IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

IF THE DEVIL

“MADE” YOU DO IT,

YOU BLEW IT!

(But It Doesn’t Need to Happen Again)

By: Lorraine Peterson

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I appreciate the insights given me by the authors whose books I read as

background material for writing this manuscript: Temptation, by Dietrich Bonhoffer;

The Purpose of Temptation, by Bob Mumford; My Body, His Life, by Paul G. Trulin;

Temptation, by John C. Souter; Temptation: Help for Struggling Christians, by

Charles Durham; Trial of Your Faith and Overcoming Temptation, by Hugh Smith;

and Temptation, by Charles Stanley.

I’d also like to give credit to Dr. Bill and Anabel Gilham and Dr. Bruce

Thompson whose taped messages have formed the basis of some of these

devotionals.

Finally, I’d like to thank family and friends for helping and supporting me

during the writing of this book. My father went a lot farther than the extra mile to

locate an out-of-print book I wanted, and helped in many other ways. My Aunt Lois

double-checked some facts I couldn’t research in Guadalajara. My nieces and

nephews – Beth, Brett, Karri, and Kirk – sent encouraging “fan mail.” My

roommate, Jaunita, has faithfully prayed for me and this book. Finally, I want to

express my gratitude to Michael O’Connor for proofreading my manuscript and

giving many excellent suggestions.

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

CONTENTS

PART ONE: THE RULES OF THE GAME

1. If the Devil “Made” You Do It, You Blew It!

2. A Pain with a Purpose

3. Don’t Let the Devil’s Masquerade Fool You

4. The Teacher Called Temptation

5. Thou Shalt Not Live by “Big Mac Attacks”

6. Room 314 Survival Skills

7. What’s That “Blame Game” Disk Doing in Your Mental Computer

8. Listen to the Boss Inside

9. Making Points for God's Team

10. The World’s Greatest Disappearing Act

11. The War Might Last One Hundred Years – Or a Little Less

Self-Examination

PART TWO: THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE

12. When God Says, “Forget It.”

13. The Shack That Inferiority Built

14. It’s Time to Stop Playing Little Orphan Annie

15. The Devil’s Best-Selling Fiction Isn’t Fit to Read!

16. Discover and Attack One of the Devil’s Favorite Sins

17. Get Off the Roller Coaster

18. Who’s a Hypocrite?

Self-Examination

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

PART THREE: IT’S ABOUT THAT HOLE IN THE DEFENSIVE

LINE

19. Fighting – Without the Facts

20. Cliff Divers, Temptations, and truth

21. Shopping, Surfing, and Romans 6

22. Stop Playing Tackle Football With Your Tongue

23. Demolishing the Devil’s Lie

24. Idols, Baseball, and Christian Cardiograms

25. Smart-Alecks Don’t Pray, Lead Us Not Into Temptation

26. What Ordering Yourself Around Has To Do With Overcoming Temptation

27. Are You A Christian Track Star

28. The Decline And Fall Of Practically Everybody

Self-Examination

PART FOUR: HOLD THAT LINE

29. Deanna’s Dilemma

30. Send The Devil’s Packages Back Without Opening Them

31. How Is Temptation Like a Vaccum Cleaner Salesman?

32. Neon Lights, Fireworks, and Visions of Angels

33. Don’t Forget To Take Your Power Pills

34. Imitate The Inventor of I-Have-Overcome-The-World Faith

35. Do You Hide Explosives In The Closet of Your Heart?

Self-Examination

PART FIVE: PUSH ‘EM BACK, PUSH ‘EM BACK, WAY BACK

36. The Temptation That Didn’t Make It To First Base

37. Don’t Be Hoggish! – Unless What You Want Is More of Jesus

38. Winning The War Against Feelings

39. Grow Away Those Problems That Just Won’t Go Away

40. The Failure That Made Victory Possible

41. You’re Not Here To Lead a Treasure Hunt

42. Are You Suffocating In Your Isolation Booth

43. Wearing The Right Wardrobe – and Winning

Self-Examination

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

A PERSONAL WORD

Whenever young people at retreats and youth conferences anonymously write

out questions they’d like answered, I've found that roughly half of these queries deal

with the subject of temptation. This is as true of inner-city kids as suburban kids who

attend private schools; it makes no difference if you ask junior highs or senior highs;

it’s the same in Mexico as in the United States. Tom Harringer, who has worked on

Campus Crusade’s youth staff for 22 years and who was my director when I served

as a volunteer leader, makes this statement:

Young people often ask me, “How can I overcome temptation?” Some

students find it difficult to identify temptation when it comes, because in

today’s culture many people call good “evil” and evil “good” without really

knowing the difference.

Young people need help to determine the differences between right and

wrong, and to choose to follow God's direction in the power of the Holy

Spirit. I find that teenagers have a great interest in discovering that they have

the power to do the right thing.

Surprisingly, little has been written about temptation even though temptation

is part of daily life. Because the way it is handled makes the difference between

victory and defeat, I wanted to write something on this theme for teenagers. This

book goes beyond the “if-in-doubt- don’t” format. It also explores the purpose of

temptation and the root problems that make us vulnerable to Satan’s “suggestions.”

The main emphasis is placed not on the decadence of these least days but on our all-

powerful Christ. It is my prayer that it will provide practical encouragement for

many young people.

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Memorizing, digesting, meditating, and obeying Scripture is the proven way

of resisting temptation. It’s the only method Jesus used. Because it is a key to

victory in your Christian life, I’d suggest that after reading each devotional, you

copy the verse on a card to carry around with you all day –though this book gives

you a lot of other assignments to provide variety. During each natural break, spend

time hiding that verse in your heart, reading it through and emphasizing a different

word each time, putting your name and your circumstances into the verse, and

deciding how you must change your life so you can fully obey the verse.

You'll be surprised how many opportunities there are each day to meditate on

Scripture:

While working on your hair in the morning

Waiting for a friend

During class free time

When snacking, or eating alone

During TV commercials

Tanning

Waiting in line

Marking time before the end-of-the-hour bell rings

When jogging or walking

While spending time with a good friend (quiz each other on the memory work

and compare notes on what the verse means in your life)

And most important, while falling asleep each night.

If you use this book to help form a lifelong practice of Scripture meditation,

your spiritual growth will be marked. Make it a habit to pick out verses that directly

speak to the problem you're experiencing. If your arsenal is full of verses to hurl at

the Devil, then no matter what the temptation, you will experience more and more

victory in your life!

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

PART ONE

“THE RULES OF THE

GAME”

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

CHAPTER 1

“If The Devil “Made” You Do It,

You Blew It!”

Jay sat in the back seat of the squad car, oblivious to the pouring rain that

blurred the neon sign and city lights. Beyond the foggy glass, they became only

swirls of brightness and color, contrasting sharply with the inky blackness of the

night. During the ten-minute ride to the police station, his mind reviewed the events

that had preceded his arrest.

Jay had rebelled against his strict parents and had started running around with

the fast-lane crowd. He stopped going to church, his grades went down, and he had

frequent fights with his parents. Drinking, drugs, and danger had seemed like a lot of

“fun.”

His new friends loved adventure and excitement as much as he did. Hang

gliding, motorcycle racing and mountain climbing challenged them for a while – but

boredom always seemed to catch up with the boys. The party at Dave’s house that

evening turned out to be a real bummer. Dave had pulled out two pistols and

suggested they do something really crazy – like rob the MacDonald's on the corner.

He said he’d seen the perfect plot on a TV show, and they organized for action.

Though Jay had experienced a twinge of conscience, he agreed to go along with the

guys and drive the getaway car. The only problem was that a police cruiser was only

a half-block away. When it wheeled into the lot, everybody ran. And everybody got

away – except Jay.

When they arrived at the station, he knew the police had all the evidence they

needed. In the excitement of planning their strategy, Jay had forgotten to take his

billfold out of his pocket. His car was still sitting back in the MacDonald's lot, where

the cruiser had blocked him in, barring his escape. Realizing there was no way out,

Jay answered all the questions truthfully.

Hours later, at 4:00 a.m., his parents arrived at the station. His mom was

crying and his dad looked pale and nervous. “Son, why did you participate in a

robbery?” his mother agonized. “How could you do such a thing?”

Jay paused for a moment and then muttered, “The Devil made me do it.”

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

And he was serious.

When we hear something often enough – even if it’s a lie – we tend to believe

it. Brainwashing, political propaganda, and advertising are built on this fact. A

cliché that’s tossed around a lot is the one Jay fell for: “The Devil Made Me Do It.”

