Colossians 2:8

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Paul, having never visited Colossae, is writing to the believers there to encourage them, and to address specific teachings that were leading them astray from total faith in Jesus. We don’t know specifically what this teaching was, but it is likely to have been an attempt to pollute pure Christianity with local folk spritualism. Probably a local shaman had arisen to bring “errant” Christians back into the fold of the local religion.

It’s a good thing we don’t have that kind of thing going on today!!

Or do we?

What about the Prosperity Gospel, teaching that the primary goal of faith and obedience is to be blessed with wealth and success in this life, and that a lack of prosperity may indicate a lack of faith, or of obedient practice? A recent Lifeway Research poll indicates that 76% of U.S. Christians believe in some form of prosperity gospel!

I wonder what Paul would say about that?

Or, there are various forms of Moralist Gospel, teaching that moral living and personal effort are the way to salvation. I personally grew up in a church teaching a watered-down form of this belief, and had a lot of un-learning to do. It’s easy to mislead believers with this teaching if they are not personally educated in the Bible. Many will not yet have encountered Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Some churches, while not necessarily teaching a social-club gospel, have allowed themselves to become a sort of religious social club, where friendship, fellowship and social support are primary, and the spiritual aspects of the true gospel take a back seat.

These false teachings and beliefs cater to self-centered needs and desires, but do not lead to salvation. Jesus said “For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matt 7:13-14)

What lessons shall we take home from this? Here are my suggestions:

Jesus said “abide in my Word”. Spend quality time with Jesus through thoughtful, prayerful study of His Word. A simple reading is a place to start, but it’s just a start. That’s a drive-by. We need to abide (i.e., “live in”) the Word.

Follow the example of the Bereans (Acts 17). As Paul and Silas were teaching them, they examined the Scriptures to verify the truth of what they were being taught. How many of us do that? How many of us just swallow whatever the pastor says, hook-line-and sinker?

When you hear false teaching, stand up and say something! Do your homework first, and be prepared to oppose false teaching with the Word of God, but don’t just sit back in silence and allow others to be lead into false beliefs.

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Paul is wrapping up his letter to Philippi, and there’s one last encouragement he wants to be sure to include before he closes. Is this the most important instruction in his letter? Is this a final afterthought, or a summary of his message? Let’s begin our study for the day, not here, but in another “finally” passage in Paul’s letters.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Eph. 6:10-11)

Paul was concerned about the devil’s attacks on the Ephesian church, attacks with temptation, sin, discouragement, distraction, and the cares of everyday life. He uses the metaphor of a soldier’s armor, encouraging believers to use the protections that God provides against spiritual attacks.

One of those pieces of armor, perhaps the most important, is the “breastplate of righteousness”. In physical terms, the breastplate was a vital piece of armor, critically important because it protected the wearer’s heart. Warfare has changed quite a bit since this was written, but the importance of protecting one’s heart has not. We use different materials today, and call it a bulletproof vest, but we still protect the heart.

In spiritual terms also, it is most vital to protect the (spiritual) heart. Jesus said “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Matt. 15:19) Solomon, the wisest man ever, wrote “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

So, if both apathy and compassion can flow from the same spiritual heart, depending upon how well we’ve protected it, how do we guard and protect our hearts?

This question brings us back to Paul’s final instruction in Philippians. We guard our hearts by keeping our thoughts abiding in the attributes and virtues of God! Protect your heart by thinking about honorable things. Avoid frustration with the world by thinking about what is just. Eschew immorality by concentrating on whatever is pure. Don’t let the ugliness of the world get you down; focus on whatever is lovely. Instead of becoming resentful over injustice, thank God for what you see that is commendable. Search out those things around you that are excellent. You will find much that is worth of praise, so give all praise to the Creator.

How about you? Are you wearing the armor which God has provided? Will you join me in donning that breastplate of righteousness? We’re going to need it out there!!

Philippians 4:4-7

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How can we rejoice constantly? How can our hearts be filled consistently with peace? I don’t know about you, but I have days when the absolute last thing I feel like doing is rejoicing! The simple oil change turned in to a thousand-dollar repair. One family member is hospitalized in one state, as another lays dying in another state, in the opposite direction. The bills pile up, while the funds drain away. Peace? What is that?

