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Today's Devotional

You shall not put the Lord your God to the test— Matt.4:7 (ESV).

Let these sayings of Christ sink down into your ears, for here is the secret of holiness and happiness. We must come up to the standard of God’s holy will and not attempt to drag him down to that of our sinful desires.

Christ’s example is rich with suggestions for our own successful resistance of temptation. Before the temptation, John the Baptist attests he saw “the Spirit descending and remaining” on Christ. The heart on which the Holy Spirit descends and remains is a citadel that Satan can never capture. The weapon Christ employed to repel the tempter was “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” A mind stored with Bible truths and a life which exemplifies them can best repel Satan. Christ also availed himself of “the shield of faith.” Implicit faith in God acts as water on flames; it “quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Be not afraid of the Devil, but only of sinning against God. Satan is a coward; “resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” One of the Christian’s sweetest experiences comes after successfully resisting temptation. At the end of the struggle, “Behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” —John Chester

 

            Think not thy Savior does not see
              When Satan casts a dart;
            No arrow ever wounded thee
              That did not pierce his heart
                        —Thomas Mackellar

About the author and the source

Rev John Chester, D.D. was minister of Metropolitan Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., who preached a memorable sermon on the life and death of President James Garfiled. Thomas Mackellar (1812–1899) was a hymnwriter and publisher.