The little boy who eats all the chocolate chip cookies, the junior high girl who cheats

on the final, and the young man who kills a policeman have one thing in common:

all feel as if they are dealing with some irresistible, evil force. And somehow, “The

devil made me do it” seems like an adequate explanation of what took place. But is

it really true? The Bible teaches that God has given human beings the ability to

choose between right and wrong and that He holds us totally responsible for our

actions. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … But as for me and

my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15). “The soul who sins is the

one who will die” (Ezekiel 18: 20). “Be sure that your sin will find you out”

(Numbers 32: 23).

We are not puppets or robots. Because God created us with free wills, He will

not force us to obey Him. Nor is the devil able to control us unless we somehow

permit him to do so. But the devil is the world’s most clever conman, and he

constantly tries to trick you and me into thinking that our only choice is to sin. But

that is never true. Even in a wouldn’t-you-steal-food-to-save-the-life-of-your-

starving-child kind of situation, the person who believes in a God who answers

prayer and performs miracles has an alternative to breaking God's commandments.

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4: 7, emphasis added) is

still in the Bible and it’s still true! So if you say, “The devil made me do it” – you

blew it.

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

MEMORIZE:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (Because he no longer has any

real power.) I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions,

and to overcome all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10: 18-19).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

When Satan pulls his power play, I’ll remember that Jesus saw him fall like

lightning from heaven. When evil seems irresistible, I’ll remember that Jesus

gave me authority over that sneaky snake, the devil. In Jesus’ name I can rise

above every obstacle the evil one puts in my way.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that Satan fell from heaven and that Jesus defeated him

on the cross. Thank you that I’ll be victorious over ______________ and

_____________ (present temptations in your life). With Jesus-Power I’ll be

an overcomer.

STOMPING ON SOME “SNAKES AND SCORPIONS”:

List the biggest problems and temptations you face. Claim your authority as a

Christian to trample on the devil, the force behind these problems. Remember

that the only tactic available to Satan is to wear you out so you surrender to

him. Hold on to the victory that is yours!

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

CHAPTER 2

“A PAIN WITH A PURPOSE”

Ryan, an avid science fiction fan, was reading a story with a rather weird plot.

A mad scientist bent on revenge succeeded in producing a race of people who

experienced no pain. No one ever suffered from headaches, muscle strain, or

stomach discomfort. Children often died from burns because they had no nerve

signals to keep them away from fires. It was common for people to drop dead while

laughing, conversing, or resting, and no one had any inkling why they had died. A

little child once exclaimed in excitement, “Look, the bus hit me and now I have red

streaks all over!” The sadistic scientist got his satisfaction from seeing the society

suffer.

Reading the book made Ryan remember his emergency appendectomy. He’d

gone to school one morning feeling just fine. But after lunch he experienced a pain

in his abdomen that doubled him over. He’d been rushed to the hospital emergency

room where doctors operated just in time. If his appendix had burst he might have

died.

Ryan had never thought of pain as a friend, but after his appendectomy he

could see its usefulness.

Have you ever asked the question, “Why doesn’t God just strike the devil

dead?” He could, you know. It might seem strange to you that a good and all-

powerful God would permit the devil to keep deceiving, tormenting, and badgering

people.

But even Satan must serve God's purposes. Physical pain – hideous, annoying

and, at times, nearly unbearable – indicates that something is wrong with your body

and tells you it’s time to see a doctor. In the same way, Satan’s temptations uncover

sinful heart attitudes. Once we sense we’re being tempted, you and I can draw closer

to Jesus where we can receive the help we need.

It works like this. As the devil tries to make you commit sin, he uncovers

thought patterns that are the root of your wrongdoing. For instance, he spotlights the

jealousy deep down inside when he tries to make you lash out at someone you

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IF THE DEVIL “MADE” YO DO IT, YOU BLEW IT!

resent. Then you know it’s time to make an appointment with Dr. Jesus, the Great

Physician, and let His supernatural surgery remove that jealousy from your spirit.

Whenever the devil’s temptation brings ugly things to the surface, let the Holy

Spirit show you if the problem is your sin, false guilt, or a need for inner healing.

“When he (the Counselor, the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt

in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16: 8).

The devil’s activity should always drive you straight into the arms of Jesus:

confessing sin and receiving forgiveness so you can go on in victory, obtaining the

assurance that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

and letting Him heal the emotional wounds you’ve suffered.

The devil is a pain with a purpose. God can use Satan’s evil designs for your

good. The devil’s turbulence can drive you ever closer to Jesus, the sin eradicator,

and the source of joy, peace, and comfort.

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MEMORIZE:

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to

suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of

greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be

proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is

revealed” (1 Peter 1: 6-7).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will find my joy in the hope Jesus offers even though I’m suffering through

trials, like ____________ and ___________. I know these have come to show

me whether or not my faith is the real thing. My genuine faith – minus all the

fakeness – will bring praise and glory to Jesus.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to rejoice in the middle of trouble, keeping my eyes on the

hope I have in you. Thank you that these trials will expose hypocrisy and sin

so I can get rid of the garbage in my life and have faith that will truly honor

you.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Write 1 Peter 1: 6-7 on a card and take it with you today. When your mind is

free, concentrate on the words of this verse and let them become part of you.

Fall asleep repeating the words of this verse.

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CHAPTER 3

“DON’T LET THE DEVIL’S

MASQUERADE FOOL YOU”

Alexis couldn’t understand it. She had memorized 2 Corinthians 5: 17;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has

come!” If the old life was really gone, as the verse said, why did she think so often

of going back to her old group of friends? Why did looking through her closet make

her wish she could go shoplifting with her girlfriend just once more?

When she attended the weekly Bible study on Thursday night, their teacher,

Marilyn, affirmed, “The old you that enjoys sinning is dead. The sinful you died

with Jesus on the cross, so you're not addicted to doing wrong anymore. If you don’t

believe it, just look up Romans 6: 6; ‘For we know that our old self was crucified

with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no

longer be slaves to sin.’”

And at that very moment, Alexis was thinking that getting high would be the

best way to escape her problems.

Alexis decided to talk to Marilyn after class. “Everything you said about not

being addicted to sin anymore – and that verse I learned about being a new creation

– well, they sound really great. But I keep thinking about going shoplifting and

getting high and wearing something really sexy so all the guys will notice me. When

I dress like a ‘Christian,’ nobody ever asks me out.”

Marilyn smiled. “Alexis, you have to learn the rules of the game. And the

devil never plays fair.

“First of all, your brain is really a chunk of meat that houses a fantastic

computer. It forms thought patterns based on past experiences and on things you’ve

read, heard, and seen. The devil, who is the world’s cleverest conman, uses these

‘computer printouts’ not only to put thoughts into your mind but to impersonate you.

He’ll pose as Alexis with a feminine Texas accent and speak into your mind, ‘I

really need a hit.’ Or he’ll feed you this line: ‘I can't stand not having boys notice

me, and I know just what I need to wear to attract their attention.’ Once he convinces

you that you thought all that, he can go on to the next step – his ultimate weapon.

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“The Bible must not be true,’ he whispers. ‘It says the old has gone, but I can see

that real life is different.’”

“Romans 7: 20-22 tells us how this all works out in the life of a defeated

Christian. ‘Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it (because

I really am a new creature in Christ), but it is sin living in me that does it (these old

patterns in my brain, which is programmed to bring up desires of my former life). So

I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me (the devil

masquerading as me). For in my inner being (the new me that has eternal life), I

delight in God's law.’”

“In other words,” said Marilyn, “the new you loves to obey God. That’s why

you now feel guilty for things that never used to bother you. However, the devil’s

masquerade is so clever that instead of unmasking him, you just assume that the real

you wants drugs or stolen clothes, or constant attention from boys.”

“The truth is that God has made you over again into a transformed person.

You need to accept that as fact and begin acting as the new Alexis you really are.

When the devil comes disguised as you, reject each thought he gives you – and

remember that you have no guilt – unless you buy the devil’s idea and run with it.”

Don’t let the devil’s masquerade fool you. Next time he attacks, just say, “Mr.

Devil, I’m not listening to your suggestion. Beat it, in the name of Jesus!

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MEMORIZE:

“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if

his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11: 14-

15).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If the devil runs around posing as an angel, he certainly could impersonate

me! He also has a lot of false teachers and fakes masquerading as servants of

God.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to stay so close to you and to know your Word so well that

I’ll recognize the devil, even when he’s playing the part of someone else –

even me.

GARBAGE ELIMINATION PROJECT:

List the things the devil tries to convince you to do as he uses the results of

wrongly ingrained patterns. For example: “I can't live without Dave, my non-

Christian boyfriend. I hate my father for what he did to me.” Over each of

these, write out 2 Corinthians 5: 17 in red ink. Decide not to accept these

devilish ideas.