Paul here gives us both the instruction and the secret of actually carrying it out. Yes, though prayer and supplication lay all your needs, worries and fears at the foot of God’s throne, but as Paul says, with thanksgiving! In thanking God for all He has done for us, we are ourselves reminded of His gracious provision for us; of His power over all things that affect our lives to bring us what we need. The result of (1) being mindful and thankful of God’s work in our lives up to now, and (2) approaching the same gracious and powerful God with the needs of today, is that we can have “the peace of God, which passes all understanding.”

David wrote in Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” David was a man with a lot of problems; eight wives, just for starters! Yet in all his dangers and trials, he remembered all that God had done for him, and gave thanks.

When we combine our memories of all that God had done for us, all the rich blessings He has poured out upon us day by day, and combine that with our knowlege of and faith in His power and soverignty, it enables us to have hearts filled with peace, AND when Satan attacks us with the temptations (and he will!), this same faith in God’s everlasting care will guard our hearts.

My life, my every moment of every day, is so filled with God’s blessings I never run out of new things for which to be thankful. With every prayer of thanksgiving, I realize more and more how inadequate is my ability to even recognize and enumerate all the blessings poured into my life, let alone be properly thankful for them.

How about you? What of God’s blessings are you thankful for today? Does this mountain of blessings make your problems look a little bit smaller?

Philippians 3:12-14

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“forgetting what lies behind” … If anyone had a past to forget, it would be Paul. When Saul attempted to join the other believers in Jerusalem, his reputation preceeded him, and they rejected him at first, because they were afraid of him.

How does Paul deal with his past? He wrote to the Philippians “I press on toward the goal“. Paul knew he had a past, and he knew he wasn’t perfect, but he continued to learn and grow closer to his Lord (and ours), Christ Jesus.

In this passage, Paul is so much like many of us! Most of us have bad times in our past that we’d really like to forget; pages in our personal history we’d like to cut out of the book and burn. We know, as Paul did, that we’re far from perfect, but like Paul, we need to press on toward the goal. As my friend and mentor Jack Snead would say, just keep on doing the next right thing.

We must not let our past, or our present imperfections, hold us back from serving in Jesus’ name, in whatever way He may lead us to do. We must be honest with ourselves about our continued need for spiritual growth, but never become satisfied with where we are, or give up on continued sanctification.

Will you join me in pressing on toward our goal of eternal life with Jesus?

Philippians 3:1-11

Full Bible text here.

Key verse: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (v. 7)

Paul is here warning the Philippians of “teachers” who will come and insist that they must first become proper Jewish converts before they can become legitimate disciples of Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth, but Paul had already encountered these teachers elsewhere, and he knew their lies.

If being a loyal and righteous Jew counted for anything with Jesus Christ, Paul had it made! He was head and shoulders above most of the Jews around him in qualifications for Jewish righteousness, as he recounts in verses 4-6. But in verse 7, he renounces it all!

Paul knows, as we should know, that with Jesus, nothing counts except God’s grace, which we obtain only through faith in Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Paul is very clear in this letter that his goal is to “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” (v. 9)

How shall we apply this passage to life today? I would suggest that we must examine ourselves with clarity of thought and honesty in self-evaluation; are we in any way depending upon ourselves, trying in some way to earn our way into God’s favor?

Are we expecting a heavenly reward because our names are found on the enrollment records of a chuch, although not necessarily on the attendance records?
Are we expecting to join the rest of the family in heaven, because all the family claims to be Christian, so that is our “identity” also?
Are we gaining God’s favor by constant attendance at our church of choice and our service on multiple church committees?
Are we expecting God to grade on the curve, recognizing how much more righteous lives we live as compared to our neighbors and many of our friends.
Do our Bibles have more dog-ears, or more dust?
Is our righteousness measured (by us, of course) by the things we do not do; the commandment we do not break?
Are we more righteous than half the nation because we’re an enthusiastic supporter of the “correct” political party?

If any of the above apply to us, we’ve either never heard the true gospel of Christ, or we’ve failed to internalize it when we’ve heard it. We must, as Paul did, first recognize our sinfulness, in opposition to a pure and holy God, our complete and eternal unworthiness to take a place in heaven alongside Him. Recognizing our sin, we must repent, turning from our sin and to our Savior, Christ Jesus, for grace and forgiveness. Ask Christ Jesus to forgive your sins, and He will!

At this point, if we truly take to heart what Jesus has done for us, at how all-encompassing is God’s love and grace, we will understand that we cannot work our way to heaven, and we’ll work all the harder to pour out our own love for our Savior and our God.

