REFOCUS!

Do you ever feel like the apostle Paul, who made the following statement in the New Testament book of Romans?

"I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."  Romans 7:18-20

Do you have the desire to do what is good, but not do it?  Do you keep doing what you know is not the best thing to do?  Do you struggle with sin living within you?

Paul was a Christian, converted on the road to Damascus.  Before his conversion he murdered Christians.  Now he is saying that, though he is a Christian, he still struggles with sin.

And don't we all?  Of course we do.  And, just like Paul, the good we desire to do is not always what we do.  We oftentimes continue to do what we know is not good.  But, instead of beating ourselves up for our lack of self-will, why don't we refocus? 

Let's try to focus on the real problem.  Paul states that the problem of not doing the good is because of sin living in him.  Where does that sin come from?  The temptation to sin comes from our own natural desires.  But who tempts us?  Satan.  He tempts you and he wants you.  He wants you to be on his side and not God's side.  He doesn't want you to live in Heaven some day.  He wants you in hell with him.  He's looking to attack you - anyway he can.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

I don't know about you, but that makes me mad!  The fact that there is a "being" that is actively trying to get me to fail...to sin...causes me to feel like a mighty warrior! 

How does it make you feel?  Mighty and strong?  Defeated and weak?

Instead of getting down when you sin....instead of giving up and giving in to the temptations time and time again, REFOCUS!  Turn your focus from the "thing" you are resisting, to the ONE who is tempting you.  REFOCUS! Refocus on Satan.  HE IS YOUR ENEMY!  HE WANTS TO DESTROY YOU AND I!  And, he will stop at nothing to try and get you on his side.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Stand tall and strong and brave against the devil.  God is on your side!