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CHAPTER 4

“THE TEACHER CALLED

TEMPTATION”

Robbie and Jason had been best friends since third grade and were always

together. The kids at church and school often referred to them as Frick and Frack.

Jason was a straight-A student, and Robbie usually got B’s and C’s. On the other

hand, Robbie was a top player on the football team, while Jason warmed the bench.

But because they were such good friends, neither one felt any jealousy toward the

other.

But when Robbie was voted captain of the football team (which was favored

to win the city championship), he became a local celebrity. His picture was in the

paper, he appeared on the Sports Tonight show, good-looking girls tried to get his

attention, and he enjoyed instant popularity at school. He started dating Cherry, the

beautiful homecoming queen, and began to hang around with the “in crowd.”

One day before English class, Jason reminded him of plans they had made to

go duck hunting. Robbie brushed him aside. “Tonight I have a date with Cherry, and

tomorrow I have a TV interview. Ducks just aren’t on my agenda anymore.”

As Jason walked away, Robbie noticed the terribly hurt look on his face.

Suddenly, he realized what was happening. Popularity had gone to his head. He

knew that Cherry wasn’t a Christian, so he had no business dating her – even if she

was the prettiest girl in the whole school. And after he began hanging out with the

“in crowd,” he’d started drinking just a little so he wouldn’t feel out of place.

Now, the expression he had seen on Jason’s face cut through him. Jason was

the most faithful friend and the best Christian he had ever known! How could he

dump him just because he didn’t fit into his new popularity? Robbie had always

prided himself on not being a fake. How could he have fallen into this trap?

Can you identify with Robbie? Have you ever thought, “That will never

happen to me” – only to find yourself doing the very thing you hate? What’s the next

step?

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Someone has said, “There’s nothing like temptation to show what you'll do if

given the chance.” Bob Mumford, in his book The Purpose of Temptation, says the

Greek word that we translate as “temptation” in the Bible, actually means “that

which puts us to the proof – whether by good or malicious design.” * God allows

temptation to exist in this world because it brings out what is really inside our hearts.

Robbie didn’t know that he’d compromise his Christian testimony and drop

his best friend for the sake of popularity – until the opportunity presented itself. Now

that this hidden defect is out in the open, he must confess the sin of caring more

about what the other kids think than about what God thinks. He must ask God's

forgiveness, make the necessary changes in his life, and then go on in victory.

Temptation is part of life, and you can learn to work it to your advantage. Like

fire, temptation can destroy you or serve as your assistant. When you get caught off

guard and fall for a temptation you thought you were immune to, decide that you'll

learn something from the teacher called temptation. Be thankful that you’ve

discovered the slow leak that could someday cause even greater problems. Confess

your sin and ask God to root out the pride, or bitterness, or unforgiveness, or

whatever caused you to fall. Readjust your life and walk on with Jesus just a little

wiser from the lesson temptation taught you.

*Bob Mumford. The Purpose of Temptation. (Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1973), p 17.

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MEMORIZE:

“It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees”

(Psalms 119: 71).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I know that God allows faith tests in the form of temptations, problems, and

difficulties to drive me into His Word so I can learn His truths in deeper ways.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you for ______________ (biggest, present problem). I know

that from it I can learn where I'm depending on my own resources and

reasoning and not upon you and your Word. Help me to learn more about

obeying your commands.

TEMPTATION RESUME:

List at least three spiritual lessons you’ve already learned from facing trials

and temptations. Which lessons have you learned the hard way? Also recall

the times when you have grown stronger because you resisted temptation at

the outset. Decide that you will let temptation be your teacher.

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CHAPTER 5

THOU SHALT NOT LIVE BY

“BIG MAC ATTACKS”

It was the first day of school and Annie wondered what her new teachers

would be like.

She was surprised when her history instructor handed her a long test with

impossible questions. She could hardly find one question that she would even

attempt to answer. But when she looked around and saw all the class “brains” just

staring into space, she felt a lot better. It was obvious that nobody could fill in those

blanks.

I was that teacher and Annie was my student. Why did I give my pupils a

terribly hard test the first day of class? I needed to prove a point – that my students

didn’t know everything in that boring brown world history book.

You see, the school administration – in their less than infinite wisdom – had

changed the social studies program, requiring that I teach the same course from the

same book to the same students who had taken it the year before! It’s the only test I

ever designed to make sure that every student failed (and I promised not to count it if

my students agreed never to mention that they had studied the same thing last year).

But it wasn’t my test that was so bad. It was that nobody was prepared for it.

After carefully teaching the material, I could have given the same exam with very

different results.

The temptations of life are kind of like standardized tests. The test itself is not

good or bad. Your experience with it depends on your preparation and your

character. Everyone sees provocative billboards, has a chance to experiment with

drugs, has opportunity to disobey parents and teachers, and is presented with

situations where selfishness is the easiest option.

In the drama of temptation there are three characters: you, God, and the devil.

It’s kind of like preparing for the standardized test with two teachers.

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Mr. Good is interested in your welfare, always speaks the truth and does

everything to prepare you for the test. But Mr. Mean is cruel and dishonest. He

wants everyone to fail, so he gives them wrong information and tries to keep them

from studying. Your fate depends on which teacher you follow. And when the exam

is administered, Mr. Mean may be the only teacher in sight. He’ll whisper wrong

answers in your ear and try to keep you from concentrating. But if you succeed in

ignoring him and stick to the truth explained by Mr. Good, you'll pass the test and be

hardier for having overcome the trial.

God uses even bad things to fit into His plan. He permits the devil to give us

hard tests, and His purpose is that we grow wiser because of them. As 1 Corinthians

10: 13 assures us, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you

can bear.”

Believe it or not, you can study for these temptation tests. You can hide God's

Word in your heart so that you don’t sin. But you must believe and obey that Word

by faith. Because when the temptation test is given, you may feel as if God is

nowhere in sight and that Satan has already decided on your grade. It’s not that God

has forsaken you; it’s just that you don’t feel His presence.

God even has a purpose in removing the sense of His presence: It’s not unlike

the test mother gives little Johnny by asking him not to touch the freshly baked

chocolate chip cookies while she’s at the grocery store. It’s the only way to find out

if you're totally faithful to Him! God gave Hezekiah this kind of test. We read in 2

Chronicles 32: 31, “God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his

heart.”

God chose to give you a free will, to allow the devil to give you temptation

tests, and to provide a heavenly handbook with all the answers to the questions. You

can give in to one temptation after another. Or you can believe His Word, walk by

faith and obey Him.

If you decide to eliminate your the-temptation-was-just-too-strong-for-me

mentality and realize that God's Word can bail you out every time, you'll join Jesus

as conqueror over temptation. You'll discover that teenagers don’t have to live by

bread alone – or by illicit sex, or by self-centeredness, or by Bid Mac attacks – but

by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

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MEMORIZE:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the

test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love

him” (James 1: 12).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I receive a blessing when I stand firm during times of temptation, because

after I have passed my temptation test, I will receive the crown of life that

God has promised to those who love Him.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to stick with you when trials like ______________

(present problem) come. Thank you for the promise that I will receive a crown

of life if I love you enough to resist temptation.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Copy this verse on a card and carry it around with you all day. Whenever your

mind is free, think about this verse and let it change you. Go to sleep thinking

about this verse.

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CHAPTER 6

“ROOM 314 SURVIVAL SKILLS”

Matt Wilson looked forward to the first day of senior high with excitement –

and fear. He walked into the immense building, found the lunchroom, lined up with

the W’s and received his schedule. The first thing he read was, “World History I,

Room 314.”

After climbing an incredible number of stairs, he puffed his way down the

crowded corridor. Once he entered the room, he felt as if he had switched planets.

The windowless walls were painted black and there was a fluorescent green rug on

the floor. Instead of desks, the room was filled with white sofas and reclining chairs.

Rock music proclaimed, “Alexander was the greatest! Man! He smashed the

Assyrian Empire. Alexander was the greatest! Man! He set Rome on fire.”

The teacher, with crazy hair and a pin through his ear, assured them that this

class was going to be “fun.” He passed out psychedelic-colored books with great

cartoons. The title of chapter 1 caught Matt’s eye: “The Roman Emperor Who

Secretly Married Queen Victoria.” Chapter 2 sounded just as interesting: “The Day

Marco Polo Climbed an Egyptian Pyramid.” Matt had never been a good student and

he had always hated history – but this surely looked more interesting than the

courses he had nearly failed before!

In the coming weeks, he listened to the music, soaked in the teacher’s crazy

lectures and really got into the text. He even studied for the test! However, when he

got his paper back, he saw a big red zero.

A classmate saw the shocked look on his face and smiled. “You mean you

believed all that junk? Couldn’t you tell this guy was a fake? His purpose was to

make all of us fail the history department’s standardized tests. I got the regular

textbook from the library and studied that. I never listened to a word this guy said,

and I got a 95.”

At that point, Matt woke up. He was glad it was only a dream – and a very

weird one at that!

If you'll look at the world and compare its standard behavior with the

commandments in the Word of God, you'll realize that the devil, just like the teacher

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in the dream, is relentlessly setting people up to fail. Whether through TV programs,

radio announcements, or popular songs, the world is pushing hard for you to accept

ideas contrary to the Bible: Illicit sex is okay. If it feels good do it. Do your own

thing. Win by intimidation – the list goes on.

Some people have studied so much wrong material that they’re bound to fail

nearly every temptation test. Worse yet, some sincere Christians get as hoodwinked

as Matt. They’ve digested so many falsehoods they don’t even know what truth is,

and they don’t even realize that their lives are all messed up because of sin.

If you hear wrong information often enough, it’s pretty easy to believe it.

Hitler knew that, and so he initiated a major propaganda campaign against Jewish

people. Communism uses every available opportunity to indoctrinate.

The devil is no dummy, and his Big Lie campaign will follow you wherever

you go. He uses novels, some kinds of music, T-shirt messages, movies, textbooks,

advice from friends – every possible method to drum lies into you. If he can get you

to believe those lies, you'll fail all the temptation tests.

For instance, if the devil can make you think that God has been unfair to you,

you'll succumb to every attack of depression and self-pity. If you believe that you're

superior racially, intellectually, or socially, you'll fall into pride and the sin of

putting others down. If you decide that some people are born to be homosexuals,

you'll proclaim that homosexual acts aren’t sin and that God cannot change desires

and lifestyles.

Actually, the world you live in is very much like Room 314. It’s full of lies

and false information designed by the devil to destroy you. The only hope we have is

to study, to obey, to love, and to memorize the true textbook – the Holy Bible, the

only handbook on Room 314 survival skills.

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_________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they

cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of

God” (2 Corinthians 4: 4).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

The devil will always try to blind me from seeing the truth in God's Word. He

will attempt to plant unbelief so I don’t see the glory of Christ, who is the

image of God.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, keep Satan from blinding me to truth and putting unbelief in my

heart. Help me see the glory of Christ, because He is the mirror by which I see

you.

UNPACKING A PACK OF LIES:

List everything you’ve heard or read in the last month that is based on a false

premise. Using Scripture, explain why the idea is incorrect.

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CHAPTER 7

“WHAT’S THAT “BLAME GAME”

DISK DOING IN YOUR MENTAL

COMPUTER?”

Glancing at himself hurriedly in the mirror, Tim whipped a comb through his

hair. Then he sat down at this desk to read a chapter in his Bible before dashing

downstairs for a bite of breakfast and rushing off to school.

Bowing his head, he thanked God for His love, then began to pray for his

family and his friends. At that moment, dreadful thoughts entered his head: He

should really get back at Mike for stealing his girlfriend. And as the school’s office

computer assistant, he knew he could get revenge by lowering all Mike’s quarter

grades.

A minute later, Tim felt utterly ashamed for having such an idea. How could a

dedicated Christian like himself devise such a scheme? After all, Mike was also a

believer, and Christians were supposed to love one another no matter what. Tim

berated himself for being capable of such deceitful thoughts.

The chiming of the clock in the hall told him that he had to go or he’d be late

to school. He hadn’t even opened his Bible! Completely discouraged, he was sure

his day would be awful.

It was.

Have you ever experienced similar difficulties when you sit down to spend

some time with God? You need to discover the reason for Tim’s problems – and

yours. The devil is perfectly capable of putting thoughts into your head. He might

even come up with losers like these: “If you killed your mother, using the strategy

you saw on Murder Mystery, nobody would ever know!” “Just jump off the high

bridge, and then the people will feel sorry for treating you so badly.” “You're such a

lousy Christian you might as well give up right now.” The devil puts the idea in your

head and then makes you feel guilty for having thought it!

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Hannah Whithall Smith once said that Satan is just like a burglar entering a

home, and when the owner tries to chase him out, the intruder turns around and

accuses the owner of being the thief! How ridiculous! In order to keep Satan from

catching you in this trap, there are some facts you need to know.

First, realize that you are not responsible for the thought the devil gives you –

unless you make it your own. Getting dressed after gym class, you may hear some

dirty jokes. If you ignore what is being said and leave as quickly as possible, you’ve

done nothing wrong. However, if you take it all in and add a few of your own,

you’ve fallen into sin. It’s the same with the thoughts the devil sends your way. If

you reject them, no matter how foul and terrible, you can go on your way victorious

and joyful.

Second, recognize that every suggestion of evil comes from the devil. Satan

knows that if he appeared to you in a vision, saying, “I'm the devil and I've come to

make you sin,” you’d never buy his goods. So he sneaks up on you, trying to

convince you that you thought such a horrible thing. Then he can make you feel

guilty. Next, he accuses you and leaves you discouraged. Once you lose your

confidence, it’s a lot easier to get trapped into sinning.

Third, remember that any pride you have in being a “good Christian” will

cause you to stumble. Any time you are not totally depending on God, you can be

tricked. Don’t forget that all your righteousness is given to you. It all comes from

Jesus.

Don’t let the devil discourage you by putting a bad thought into your head and

then accusing you of having come up with such a sinful idea. When the devil sneaks

the “Blame Game” disk into your computer, eject it immediately!

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MEMORIZE:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the

knowledge of God. And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to

Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 5).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I won't buy any idea that’s contrary to the Bible. I must learn how to catch all

the bad thoughts the devil puts into my head and drive them out. I will

consciously set my mind on God's Word and think thoughts that Jesus would

approve of.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to discover each thought put into my mind by the devil and

to make my mind obey Jesus. Help me to think on Scripture instead of

daydreaming and dwelling on unpleasant episodes in my life.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Copy 2 Corinthians 10: 5 on a card and carry it with you today. Use every

spare moment to think about the words of this verse. Let its message penetrate

deep into your spirit. Fall asleep with 2 Corinthians 10: 5 running through

your mind.

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CHAPTER 8

“LISTEN TO THE BOSS INSIDE”

Tom was good-natured, easygoing – and overweight. His theology was

simple: “If God gave me a good appetite, then I should be able to eat whatever I

want. After all, God supplied the ingredients and gave men the intelligence to make

ice cream and chocolate bars.”

If Tom didn’t have time to study, he felt that a C- in chemistry was God's will

– under the circumstances. If he wanted some extra sleep or felt like doing nothing,

why should he fight his “God-given personality”?

When Tom started dating Dana, he fell head-over-heels in love with her. She

was so vivacious, so energetic – and so beautiful. Nothing was too good for Dana.

He gave her expensive presents and took her to the nicest places. Since God created

the physical attraction a guy has for a girl, he considered it his right to enjoy all the

kisses and hugs he could sneak in. But he kept craving more and more. Finally he

told Dana he loved her so much he wanted to go to bed with her. Dana was shocked.

“That would be a sin,” she insisted.

“But,” Tom countered, “God created sex, so it’s got to be good. He gave us

these desires, so it can't be that wrong.”

Have you ever heard that line? Have you ever used it yourself? Then there’s a

fact you need to know. Temptation often involves something good, such as meeting

a legitimate need. The problem is that good desire leads to a bad action if done in the

wrong place, or at the wrong time, or with the wrong person. Wrong motives or an

appetite out of control also puts normally acceptable behavior in the category of sin.

Turning your portable radio on full blast during the Sunday morning sermon is

not only inappropriate, but it will interfere with the reception of God's life-giving

Word. The person who eats ten candy bars in one sitting is labeled a glutton.

Although sex outside of marriage is sin, it’s a beautiful experience when used as

God intended. In the Garden of Eden, the devil succeeded in making Adam and Eve

believe that something as simple as eating a piece of fruit could never be wrong. He

hasn’t changed his strategy.

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Although many have tried to reduce Christianity to a series of rules and

regulations just like other religions, it can't be done. That’s why the Holy Spirit lives

inside every true Christian to give us the light of His wisdom, to comfort, and to

guide. He tells you what loving your neighbor means. He explains the difference

between legitimate desires and coveting (wanting something that belongs to

someone else). Only the Holy Spirit can tell you the difference between selfish lust

and real love.

Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian who lost his life to the Communists,

wrote of a missionary who visited his illiterate new converts. They told the man that

when a member of a sect with false teaching had entered their home, they had

rejected everything he said.

“How did you know that what the man said, with an open Bible in front of

him, was wrong?” questioned the missionary.

“I only listened to the boss inside” was the reply.