Philippians 2:12-18

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (v. 12-13)

Do you remember how much better your behavior was as a child, when you were at your mother’s side shopping, as compared to when you were far away from her, out of sight? It appears that Paul was concerned about the same with the Philippian church.

The thing is, we’re not minding our behavior for Mom, or for Paul. We’re really trying to live our lives pleasing to God, and we’re never out of His sight! Paul encouraged the Philippians, and us, to be consistent in our behavior so as to bring glory to God.

But what does it mean to “work out your own salvation”? Haven’t we all been taught that we cannot earn, or work our way back into God’s favor? What is Paul saying here that would not be a conflict with the doctrine of salvation by grace?

I believe Paul is referring to the “work” we do to grow into the likeness of God, after we have been saved. Are we cooperating with God, opening our hearts to the work of His Holy Spirit within us, to grow us in the fruits of the spirit, as Paul wrote about in Galatians chapter 5? Are we growing daily in our expression of love, our joy in the Lord, the peace filling our hearts, in our excercise of patience, in our consistency of kindness, our purity of goodness, in our faithfulness to God’s Word, in our gentleness in dealing with others in difficult times, and in our self-control? Growing in those attributes which make us more like God is how we “work out our own salvation”.

As Paul points out, we’re not doing this alone. “It is God who works in you”. The question is, are we letting Him do that work, or are we stubbornly holding on to our past attitudes and habits?

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” (v. 14-18)

How can we stand out as shining, attractive examples in “the midst of a crooked and twisted generation”? Seems to me that doing “all things without grumbling or disputing” is a pretty good way to stand out from the crowd! If you feel you need some practice at that, a bit of exercise, start at home. We could consider taking the trash out without grumbling, or helping to wash the dishes without disputing whose turn it is. If we can get that right, perhaps the new attitude will spill over into our workplace, or our church service team.

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said “You are the light of the world.” Paul encourages us to “shine as lights in the world.” What kind of light are we going to shine? Will it be the light of anger and dissention, or the light of love and peace?

Paul wanted to visit the Philippians and rejoice over them, taking great comfort in the growth of the fruits of the Spirit in their lives. If he were to visit you and I, would he be distressed, or similarly comforted?

Philippians 2:1-11

Read the full text of the selected scripture here.

As Paul wrote this letter, he was troubled by reports of strife and dissention within the church at Phillipi, which was discouraging to the Christians there and significantly interfering with the effectiveness of their witness for Christ. Paul encouraged them to be of one mind, working together for the spread of the gospel message.

Nice words, but within an atmosphere of strife, competition and jealousy, how do you achieve true unity? Paul gives us the answer in today’s passage: adopt the HUMBLE mind-set of Christ!

It is only with true Christ-like humility and the attitude of a true servant that anyone can let his/her “manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27).

What creates strife and division within the church. Look at chapter 2 verse 3: “selfish ambition or conceit”. How was Jesus’ attitude different from so many of us? Paul tells us …

First, Christ Jesus WAS God and WAS co-equal with God. “Though he was in the form of God …” (v. 6). Jesus was co-creator of the universe, and the sustainer of the universe. He had position, power and accomplishments we can’t even dream about. What was His attitude about power, position and accomplishments?

He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” (v. 6, ESV). To gain better understanding, let’s dig into the translated word “grasped” a bit further. Other translations render this as “used to his own advantage” (NIV), “cling to” (NLT), or “something to be exploited” (CSB). So Jesus didn’t selfishly try to retain His exalted position in Heaven with God to avoid the indignity of physical, temporal life on Earth. The Holy God stepped out of Heaven to join the masses of His sinful, unwashed creation, elbow-to-elbow, to walk the same dusty paths and eat the same food, to sleep on the same straw mats and sweat under the same hot sun.

As Ron Popeil would say on one of his infomercials, “but wait, there’s more!” Jesus could have been born into royalty as a prince and king-in-waiting, had He chosen to do so. He didn’t. He took on the form of a servant (v. 7), with no possessions and no power. He had disciples who followed him, not by His command but by their choice.

But He wasn’t done at that point. He was obedient to Father God, just as He taught us to be, and gave the example of a sinless life. His final obedience was to give His life on the cross for us, a sacrifice for OUR sins!

There is no possible greater example of humility. There is no possible greater example of putting others ahead of self. There was absolutely NOTHING selfish about Jesus, absolutely NO conceit. If the Philippian church could truly follow Jesus’ example, from the heart, there would be no strife, no division.

