Temptations: Spirit Willing/Body Weak

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 NIV)

Forward Friday!

Jesus in Gethsemane, shared the most tender of all request- knowing his time was near. He asked Peter and two sons of Zebedee, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here an keep watch over me.” What happened? Jesus kept finding them asleep. During his final hours of freedom, he provided a truth, vital for all generations. And…especially meaningful for us today.

Temptations

Any time temptation is preached or discussed- thoughts lean toward negative connotations of sin. Have we ever considered satan tempts us away from good thoughts and actions? James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. Ouch! This hits me hard. There is so much I am to be writing- It’s like this force pushing against me- to the point I almost feel like I am giving up. This is not like me at all. Satan’s handprints are all over- God did not give us a spirit of fear, He gave us a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. With this kind of Spirit we rightfully house- and the least amount necessary of mustard seed faith- mountains move at our request. Yet, what happens is satan provides temptations- tempting our thoughts and actions from being effective.

Flesh vs. Spirit

A perfect example, when our spirit is willing and our flesh is weak- delaying exercise. Delaying exercise to the point of the next day, leading to the next month, and sometimes years. Sugar is bad. We know this- the flesh does not care-it’s worldly. We have to take control of our thoughts- by understanding there is a wall of temptation to break through in order to choose the good we know to do. So from our minds to actions we take- we have now identified this wall of temptation. Allowing temptation to win strengthens our flesh, making it harder for our spirits to overcome. Therefore, we cannot do this with our limited strength. We ask God to fill us with His power- His might, building this knowledge by spending time in prayer, Bible study, and worship/fellowship with Jesus.

Moving Forward!

Forward Friday! Let’s move forward with this truth, removing temptations, allowing more productivity to fulfill God’s will in our lives. I do not want to stay ineffective or partially fulfilling God’s will. Understanding when good thoughts surface, let’s be determined to win over temptation and do good we know to do- removing sin from our lives. Gracious! This has me excited. How about you? Hope this is as helpful for you as it will be for me.

Be encouraged!