In order to overcome temptation, you must listen to the “boss inside” the Holy

Spirit. Next double-check that with the compass outside; the Holy Scriptures. Then

the deceitful devil will have a hard time fooling you.

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MEMORIZE:

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life

and peace” (Romans 8: 6).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If I follow my own desires and my own reasoning, that will lead to sin and

death. But as I obey the Holy Spirit who interprets God's Word and applies it

to my circumstances, I'll live.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Forgive me, Lord, for trying to make ______________ seem okay to do when

your Word says it’s wrong. I'll distrust my own reasoning and let my mind be

controlled by the Holy Spirit so I can enjoy His peace.

MIND CONTROL – THE RIGHT KIND:

Carry a copy of Romans 8: 6 with you this month. Every time you feel angry,

depressed, or upset repeat the verse and ask the Holy Spirit to control your

mind and give you life and peace.

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CHAPTER 9

“MAKING POINTS FOR GOD’S

TEAM”

Shawn felt as if he were involved in a boxing match that never seemed to end.

He was probably in round 10,602, but no bell rang to signal a break. The devil was

always finding ways to get at him.

Monday was typical. While he was grabbing a couple of doughnuts and a cup

of instant hot chocolate for breakfast, his brother appeared in the doorway, wearing

Shawn’s new sweater. He exploded, “You're such a lazy leech! If you want nice

clothes, earn your own money as I do. Don’t you dare touch any of my things

without asking me!”

An ugly argument ensued, and afterward Shawn felt guilty for not having

more patience with his younger brother. The argument also caused him to be late for

school, where the assistant principal’s secretary yelled at him for not filling out his

tardy pass correctly. His impertinent reply was overheard by Mr. Morris, who

summoned Shawn into the principal’s office to bawl him out.

All this put him in a bad mood. And a sarcastic remark to Samantha, his

girlfriend, sent her to the washroom in tears. On top of it all, the pop quiz in English

was really hard and his eye caught Bobby’s paper. Realizing he was about to fail,

Shawn copied some of Bobby’s answers.

As he walked home from school, he seemed to hear the devil sneer at him. “A

fine Christian you are! Your big mouth always gets you in trouble, and you even

cheat! You're pretty insignificant in this big world. Why do you even try to do what

is right? You’d be a lot happier if you stopped this religious routine and just went

along with the tide.”

Shawn was about to agree with everything Satan said when Brett, a Terrific

Teens staff worker, drove up along side him, beeped his horn and rolled down the

window. “I'm going out for a Coke,” he said. “Do you want to come along?”

“Sure,” Shawn responded, and jumped into the car.

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“How are things going?” Brett asked casually.

Shawn decided to tell him everything. By the time he finished, his friend had

found a parking place and they were walking toward the restaurant. Brett picked out

a secluded booth and they sat down.

Brett’s smile was reassuring. “Shawn,” he explained, “the devil treats all

Christians the same way. But getting some facts straight will help you tremendously.

First, you need to know that the devil is already defeated. God threw him out of

heaven and Jesus wiped him out completely by dying on the cross and rising again.

But he acts like the resentful kid who knows that the ‘dirt bike’ will never be his, so

he tries to wreck it to keep anyone else from ever riding it. Satan tried to be God and

failed. So now he uses sin, which is really an agent of decay, to try to destroy God's

children – the most precious thing God has.”

Brett went on. “You are extremely important to God. The devil knows this, so

he’ll do everything possible to mess up your life. Don’t expect him to change

tactics!”

The devil will spread drudgery, disease, and decay wherever he can. He’ll try

to sneak a spoonful of sin into your relationships, your family life, your thoughts, or

your recreation time. Satan loves sin because he wants to spoil God's creation. But

you can hate sin!

You can stand against sin in the power of Jesus. You're not in this war alone.

Christians all over the world are fighting along with you, and Jesus is your captain.

Every victory you win, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is a point for God's team.

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MEMORIZE:

“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).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will resist the devil because I put my faith in the fact that Jesus has already

defeated him. I know that I'm not the only one facing trials and temptations.

Other Christians all over the world are also objects of Satan’s attacks.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to resist the devil. I believe in you and your Word. I pray

for ______________ and _____________ (other Christians who are also

facing heavy temptations).

PRACTICE FOR THE GAME:

Be ready for Satan’s next attack by digesting this Scripture verse. Put it on a

card so you can “munch” on it throughout the day. Next time the devil tells

you that you're the only one tempted, quote this verse to him.

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CHAPTER 10

“THE WORLD’S GREATEST

DISAPPEARING ACT”

It was Saturday noon, and Crystal sat down with her mom to eat a tuna fish

sandwich and a bowl of soup. Her older sister, Bonnie, had left early that morning to

attend a cheerleading clinic in the city, and her father had told them that he’d have to

stay at the office until his urgent business was finished.

Crystal’s mom flipped on the noon news just in time to hear this report: A van

full of cheerleaders from Westfield High crashed head-on with a train traveling at

full speed at Carver’s Crossing on highway 59 at 7:30 this morning. Eight girls

were killed instantly. One is in critical condition at Lane’s Medical Center.

Crystal’s mother began screaming hysterically. “It can’t be true! It can't be

true! My Bonnie, my Bonnie!”

Crystal instantly pictured her sister’s bloody body, and began sobbing.

Thoughts flooded in: I’ll never see Bonnie again. We’ll never share our secrets.

How can I ever bear to see Bonnie in a casket? God, how could you let such a thing

happen?

After the most horrible ten minutes of her life, it occurred to Crystal to call her

father’s office. Her father was out, and all she got was the familiar: “Mr. Barron is

out of the office. Please leave a message and he will return your call.” Between sobs,

Crystal managed to say, “Come home. We think that Bonnie is dead!”

When they could cry no more, Crystal and her mom sat on the sofa, too

stunned and too paralyzed to do anything.

A half an hour later her father called. Hearing his voice, Crystal broke down

again. Then somehow she managed to blurt out what they had heard on the news.

Her father was shaken, but said he’d check with the police for details. Fifteen

minutes later he called back. “Crystal!” he soothed. “It’s all a mistake. The girls in

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the accident were from Washington High. Bonnie’s just fine. I was able to get

through to her and I talked to her myself.”

Crystal was so relieved that she cried again.

Later, she began to think about the teaching her pastor had given just a couple

weeks before. He had said, “Satan’s only power over people is through manipulation

and deceit.” We’ve read the book of Revelation and we know how the story of

mankind ends. All true Christians are on the winning side and they’ll go to heaven.

Satan and his followers will be confined to hell for all eternity. Misery likes

company, so the devil spends twenty-four hours a day trying to make everybody

think the Bible’s not true, that Jesus won't save, and that it’s easier to live for

worldly pleasures. But if you know the truth – if you love and obey the truth – the

devil can't touch you.”

To Crystal, this hadn’t made sense. She’d always thought of Satan as a being

with awesome power. She’d heard many times, “You can't fight the devil in your

own strength.” But now she could see how powerful deception is and how easy it is

to break free once you know the truth.

If the devil can convince you that you're hooked on drugs, or alcohol, or illicit

sex, or hot fudge sundaes, or spreading juicy gossip, you won't even try to get free. If

he can persuade you that God doesn’t love you, or that you’ve committed the

unpardonable sin, or that everybody despises you, or that you're inferior, he’s on his

way to destroying you. Deception is a very powerful weapon and Satan uses it well.

But lies evaporate when you fully know the truth and follow it. Jesus said it all:

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8: 32). Truth,

not Houdini, has the patent on the world’s greatest disappearing act. When you put

the truth about your freedom in Christ to work, Satan has got to disappear!

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MEMORIZE:

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and

continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be

blessed in what he does” (James 1: 25).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If I concentrate on God's truth, found in His Word, I get free of the devil’s

deception. The catch is that I have to persistently put God's Word into

practice, constantly review God's truth, and act on it daily. If I do all this, God

will bless my life.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to exchange all the devil’s lies for the truth found in the

Bible. Show me where I'm not putting your principles into practice. I ask you

to bless me, but I understand that you can't unless I constantly put your Word

into practice.

GIVE YOURSELF A HEART CHECKUP:

Prayerfully ask God to show you areas in which, although you know what

God says in His Word, you're walking in disobedience. List these along with

the verse you're disobeying (e.g., “I can't stand Barb and I always avoid her”

verses “Love your enemies”). Determine to put God's Word into practice.

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CHAPTER 11

“THE WAR MIGHT LAST ONE

HUNDRED YEARS – OR A LITTLE

LESS”

Shannon and her mother clashed on just about everything: Christianity,

allowance expenditures, practice time for piano lessons, grades and even the care of

Conrad their cat. Because she’d been a Christian only a few weeks, swear words still

surfaced in her vocabulary once in a while. Since she now ran around with the “God

Squad” at school, her old friends made fun of her – and she didn’t like it.