The same is true of my church, and yours. Division is a choice, not a necessity, and it’s a bad, sinful choice. I cannot control anyone’s attitude except my own, but at least for one person (myself), I can ensure that one person approaches service in the church with humility and selflessness.

Personally, I find yet another application in this scripture, one which may go beyond what Paul intended when he wrote this, but still an appropriate application. In consideration for all that Jesus has done for us, WHAT is too much for Him to ask of me? Where do I draw the line and say “Stop! No more!”? In view of all that Jesus has done for me, I can’t draw that line. I can’t establish a limit on what Jesus can ask of me. How about you?

Philippians 1:12-18

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”

What an astounding statement, that “my imprisonment is for Christ”!! Paul had many issues to deal with as he was writing this letter, but the two he mentions here are his imprisonment and the rivalry of evangelists with ill intent, who were preaching out of the ambition to bring attention to themselves, or to appear to others as of greater importance than Paul.

But Paul says it doesn’t matter to him, so long as the true gospel is being preached, and sinners are being saved. As long as that is happening, Paul will rejoice!

But will we? Is the spread of the gospel that important to us? In Heaven, even the angels rejoice over one sinner who is saved! (Luke 15:10)

I’m concerned as I write this over two possible reasons our celebrations over salvation are muted. First, we may not realize how serious sin is; how seriously God takes it. We may not realize how drastically our sin breaks our relationship with God. While God loves the sinner enough to allow Jesus to die in his/her place on the cross (John 3:16), God with equal fervor hates the sin (Proverbs 6:16-19). Sin is an affront to God’s nature, and He cannot co-exist with sin. If we don’t understand sin as God does, we’re driving the car right off the cliff with a blindfold on.

The second concern is “cultural Christianity”, a form of religion which celebrates our own goodness instead of God’s glory, and fails to recognize our need for Jesus, if indeed Jesus is recognized at all (except for the Christmas pagent!). Cultural Christianity transforms our churches into religeous country clubs, and results in many “unsaved Christians”. The only possible thing I can think of worse than finding oneself in eternal punishment after the final Judgement, is being surprised to be there!

So I implore you to consider: are you saved? Is your family saved? Your neighbors? Do you truly understand how vital that is to be certain?

Paul gave us a great example of passion for the gospel. Let’s all follow his example.

Philippians 1:1-11

We begin a new book today, the last letter Paul wrote to a church or group of people. His following letters were written to individuals, Titus and Timothy.

Paul’s visit to Phillipi and his experiences there are recorded in Acts 16. Although a number of people were saved there and added to the Church, not all of Paul’s experiences would be regarded by most of us as positive. One of Paul’s converts was his jailer!

As Paul begins his letter, he sets a tone of joy which will continue consistently throughout his message to his church in Phillipi, which was his first church in Europe. He begins with “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (v. 3). Warren Wiersbe asks a most thought-provoking question: Could our pastors, or elders, say the same of us? Is my life, I would ask, and my expression of my faith, such that a church leader could be thankful for it?

In the next verse, Paul reveals that he consistently prays for the believers in Phillipi. Am I following Paul’s example and praying for the believers in my circle of contacts, expressing my joy in their faithfulness? I believe most of us could learn quite a lot by studying Paul’s prayers.

Paul goes on to express his certainty that “… he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (v. 6) What is that “good work”? Again, I’ll echo a thought from Dr. Wierbe:

God’s work for us is salvation.
God’s work in us is sanctification.
God’s work through us is service.

Has God begun a good work in you by saving you? “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 Are you allowing God to work in you to grow you into His likeness, or are you resisting change? Finally, are you allowing Him to work through you to serve others in His name? Are you praying for additional opportunities for sacrificial service?

Paul continues in verse 7 to reveal that his unity with the Philippians is not limited to a unity of mind, but also an emotional unity; “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace …” In addition to sharing the same beliefs, he shared with them also the same grace, and the same Holy Spirit. Does it stir your heart in a special way to be gathered together with believers who share your faith and your gift of grace?

Working as I did for a while as a traveling consultant, I had the opportunity to attend Wednesday worship with churches I would otherwise have never encountered. I had the blessing to experience first-hand the welcome and extraordinary fellowship with Christians I had only just met, because of our shared faith and blessings of grace and salvation.

