Where does the devil most take advantage of you?

 Where does the devil most take advantage of you? He knows your weakness probably better than you. He keeps probing here, probing there until he finally hits paydirt. Soon the weakness (singular) is identified as weaknesses (plural). Yikes! And he keeps coming until you put on the whole armor of God in that specific area, too.

 Bible characters had the same problem as you and me. After all, they were flesh and blood, too! For example, Lot wanted prominence and power. Lot wanted to be the big man in Sodom, to be the judge who sits at the gate rendering decisions on important legal matters. Well, Lot got what he wanted but at what cost to his family!

 Adam wanted companionship. He knew it was wrong to eat of the forbidden fruit, but he decided it was better to be separated from God than to be separated from Eve. Thus, Adam ate. As a result, you and I are sinners because of that one bite!

 King Solomon yearned to be the playboy of his day. Solomon had 700 wives (along with their credit card bills) but, even then, was not satisfied. In his frustration he cried out, “Vanity of vanities…all is vanity.”

 Peter wanted to be accepted at the devil’s fire on the night of Jesus’ arrest. Peter desired the acceptance of others more than the acceptance of God.

 What about Jacob? Jacob “just naturally” liked to swindle people out of their money.

 Two apostles, James and John, were known for their hot temper, for flying off the handle. Their nickname was “sons of thunder.” I’ve met a James and John in my career!

 Weakness after weakness…areas where we are prone to fail, and it is in those areas where we can expect the devil to exert his greatest effort.

 What should a believer do? First, admit you have a weakness. Second, identify the weakness (either by yourself or with the help of a friend). Third, seek God’s strength through prayer, yielding to the Holy Spirit, and letting God change your thoughts as you saturate your mind with the Word of God.

 Be alert! The devil is after you, too.

 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (wiles, strategies, evil Trick) of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Tom Swartzwelder was born again at the age of nine in an old-fashioned revival meeting. Tom received his B.A. from Tennessee Temple University and his M. Div from Luther Rice Seminary. He has pastored for nearly forty years in both bi-vocational and full-time roles. He provides practical how-to-do-ministry resources for the disciples of Jesus Christ at http://www.godsgreenhouse.net. Tom’s latest book is “God Speaks–Today!”

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash