v 3 – ‘And the tempter came and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
The enemy knows we have the power to call those things that are not as though they were, just like our heavenly Father. He is well aware of what followers of Christ are capable of. This realisation helps us understand his desperation to steal from us. He knows we have the power to change our environment, and the earth as a whole – his domain.
Romans 4 v 17 – ‘…(as it is written, “A Father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.’
I remember how my heart skipped a beat when I realised that the individual who hates me the most, believes in what I’m capable of more than I do!
Friends, I urge us all to guard our destinies. Guard them like the precious child you waited for and have now finally birthed. Guard them like a life changing secret between you and your Father. Be alert to the enemy’s intentions nestled in the guise of temptations. And understand that the future is teeming with awesome accomplishments the enemy is terrified of.
Live TKL (The Kiniun Life)
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