In verse 9, Paul prays for the continued growth in their love for one another: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.” As we mature in our Christian walk, our love should grow, as should our knowledge of God’s Word and our good judgement in applying it to our daily living.

The result of that growth is that we may “approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless”. What does it mean to “approve what is excellent”? The Contemporary English Version translates this as “make the right choices”. That’s probably as good a translation as we’ll ever see. Making the right choices will guide us into a pure and blameless life. Making the right choices is what “sanctification” is all about.

It has been said that one learns to make the right choices by making lots of wrong choices! That’s one way to do it, but it’s the painful way. Another way to do it is to marinate oneself in God’s Word, be constant in prayer, and always seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The result will be the judgement and will to make good choices, and hopefully fewer scars and wounds from learning the hard way.

Finally, Paul prays that the Philippians may be “filled with the fruit of righteousness”. That’s my prayer for you as well!

Ephesians 6:10-20

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (v. 10-11)

Complete scripture text

In July of 1812, the British army captured Fort Mackinac from the newly-independent Americans with the firing of just one shot from a 6-pound cannon. The United States had been at war with Great Britain for a month, but the military force at Fort Mackinac didn’t know it! Secretary of War William Eustis had supposedly informed the fort commander, Lieutenant Porter Hanks, of the war, but he sent the notice in a standard postal letter, which of course didn’t arrive in time. (Not much has changed in the 213 years since!)

In verse 12 of today’s passage, Paul sends us a similar warning. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Many Christians are in a spiritual war, fighting for their eternal lives, and don’t even know there’s a battle going on!

Our world is full of “cultural Christians“, who identify with and appreciate Christian culture and values, but do not actively worship, and may not believe in all the core tenets of Christianity. A cultural Christian wears the “Christian” label, checks the “Christian” box on the survey form, but doesn’t really allow Jesus to affect his/her way of life. Many such Christians believe they are good people, and in contrast to the sinful world around them, that should be good enough.

They’re in a spiritual battle for their souls; they don’t know it; and they’re losing the battle!

Paul’s message to us today is two-fold. First, it is to wake up! To realize that there really is a spiritual battle going on, and we’ve got to join in the fight to have any hope of winning.

The second part of his message tells us how to win the battle. God supplies the armor; all we’ve got to do is wear it.

He begins with truth. We cannot be successful in anything in life if we’re operating on false beliefs. Our Enemy’s number one weapon, his favorite and most effective tool, is lies. Jesus called him “the father of lies“. Jesus said “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” (John 8:31-32).

The “breastplate of righteousness” guards our hearts. If Satan can’t get to us through our minds, swapping the truth for lies, then he’ll try to get to us through our emotions. Our devotion to righteousness will carry us, with God’s strength, through those emotional attacks.

The “gospel of peace” keeps our feet on God’s path. It’s so easy to step off, if only for a moment. Oh, look, isn’t that pretty! What a sight! I must look closer! Without even realizing it, I’m off the path. Humans may be the pinnacle of God’s creation, but we’re so easily distracted.

The “shield of faith” protects us from Satan’s direct attacks. Sometimes all we’ve got left to hold on to is our faith. I don’t understand why I’m in these horrible, painful circumstances; I don’t understand why God’s allowing this to happen, but in all things and at all times, I trust Him. When your trust in God is all you’ve got, you’ve still got enough!

The “helmet of salvation” guards our minds from another of Satan’s weapons, FUD. What is FUD? Fear, uncertainty and doubt. John wrote “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” We need never fear, never doubt that God is faithful to fulfill all the promises He has made to his children. As John points out, we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing for certain that He hears us in our distress and cares for us with compassion.

Finally, Paul points out that God has given us an offensive weapon, in addition to all the defensive armor for the battle. His Holy Word is the “sword of the Spirit“. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, His responses to Satan always quoted holy scripture. What we sometimes fail to pick up as we read through Matthew’s account of this event is that Jesus isn’t just getting through His own temptations of the day. He was also giving us a master class in how to handle our own temptations. Jesus was able to answer the Devil’s temptations because He knew God’s Word. Gospel writer Luke reports that, even at age twelve, in the temple speaking with the teachers, “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:47) That’s why we “abide” in His Word!!

To wrap it up for today, I don’t believe I’ve found any new insights which haven’t already been written many times over, but I do believe we all need the reminders, that we are in a spiritual battle, that we have been equipped to fight that battle, and that all we need to do to wn is to use what we’ve been given. Who will join me in the fight?