the same sins again and again . As mentioned , believers in Jesus the Messiah have tools at our disposal for overcoming temptation and living successful , righteous lives worthy of our Father ’ s pride , even if we have fallen short of the upward calling . These tools not only help us to avoid the sins , they also help in the process of repentance if we fall into them , as well as in keeping away from them in the future . The greatest is God ’ s word , which also contains the rest of the tools . It is the most complete book in the world , written by many different authors , but inspired by the same God who created them . It has the answers to all of life ’ s questions , and contains no contradictions ( those who claim to prove otherwise only display their lack of understanding ). Some other tools are wisdom and understanding ( Proverbs 4:1-9 ): in them we learn right versus wrong , and to act on each . We also have discernment ( Hebrews 4:12 ): with which we can see past our physical sight and into the spiritual , at how things truly are . There are the spiritual weapons and armor as described in Ephesians 6:10- 18 and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 . These are all some of the weapons of our warfare in 2nd Corinthians 3-6 which are at our disposal . We cannot fight unless we know about them . There is also community ( Hebrews 10:24-25 ). If our trials are nothing new , there are those who have already faced them and can offer advice and prayer for our success . Finally , and most importantly , the Father , Son and Holy Spirit are on our side , counseling , warning and delivering us . May we remember Paul ’ s words in Romans 8:31 , “ If God is for us , who can be against us ?” Sin is lurking at every corner , but we have been given what we need to stand and fight !
In the latter part of 1st Corinthians 10:13 , Paul says that we can trust God to not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear . This is a truly comforting thought in more ways than one . The literal meaning tells us we will not be tempted beyond our level of spiritual maturity . Another implication is that when we feel we are at our breaking point , our Father is allowing it , not to break us , but so that we will realize we are ready to face it and able to press through and reach new levels . This is not to discount the difficulty of the trial , but to help us stand tall in the midst of it . Use the tools at our disposal and rest assured that if God is allowing it , He will also see us through it . It is also very important to spend more time with God whether we are in trials or not . The more time we spend with Him , the more we can recognize His voice . He tells us whether to stand or fight , whether to wait or proceed , but if we allow the turbulent waters to drown out His voice , we may not realize He is waiting for us to take His hand so He can help us back in the boat .
There is a story about a navy captain who was known for not being fair to his crew . He was mean-spirited and loved to lord his authority over his subordinates . The problem was so obvious that word was spread to the top until the admiral of the fleet heard it . After an investigation including multiple interviews and personal evaluation , the admiral decided to strip the captain of his duties . He had a new captain flown out by helicopter to the middle of the ocean as the change needed to be immediate . When the new captain arrived , he quickly relieved the former captain of his duties , bringing hope and peace to the crew . However , the former captain was allowed to stay on the ship until they reached the next port , and he was calm for the most part . After a short period of time , he returned to barking orders when he would notice a crew member performing duties in a way he did not approve . Out of respect and habit , the crew members would submit , once again feeling oppressed . The new captain noticed the problem and spoke to the crew members saying , “ He is no longer your captain and you are no longer under his authority . You are to only listen to me .” Satan is our former captain , only wishing to lord authority over us . Jesus is our new captain , setting us free and giving us hope . We no longer need to listen to the voice of the former captain because we are no longer under his authority , and so we do not need to submit to his wishes or yield to his temptations . Galatians 5:24-25 says ,
“… those who belong to Messiah [ Jesus ] have put their old nature to death on the stake , along with its passions and desires . Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life , let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day .” Amen .