Shannon longed to be a spiritual giant instead of a baby Christian. In her

daydreams she saw herself as a self-assured lady, married to a very handsome

Christian husband. Respected by everyone, she would never lose her temper, swear,

argue, or shirk her responsibilities. “Life without temptation…” she thought. “That

will be so wonderful.”

Then she attended the banquet her church sponsored for all the ladies and

teenage girls. A famous writer was the guest speaker. What she said completely

shocked Shannon.

“I'm still learning more than I'm teaching,” she began. “And I've been a

Christian for forty-five years. Recently I went through one of the toughest tests of

my Christian life. The devil even tempted me in areas I thought I’d completely

conquered years ago!

“You need to remember these facts,” she went on. “First, Temptation is not

sin. Second: Everyone – even the world’s best Christian – is tempted. Third: You'll

never outgrow temptation. The devil loves to see mature Christians fall, so he works

overtime on them.

“Right now, some of you are wishing you’d stayed home because this isn’t

what you wanted to hear.

“But the good news,” continued the lovely, gray-haired lady, “is that the

person who has the power to win learns to love the fight!”

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“My husband is a great football fan. I watch the pregame shows with him, and

I think the guys who smile and say ‘I just can't wait to get out there on the field’ are

nuts. Who in their right mind would volunteer to be tackled by some 300-pound

football player? Or risk playing even one game? But these guys, unlike you and me,

are trained for the competition. They're in good condition. And the joy of winning

makes it all worth it.

“Just remember that Jesus in you is stronger than the devil, so you can fight

with you and you can win.”

The speaker continued, “I learned another thing watching football with my

husband. Goals are usually made yard-by-yard. It is very unusual to see a guy catch

a punt and return it seventy-five yards for a touchdown. Persistence, hard work,

hanging in there, and never giving up the hope of victory is what wins football

games.

“The Christian life is no different. Learn to start each day with this prayer:

‘Lord, I get to run this obstacle course again today! Thank you that this is an

exciting life and that what I do counts for all eternity.’ My part is letting Jesus live

the Christian life through me. This cooperation includes persistence, Bible study and

prayer, letting God give you love for people you'd rather not bother with and

confessing sin even when admitting what you did is embarrassing or costly. All

along the way,” she concluded, “you'll experience little miracles – God giving you

genuine love for the guy you just couldn’t stand, power to say no, the joy of

discovering and applying a new biblical truth, and the peace that comes from

genuine repentance and receiving God's forgiveness.

“The war might last a hundred years – or a little less. However, victory after

victory on earth – not to mention joy forever and ever in heaven with Jesus – makes

enlisting in the battle well worth your while!”

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MEMORIZE:

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will

receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10: 36).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I need to keep on doing what is right, standing on God's Word, and resisting

temptation, so that when I've done God's will, I'll receive the prize – victories

on earth and a forever that’s more wonderful than I can imagine.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear Lord, help me to stick with it. Right now ______________ and

_____________ are really hard for me. Thank you that you have great

promises that will be mine after I have done your will.

DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP:

Make several copies of this verse and put them in key places – inside your

locker door, on your desk, on the dashboard of your car, on the mirror, etc. As

you constantly review this verse, decide that you'll persevere in faith and keep

on doing the will of God until you win victories in the hardest area of your

life.

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SELF-EXAMINATION

PART 1: The Rules of the Game

ACROSS:

1. The devil often impersonates ______________.

2. The devil is a pain with a _____________.

3. The Bible says I am dead to ____________.

4. If I resist the devil he must ____________.

5. Object of the devil’s hatred: ___________.

6. Person who will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear:

__________.

7. Person who can overcome every temptation with the power of Jesus living

inside: ___________.

8. Prefix meaning away from: __________.

9. Temptation is my ____________.

10. Temptation brings out what is really _____________.

11. Temptation designed to destroy the mind: ___________.

12. ___________Jesus live the Christian life in you.

13. Invention of Satan: ___________.

14. Spanish for pronoun I: ___________.

15. One of two weapons Satan has at his disposal: ___________.

16. The truth will set you ______________.

17. Person who will benefit by knowing all of this: ___________.

DOWN:

1. Temptation should drive you to ____________.

2. If any man is __________ Christ, he is a new creature.

3. Temptation usually involves something ____________.

4. Need to overcome temptation: _____________.

5. Satan’s big weapon: ____________.

6. The devil will always make __________ on us until we get to heaven.

7. Book you can study to pass temptation tests: _____________.

8. All of our lives we’ll have temptation ____________.

9. ____________ evil suggestions come from the devil.

10. Person who must receive permission from God to tempt you: _____________.

11. The devil gives you a bad thought and then tries to make you feel __________.

12. Satan can't get to Jesus, so he attacks one of His most prized possessions, ____.

13. ________ you let Jesus live through you, you can be victorious.

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ANSWERS:

ACROSS:

1. Me

2. Purpose

3. Sin

4. Go

5. Us

6. God

7. You

8. De

9. Teacher

10. Inside

11. Drugs

12. Let

13. Lie

14. Yo

15. Manipulation

16. Free

17. You

DOWN:

1. Jesus

2. In

3. Good

4. Truth

5. Deception

6. War

7. Bible

8. Tests

9. All

10. Devil

11. Guilty

12. You

13. If

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PART TWO

“THE BEST DEFENSE IS A

GOOD OFFENSE”

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CHAPTER 12

WHEN GOD SAYS,

“FORGET IT.”

Cristi had recently attended a special city-wide youth rally. The speaker made

the Christian life seem so attractive that there was no way she could refuse his

invitation to accept Christ as her personal Savior. After responding by giving her life

to Jesus, Cristi experienced a joy and peace she had never felt before.

It was just that – well, she thought once she became a Christian, she’d be

perfect and all her problems would disappear. The new Christian friends she met at

Bible study appeared to have it all together. But she still got D’s on geometry tests.

Although she tried a little harder, she hated cleaning the house as much as ever, and

getting up in the morning was no easier than before.

One Saturday, her mother was in a particularly ugly mood. Halfheartedly,

Cristi began to vacuum the living room rug. “I thought you were one of those saintly

born-againers,” her mother sneered. “Christians should work hard. You're the laziest

thing I’ve ever seen! ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness,’ you know.”

At this Cristi came out with a super-snotty barrage. She even used the name of

Jesus as a swear word! Her mother returned with a ten-minute lecture, which could

have been titled “Twenty-nine Reasons Why Cristi Is Good-for-Nothing.” It ended

with a familiar line: “Go to your room! I’d rather do the work myself than put up

with such incompetence and lack of respect.”

Alone in her room, her mother’s accusations came at her full force. That she

was a hopeless case seemed like a foregone conclusion. She’d been through this

syndrome before, but now she faced a new phenomenon. Other thoughts invaded her

mind: “You’ve failed as a Christian. Don’t ever expect God to forgive you. This sin

is just too much for Him. Real Christians are made of stronger stuff.”

At that moment, she heard her mother’s voice from the bottom of the steps.

“Somebody’s here to see you.” It was Debbie, the Bible study leader, dropping by to

say that the study would meet on Thursday this week. But when she saw how

discouraged Cristi looked, she gently asked what the problem was.

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Breaking into tears, Cristi poured out her heart. Debbie listened

sympathetically. Finally, she said, “I think we’ve been trying so hard to teach you

kids how to live a victorious Christian life that we’ve forgotten something very

basic. God forgives sin. Your first step is to apologize to your mother. Then, confess

your sin to God and receive His forgiveness.”

While Debbie stayed in Cristi’s room praying, Cristi went to make amends

with her mother. When she returned, they prayed together and Cristi asked God to

forgive her sin. Afterward, she felt new and clean inside.

Opening her Bible, Debbie read Isaiah 43: 25; “I, even I, am he who blots out

your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

Cristi smiled. It was really nice to hear God say, “Forget it.”

MEMORIZE:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 9).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will confess my sin of __________. I will believe that God is fair and that

He is faithful to forgive me and clean up my whole life.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, I agree with you that ______________ was sin, something horrible

that stinks like garbage and must be thrown out. I believe that you're just and

you always keep your Word. That means you totally forgive me and make me

new and clean inside.

FORGET YOUR FAILURES:

Make a list of the sins in your life that the devil keeps reminding you of. After

each one, write out 1 John 1: 9 word for word. Then thank God for His

forgiveness, burn the paper, and forget about them. God already has! And

when the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!

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CHAPTER 13

“THE SHACK THAT INFERIORITY

BUILT”

Eric’s hands were sweaty as he walked into the youth pastor’s office.

