Overcoming Temptation

Every effort a believer makes to improve their life will result in automatic opposition from the adversary. When God delivers us, the chief deceiver himself will visit us during our dry seasons to try and tempt us and lead us astray. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible clearly states evil spirits cannot dwell in dry places, but at the same time, we need to understand the enemy is persistent and strategic.

How the Devil Tempts

This means when the lower-ranking wicked spirits can no longer oppress or possess a person, they get help from their superiors. I mention rank because similar to the order we see in God’s domain, the kingdom of darkness also has a hierarchy of powers, principalities and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12) that are hell-bent on wreaking havoc on the lives of all of God’s creation, whether they are believers or not. 

It is no secret the devil, the ultimate father of lies, is the head of this wicked empire that is the breeding ground for fear, torment and torture.

Because of this, although God may cast various oppressive spirits out of a person, threats of relapse from the highest-ranking demon during their time of trial and tribulation should be expected as it is very much imminent and virtually guaranteed.

Remember, the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) and he will stop at nothing to rob a person of obtaining salvation. How can we be so sure, you may ask? Because Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who God sent to set the example for all His children, had to endure the tests of the devil during His wilderness experience. 

Jesus in the Wilderness

“…The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” 

–Matthew 4:1-11 NIV

It was no coincidence that Satan showed up when Jesus was physically at His weakest. Christ had fasted to the point where starvation and severe dehydration would have already begun the process of ransacking His body.

So what did the devil do? He offered him a basic necessity that Jesus’ natural body undoubtedly craved. Still, instead of caving into His fleshly desires, Christ harnessed strength from the Holy Spirit and refuted Satan’s temptation with the Word of God.

Throughout the entire account, He employed this same strategy to refute Satan when he tried to tempt him. And guess what? The devil was eventually forced to flee.

Resistance in the Midst of Temptation 

Casting down vain imaginations and bringing all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ is the ultimate tool God gives us to resist the schemes and plots of the devil (2 Corinthian 10:5). 

Even if a person feels they have no power to fight against temptation, they should not lose hope. Let me remind you, even the devil in all his destruction will not stay in a dry place; he will only pass through it. So if we, like Jesus, choose to meditate on the truth of God found in the scriptures, Satan, like his inferiors, will also have to keep it moving. 

Never forget, the enemy is looking for a place to find rest and grows weary too. This means if a person perseveres through prayer, fasting and reading the Bible regardless of their feelings and foreseeable circumstances, oppressive spirits will grow restless and move on. 

Even if you are in the midst of your dry season and feel like you’re losing the battle, remember God’s Word never lies and all of His promises will come to pass despite what you may be feeling at the moment. That being said, when you stand on His Word, which is Jesus Christ, the enemy will flee.