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

One of the things that will be with us until we leave this earth and see Jesus face to face is temptation. Temptation is a constant companion if you are alive and breathing on earth. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with overcoming his flesh and wrote about it in Romans 7:15-25. He spoke about doing the things that he didn’t want to do (Romans 7:16) and that happens by falling to temptation. You can bet that when you are doing what you don’t want to do, there is another force at work and that force is the force of temptation.

Thankfully, Jesus gave us the solution. The Apostle Paul found out about it and let us know what that solution is: Jesus! So let’s get back to our verse above. Jesus, our solution, told us exactly what to do. First, He told us to watch, which means to be on the lookout for it. It’s amazing that when you are focused on Jesus, you become more sensitive to the sin that is trying to bring you down. You become aware and begin to see temptation coming from far away. You are not oblivious as you were before, which gets you ready to do the very next thing you need to do when you face temptation of any kind: PRAY! As soon as you become aware that you are being tempted in some situation or circumstance, then it is time to pray and ask Jesus to help you. He will strengthen you with His power so that you won’t give in to it and He will stay with you until that temptation subsides and leaves to find another victim. The more you practice those two things, the stronger will be your resistance to it.

But in order to be able to be watchful, you must stay in close relationship to Jesus. When the Apostle Paul gave us the solution to the weakness of our flesh, he said, Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) You are delivered from temptation through Jesus. To be delivered through Jesus, you must remain in Him and have Him remain in you (John 15:5). There must be a relationship with Him. Through that relationship, He will make you alert and aware of any temptation that is coming. Then He will deliver you from that temptation as you pray and ask Him for help. It’s a supernatural two-step process that not only works to give you the victory, but that transforms you into more than a conqueror. Stop being held hostage by temptation in your life and experience the life-giving victory of conquering your weak flesh by doing what Jesus told us to do: watch and pray!

Pastor Joey Vazquez