This morning, in our series ‘Battles and Blessings’, we looked at the very first battle man experienced, which continues to affect every single one of us today (see Gen 3:1-19). We have an enemy who seeks to lead us away from God, who wants nothing more than to separate us from all the blessings God has for us, and even greater, sometimes, than the battles we face with other people is that battle we face with the devil, and with our own flesh.
Before this point, everything that God had created was good and man’s relationships were good. Adam had been given a helper by God, Eve, and they lived together, naked and unashamed, in the Garden created for them, looking after God’s creation by divine decree. Everything in the garden truly was lovely! The only restriction placed on man was the command given by God in Gen 2:16-17, but the serpent caused Eve to question not only God’s commands, but His intentions, planting the seeds of doubt and uncertainty which, if left unchallenged, can lead to sin.
Questions and temptations are not, of course, the same thing as sin. But as James reminds us (James 1:13-15), they can lead us to sin if we allow ourselves to be enticed by evil desires within. The danger in every spiritual battle we face is that we will succumb to the temptation to believe the enemy’s lies rather than the truths of God’s Word.
Adam and Eve failed in that first battle, succumbing to temptation, but Jesus, in the wilderness, showed us how the sword of the Spirit can be used to defeat the enemy’s whispering lies. (Matt 4:1-10) The blessings we find in the Bible belong to those who do not yield to temptation but who choose to believe God above and beyond what the other voices say. The blessings of God are for those who believe. Paul said, ‘So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.’ (Gal 3:9) Jesus, in defeating temptation not only in the wilderness but also in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:41), became our great high priest who is able to empathise with our weaknesses, uphold us in our struggles and bring us the victory as He ever lives to intercede for us (see Heb 2:18, Heb 4:15, Heb 7:25). He provides a way out of temptation for us (1 Cor 10:13) and therefore helps us rely on the help and hope He brings to every battle. (Ps 146:5, Deut 33:29)