We know there is a cosmic battle for authority. God created it, demands it and will ultimately gain all of it in the end. For now, Satan is still wrestling for his share. Jesus prays “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” Believers tend to fall into one of two camps here. The first group practically denies the existence of any spiritual enemy or force of darkness. They live their lives frustrated by the work of the enemy but oblivious to his work. The second group feels helpless when it comes to spiritual darkness. They know first-hand the effects of its work, but do not know how to stand up against it. They fall to temptation again and again, not knowing how to resist it. The first group believes God is weak because He can’t ever rescue them from the perpetual darkness they live in and the second group believes He doesn’t care/He’s absent because they never see His work in their lives. What about you? 

There is a middle, better way. It’s the biblical way; the way Jesus alludes to here. And I can tell you from experience, the best way is to pray. When we pray, we are saying we don’t have all the answers or ability. We make ourselves vulnerable and ready to respond to God.

Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray with Him in the Garden the night before the cross. He took Peter, James and John on a little further and asked them to stay awake with Him. He said “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Watch and pray that you may not enter into (or succumb to) temptation.” Jesus withdrew from them to fall on His face and pray three times, asking God “Please take this cup from me.” The temptation to walk away from the cross was strong. This was a very painful step of obedience! But He would follow that statement with “yet not my will but yours be done.” Again, “Don’t allow me to fall into temptation but rescue me from the evil one!” I imagine He was shouting this prayer in the Garden. 

Satan was hard against Jesus in the days before the cross, especially the night before. How is he tempting you now? J.I. Packer says “Find out what for you is fire and don’t play with it!” Luther says “We can’t keep the birds from flying overhead, but we can keep them from nesting in our hair!” Resist the devil and the evil he works! I don’t need to make a list of things for you stay away from. I do need to say your ability to draw near to God is key here. The goal is not for you to stay clean. The goal is for God to keep you clean. You and I are helpless here on our own. Only in Christ can we resist the devil and stand against temptation. 

Homer’s Odyssey points him in the direction of the island of the Sirens. He knows their song will be sorely tempting and he knows their end goal is to kill he and his men, so he stops up their ears with bee’s wax. But he wants to listen to them, so he binds himself to the mast of the ship. As they approach the island, the captain hears the song and struggles against the ropes so strongly, they gouge and cut his flesh. To him the sirens are the most beautiful, alluring women he’s ever seen. To his men, who can’t hear them, they are ugly monsters. As soon as they are out of hearing distance, the spell fades and the men untie Odysseus. He lives to sail another day but with the memory of the siren’s song in his thoughts and dreams to plague him until the day he dies. 

I suggest the enemy woos us in much the same way. Why would we allow him the opportunity? Why not do, as Packer suggests, and know what is fire to us and stay clear of it? Why would we try to get as close as we can without burning ourselves? Because temptation is beautifully alluring and we always think we are strong enough. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, remember? We aren’t strong enough. Stop up your ears, Church! Don’t listen to the voice of the enemy who seeks to devour you! 

As we enter 2024, I pray for a great renewal of the Church. I pray God awakens in us a passion for Him we haven’t seen in generations. For this to happen, we need to be ready; be prepared. We must deal with what is fire to us. Will you take the time to bend your heart toward God today? Will you ask Him to deliver you from the clutches of the evil one? Our Father is faithful and just. He will not allow you to drift if you ask Him to keep you. He will guard the heart and keep the mind of the one who draws near to Him. 

I pray for you the blessing of a clean heart this year. Happy New Year!