“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ”

James 4:7 NKJV

Last night I had the pleasure of watching my 19 month old granddaughter. She is persistent in her wants. She wanted to do something that I knew would hurt her, so I picked her up and redirected her to something else. Within a few seconds she was headed for the same dangerous activity. Finally, after 5 times of redirection, she focussed on something else, more safe. 

Temptations come at our weakest moments and the devil tries to fuel the fire by convincing us it's ok to pursue our desires. But, as a child of God, we know the dangers of fulfilling sin. What's difficult is Satan never seems to let up with the temptations, the excuses why you should partake of his temporary satisfactions. Sound familiar?

Today's verse gives us encouragement to remain faithful to God by remaining obedient by not fulfilling the pursuit of sin. It takes much prayer, discipline, and determination to ward off Satan, but over time he will eventually give up and redirect his evil work somewhere else. 

Persistence is the key to preserving your spiritual life from the sins that so easily tarnish your relationship with God. Stay the course, stay prayed up, and stay focused on pleasing the Lord. The rewards of obedience far outweigh the temporary pleasures Satan has to offer. God bless.