Although he knew that everyone in “Trinity’s Terrific Teens” had been scheduled

for an hour-long appointment with Pastor Dale during January, he felt nervous and

wondered what he’d been doing wrong.

When Pastor Dale asked him to write down his three biggest problems,

number one on his list was “an inferiority complex.”

As the pastor asked some questions, Eric explained that his parents had been

divorced when he was seven. His father had remarried and gone to live in another

state. His mother then took a very demanding job and was hardly ever home. They

rarely talked about anything important, or did anything together. When he was in

junior high, his best friend had disappeared into the popular crowd, leaving him

lonely and feeling rejected. In September he had started to date Julie and he really

liked her a lot. But when Darren asked her to the Christmas banquet, Eric had been

left behind in the dust. He didn’t consider himself accepted by the youth group.

Instead he stayed on the fringe.

He summed it all up. Saying, “I guess I'm not good enough for anybody to

really like a lot.”

Pastor Dale looked at him with concern and compassion. “Eric,” he began,

“you’ve just swallowed one of the devil’s extra-strength formula lies – that you must

base your life on the messages people have given you rather than on the truth of

God's Word.

“Jesus likes you an awful lot, Eric. In fact, He loved you so much that He

gave His life for you. His blood, which was shed for you, has more value than

anything else in the whole world – and that’s what you're worth. You're invaluable!”

He quoted some great scriptures Eric had never really thought about before:

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I have loved you with an everlasting love: I have drawn you with

lovingkindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt. (Jeremiah

31: 3-4).

This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his

Son as an atoning sacrifice for sins … God lives in us and his love is made

complete in us … God is love … There is no fear in love. But perfect love

drives out fear. (1 John 4: 10-18).

“Eric,” the pastor went on, “it’s tremendously important that you believe what

God says and not what people seem to be telling you. Never forget these words: ‘We

live by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5: 7). God says you're awesome, fantastic,

full of potential and custom-made to do a tremendous job for Him.”

-------------------------------

If you want to cash in on everything that He put into you when He created

you, you must be rightly connected to God – the source of your power. If the devil

can convince you that you're inferior, you'll be attacked by self-pity, the temptation

to show off, desires to build yourself up by tearing others down, the craving to take

drugs or alcohol to kill emotional pain – any number of temptations.

Satan knows that if he can get you to believe you're unlovable and no good,

all kinds of sins can easily spring up in this unhealthy soil. But the Jesus-loves-me-

so-I'm-okay kid won't feel so sorry for himself that he’ll eat five bags of potato chips

during one TV show. The person who is totally certain of God's acceptance doesn’t

need to brag that he got an 87 on the physics test that Bruce failed. The teenager who

has learned to enjoy God's love doesn’t frantically seek attention in socially

unacceptable ways.

You, like Eric, have the opportunity of building a solid wall against

temptation by accepting the fact that God loves you totally, completely,

unconditionally, and forever. God loves you and that means you are loveable. He has

accepted you, and that makes you acceptable. Period! Stop living in the shack that

inferiority built, and move into the God-loves-me-and-thinks-I'm-terrific penthouse!

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MEMORIZE:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love”

(John 15: 9).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

Jesus loves me just as much as God loves Him, and that’s an awful lot! I must

remain in His love by remembering that I have great worth because He loves

me. I won't leave His love by swallowing the devil’s lie that when another

person rejects me, it means I'm unlovable.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that Jesus loves me just as much as you love Him – that I

can be part of a family of love. Help me remain in this love. Keep me from

receiving messages of rejection and deciding that nobody loves me – not even

you.

WIPE OUT LIES ABOUT REJECTION:

Make a list of the messages of rejection you’ve received in your life (e.g.,

“My sister always acts superior to me,” “My math teacher laughed at me and

called me a dumb blond”). With a red pen, write out all the words of John 15:

9 over the rejection message and say out loud: “I don’t believe this rejection

message. I believe God loves me and that I'm valuable because Jesus paid

such a big price for my salvation.”

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CHAPTER 14

“IT’S TIME TO STOP PLAYING

LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE”

Emily’s father was drinking heavily again. And the line he gave about being

laid off really meant that he had been fired from another job. Her mother held down

a fulltime job in order to support Emily and her four younger brothers. This meant

that Emily did most of the housework, plus working Saturdays and keeping up with

her schoolwork. She also wondered why God allowed such a situation to exist in her

family.

Emily had accepted Christ at a Bible camp when she was ten years old. But

she never considered herself a very good Christian. She went to church every

Sunday, but somehow felt as if she never lived up to God's expectations. Deep

inside, she thought that God was just about as unfair as her earthly father.

When Blake, the guy she had liked for over six months, asked her to a play,

she looked over her wardrobe in dismay. With Saturday’s paycheck in hand, she

went to the mall to buy something for the special occasion. Looking through the sale

rack, she found the perfect dress – it even went with her best shoes! After trying it

on and admiring herself in the mirror, she knew that nothing else would do. When

she glanced at the price tag, she was horrified.

Desperation seized her. Why couldn’t she have a father who could hold down

a regular job and keep the family out of constant economic crisis? If only she didn’t

have so much responsibility at home, she could work enough to buy the things she

wanted!

Looking at herself in the mirror once more, she was overcome with longing

for the dress. Everything depended on this date with Blake! She just had to look

great.

Suddenly, it occurred to her that the dress would fit nicely in the grocery bag,

under the cornflakes, apples and laundry detergent she’d picked up for her mother. If

life weren’t so unfair, she reasoned, I’d never have to do this.

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And so she tucked the dress neatly into the bottom of the sack, waited until the

clerk turned her attention to another customer and walked out of the store.

It’s easy to see that Emily fell into temptation because she had never come to

the point of knowing God as her Father – a Father who loves and accepts her and

wants to supernaturally care for her by meeting her every need.

Emily never even thought of praying and asking God to give her a nice dress

for her date. It never occurred to her that she could trust God for Blake’s response

even if her outfit wasn’t stunning. She just assumed that she was on her own and had

to fend for herself.

Do you ever feel that way?

It’s easy to picture God in terms of human fathers and other authority figures,

instead of really receiving Him for who He is by faith. Sure, in your head you know

that God can supply your every need. But do you know it in your heart? Do you live

as though it were true?

A little child is never insecure in the arms of a loving father. You must learn

that you can literally live in the arms of your loving heavenly Father. You don’t have

to search frantically for love. Just receive it from Him, and ask Him to give you

good Christian friends to supply you with human love. Don’t worry about all the

things you don’t have. Ask your heavenly Father for contentment and then pray for

the things you need.

You don’t have to feel forgotten, depressed and lonely. Your Father is always

there, waiting to take you in His arms. It’s time to stop playing “Little Orphan

Annie” and start getting to know your Father, the best Father in the whole world.

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MEMORIZE:

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all

times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”

(2 Corinthians 9: 8).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

God wants to give me favor, love, and mercy. I can receive all I need and have

plenty left over to share with those around me.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to constantly see you as the Father who always has for me

all I need. I promise to start treating you as my loving Father, asking for the

necessities of my life and expecting you to answer. Right now I'm asking you

for ______________ and _____________. I realize that the reason you give to

me is so that I can help others.

OVERCOMING THE “ORPHAN” MENTALITY:

List the ways in which you have been acting like an orphan (e.g., “I worry

about what I'm going to do after graduation.” “I keep complaining that no one

understands me”). Next, write out how you would act in each situation if you

really believed God was your loving and all-powerful Father. Take steps

toward living like God's true child.

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CHAPTER 15

“THE DEVIL’S BEST-SELLING

FICTION ISN’T FIT TO READ!”

Tyler handed the report card to his mother. He anticipated the reaction that

three C’s and three D’s would evoke. And he was not disappointed.

His mother scowled. “Why can't you be like your older brother? He always

does his homework. He studies for each test and he’s responsible. He doesn’t

constantly lose things, procrastinate, and conveniently forget about the work he

promised to do. I don’t know what to do with you.”

That night, Tyler attended the second Youth League officers’ meeting. Evan,

the president, had made all the plans for the annual ski retreat in the mountains. He

asked Tyler, who had just been elected treasurer, for the list of members who had

paid the $20 reservation fee. At first, Tyler lied and said he had left the list at home.

When the youth pastor insisted on taking him home to get it, he admitted that he had

lost it. Under further questioning, he confessed that he couldn’t remember who had

paid him and that he had neglected to keep the money separate from his own – so he

didn’t really know the exact amount. This was too much for the youth pastor who

gave him a half-hour sermon on faithfulness, using Evan as an example of a

responsible person.

