Temptation
Tug-o-war is a game that most of us have played at large picnics and family gatherings. One group of people uses all its energy to pull the other group over a line (and sometimes into the mud).
Have you ever considered that tug-o-war is what's going on spiritually with us every single day of the week? Satan tugs in one direction, the Holy Spirit tugs in the other. And the result is either a yielding to temptation or a victory against sin.
But it never lets up. There is a constant spiritual warfare going on. We must always be on guard.
To me, it is helpful to see that Jesus also experienced this tug-o-war. The temptation for Him to give up His mission as our Savior was intense -- every single day. Why should He bother to care for a people who honored Him not? Why should He give up everything for sinners like us?
But He did. And because He did, we can be sure that He adds His omnipotent hands to our battle with the Evil One in the seemingly endless tug-o-war. He fights for us. And He wins every single time!
Oh, don't get me wrong. Sometimes we yield to temptation and sin against God and against others. Nevertheless, because He is on our team -- because we trust in Him -- because He paid the price for our sin and suffered its punishment on the cross, FORGIVENESS rules the day.
And so, even when we lose the tug-o-war, the ultimate victory is still ours in Christ.
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