In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Satan is always trying to lead us into temptation, while the Holy Spirit who lives within us is always trying to lead us away from temptation. It tells us a lot that the devil is named the tempter – and the accuser: ‘For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down’ (Revelation 12:10 NIV). There’s no such thing as fair play with the devil. As soon as he gets us to give in to temptation, he switches hats and tries to convince us that we’re beyond the reach of God’s grace and redemption because we’ve submitted to temptation’s charms. But Satan is a liar, and there’s no truth in him. It’s only when we deny our sins and reject God’s mercy that we’re outside of His help. But the moment we acknowledge them and ask God to restore us, His redeeming power will be at work. The Bible says: ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:8-9 NIV). Some people are delivered from temptation instantly; others battle it for a long time before finding deliverance and victory. God’s always willing to extend grace to us, but we’re not always ready to receive it. So whether you come the easy way or the hard way, as long as your heart’s true desire is to come to God, ‘He will also provide a way out’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).
