Until Christ returns, we must do battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil. But we can take heart: these three do not have the final victory. In the meantime, God has given us weapons for the war.
We are very vulnerable to temptation in our current age. Consider all that a child has access to through the use of the internet. This digital age opens numerous opportunities to yield to “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Anonymity gives sin power; sin grows in darkness. Social media allows us such anonymity, opening up the realm of pornography with no accountability.
The more we yield, the more sin will have power over us. We first give it a foothold—a mere landing place in our lives. It then grows to a stronghold, and from there to a stranglehold. The more powerful it grows, the less likely we will be to seek an accountability partner who will walk with us in the power of the gospel to fight sin.
Do not stay in the presence of the enemy; take up the weapon of the warfare. Practice the presence of God rather than focusing solely on the flesh. Acknowledge your sin, yes, but move on from it. Do not dwell on it to the point that you lose sight of the work of Jesus Christ.
Although the flesh will tempt us, if we are a new creation in Christ, we can choose the way of the Spirit. We must pursue the Spirit-directed, Spirit-empowered life, spending time in the Word of God and in prayer. These are our weapons, allowing us to fight against temptation.
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Want to go deeper? Ken bases this study on the revised edition of Conformed to His Image, a comprehensive book on what it means to grow in Christlikeness.
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