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Another important step in dealing with temptation is making every effort to stay away from it. You can avoid temptation first of all by prayer. Jesus said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Recognize Your Weaknesses Second, you can avoid temptation by having a realistic view of yourself. This means recognizing […]

The first thing we need to do in relation to temptation is to learn to recognize when we are being tempted. Hiding in the Shadows One of Satan’s attributes is subtlety. He disguises himself so well that quite often the one being tempted is oblivious to his involvement. In other words, Satan doesn’t manifest himself […]

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8–9 Satan’s most notorious activity is that of tempting mankind. Temptation is the solicitation […]

So, how do we deal with depression? First, we need to know what is causing it. There are basically four types of depression. There is depression that is organic in nature (resulting from a bodily malfunction, i.e., hormonal or chemical imbalances). Then there is circumstantial depression; the problems of life have gotten you down. Some […]

Depression is perhaps the most devastating of the “wiles of the devil” inasmuch as the devil gathers up the condemnation, doubt, fear, evil thoughts and imaginations that plague us and wraps them in despair, leaving us with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Many of God’s people throughout the ages have known firsthand what it is […]

Another manifestation of the “wiles of the devil” is evil thoughts. Have you ever been in prayer and had your mind suddenly assaulted by blasphemous thoughts? Have you ever been worshipping and had pornographic images flash across your mind? Have you ever gone through a period of time in which your mind was consumed with […]

Another of the devil’s wiles is the use of fear tactics. He threatens evil consequences upon those who would trust and obey the Lord. When the 18th century revivalist George Whitefield called upon his friend John Wesley to take over his open-air preaching ministry, Wesley was suddenly struck with the impression that if he were […]

The devil sometimes shoots fiery darts of doubt into our minds. He will try to get you to doubt everything from God’s existence to your salvation. But his fundamental objective is to cast doubt on the Word of God. An important thing to remember, though, is that there is a difference between the temptation to […]

Continuing our look at the wiles of the devil, we will consider first condemnation. A common tactic of the devil is to make you feel cut off from God’s love and forgiveness. This occurs most often after some failure on your part. Maybe you did something that you knew you shouldn’t have done or you […]

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil … above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:11, 16 We looked last week at an example from […]