Tyler, a new Christian, felt like a total failure. Furthermore, he became

convinced that God, also, compared him unfavorably with His other children. God

was probably sick and tired of him. He was pretty sure that he had tried God's

patience to the limit and that God didn’t want him anymore. He decided he really

wasn’t “Christian material” and that he might just as well give up.

Have you ever felt like that? The devil tries very hard to make you (and every

other Christian) believe that God doesn’t love you anymore. Satan knows the person

who feels that he or she has been abandoned by God will easily fall for any number

of temptations. If the devil can make you live by feelings instead of the fact of God's

Word, he’s got you in his trap.

Never build your theology on how others have treated you, or on your

emotions. Let God's Word be your only yardstick for truth. God has said:

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Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13: 5)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give

them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of

my hand. (John 10: 27-28)

… surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28: 20)

God doesn’t “robotize” His sheep and keep them in cages so they can't escape.

Instead, He gives us free wills – and so much security and love that we will want to

follow our Good Shepherd. But the devil tries to obscure this fact with his fiction –

that God doesn’t love people who make mistakes, or act irresponsibly, or have bad

breath.

Listen to the facts! God offers you total security. He always loves you. He

never gives up on you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is ready to

forgive you and to create in you a clean heart. The devil’s bestselling fiction – that

God has just given up on you – isn’t fit to read!

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MEMORIZE:

“God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say

with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man

do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5-6).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I believe God, not the devil. And God has said He’ll never leave me or forsake

me. God has not given up on me. I say with confidence, “The Lord is my

helper.” I'm not afraid of the rejection people hand me. It’s God’s opinion of

me that matters.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you so much that you’ll never leave me or forsake me. Thank

you that you'll always help me, so I don’t have to be afraid of people. If I'm

under your protection, they can't do anything to me.

REPLACING FEELING WITH FACT:

Write down the things you dread this week. Copy down this verse and keep

meditating on it so you remember to use it to give you courage when one of

these difficult situations arises.

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CHAPTER 16

“DISCOVER AND ATTACK ONE OF

THE DEVIL’S FAVORITE SINS”

Doug was sitting in church with his parents – but he was doing everything

possible to avoid listening to the sermon. He daydreamed of hitting a grand-slam

homer. He tried to name the first ten presidents in order (figuring you could never

study too much for one of Mr. Benson’s tests). He planned the next fishing trip with

Bill.

In spite of all this, he heard the pastor’s piercing words: “Go into all the world

and preach the good news to all creation (Mark 16: 15). This is obviously a

command to every Christian. And God doesn’t give any commands that He won't

help us to fulfill. Those eleven disciples who first heard these words didn’t

evangelize the known world in a few years all by themselves. They had the help of

almost every believer.”

These words hit Doug as a condemnation, because he refused to believe that

God could help him share Christ with others. Some people could witness, but he

couldn’t. You see, other people didn’t stutter. Other people weren’t naturally shy,

and other people didn’t break out in a cold sweat when forced to try to say

something to a stranger.

As the pastor went on, Doug’s mind went back to Friday’s disaster. He had

stood up in front of the English class to give his speech. When he couldn’t get a

word out, the compassionate teacher had asked him to come in after school to give

her the speech privately. Even then he had stuttered and stammered, until he broke

into tears of frustration. Repeated failure had left him feeling inadequate and

inferior.

His thoughts were again interrupted by the pastor. “When Moses said he

couldn’t speak, God didn’t say, ‘How pious and humble! You poor thing. I can't

really expect you to speak.’ No, He got angry. I couldn’t understand this for a long

time,” the pastor said, “but now I see that Moses’ sin was the sin of unbelief. Moses

didn’t believe God when He promised to teach him how to speak. He considered

God to be a liar on this point. That is very dangerous. Furthermore, he didn’t believe

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that God could change him. He chose to accept past failure and present problems as

fact rather than the Word of God – and he paid a big price for his choice.

“Unbelief,” the pastor continued, “is one of the devil’s favorite sins. It’s so

subtle that most Christians don’t even recognize it. If you steal, or commit adultery,

or hit your brother, it is rather obvious that you're off track. But if you simply say, ‘I

believe my experience and my feelings instead of God's Word,’ it seems rather

innocent. But really, lack of faith is a terrible sin.”

“The Bible says, ‘Everything that does not come from faith is sin’ (Romans

14: 23). If you don’t believe that Jesus’ blood can cleanse your sin, you won't get to

heaven. And we never say, ‘Poor Betty. She just can't believe that Jesus died for

her.’ That’s because we know she can choose to believe. You can believe this

promise: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,

the new has come!’ (2 Corinthians 5: 17). You can let God change you – or you can

sin by lack of faith and stay exactly the same. You can decide to put your faith in

this truth: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love

him’ (Romans 8: 28). Or you can worry about every detail. You can base your life

on, ‘The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ (Psalms

118: 6). Or you can become paralyzed by fear.”

Finally the light flashed on! Doug realized that his unbelief was sin. He had

believed the devil’s lie. It was possible for him to speak. God could perform a

miracle in his life. If he didn’t expect “instant pudding” but persisted in faith, God

would free him from his fear of speaking.

When Doug left church that morning, he knew he had fallen for one of the

devil’s favorite sins, the one that keeps people out of heaven and prevents Christians

from realizing their full potential – the sin of unbelief.

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MEMORIZE:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes

to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly

seek him” (Hebrews 11: 6).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

Every time I show lack of faith, I let God down. I must believe that God is

there – loving, all-powerful, and willing to solve every problem – and that

He’ll give me the answer I need if I keep looking to Him without giving up.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Forgive me for the terrible sin of unbelief. Forgive me for becoming desperate

about ______________ and _____________, and not trusting you to resolve

these problems. Forgive me for being a practicing atheist and looking in other

places for my answers instead of seeking you with all my heart.

UNMASKING UNBELIEF:

List pressure points in your life – areas where you're not really trusting God

(e.g., “I don’t really trust God to give me the dates and the social life that are

right for me,” “I worry constantly about my parents splitting up”). For two

weeks – or as long as is necessary – specifically commit each of these

problems to God every day, telling Him that you'll trust Him to take care of

the situation and that you'll rest in Him.

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CHAPTER 17

“GET OFF THE ROLLER

COASTER”

Bridget spent an awful lot of time daydreaming about “Mr. Wonderful.” She

looked forward to the day she would fall in love, get married, and live happily ever

after. Her greatest fear was becoming an “old maid.” How she envied the girls who

had steady boyfriends. They were assured of a date every Saturday night, got flowers

on Valentine’s Day, and had that special someone hanging around their lockers

between classes. To her the word “boyfriend” spelled significance, security, success

and the admiration of other girls.

When Allen asked her to the football game, she never even thought of saying

no. Although she knew he wasn’t a Christian and didn’t have a flawless reputation,

he was cute, popular, and a lot of fun. Being the center of his attention was the ego

trip she had always dreamed of.

Before long, they were dating regularly. And before long, Bridget found out

that Allen was very persuasive. Because her whole self-image was tied up in him,

she always gave in. First it was drinking – just a little, to keep him company. Then it

was “snuggling” and ignoring his bad language. Finally it was having sex with him.

Even though she felt guilty when her Sunday school teacher came to her home

to warn about the dangers of dating a non-Christian, Bridget just couldn’t give him

up. In spite of her fear of getting pregnant, she thought that saying no would mean

losing Allen, and she didn’t want to run that risk! It was easier to stay home from

church than to go and feel convicted of her sin.

Allen became her whole life.

Are you a Bridget, caught in a similar sin syndrome? Charles Stanley, in his

book Temptation, says something that is very important for you to know; “As long

as men and women seek to gain their sense of significance and self-worth from

anything other than God, they will set themselves up for temptation … Until they

change their definition of significance and until they transfer their security to

Someone who can give them real security, they will never experience victory in their

lives.”

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Have you bought into a lie from Satan? Do you equate significance with being

a great athlete, dating pretty girls, getting good grades, or driving a sports car? Do

you think security comes from having a steady boyfriend, being popular at school, or

singing solos in the Glee choir?

The only way to build a fortress that Satan can't penetrate is to get all your

security and significance from God. Then you won't fall apart when you receive that

“Dear John” letter. Not making the team, or getting a D on that test won't open the

door for the Devil to tell you you're no good. If Jesus is everything to you, you won't

be tempted to compromise your Christian principles for anything or anybody,

because nothing will be that important to you.

If you permit Jesus to give you real significance and total security, you'll be

able to get off the roller coaster and start traveling on the King’s highway!

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MEMORIZE:

“It is because of Him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for

us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1

Corinthians 1: 30).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

God has placed me, _________________, in Christ Jesus. And Jesus is

everything to me: my wisdom, my guide for right living, my holiness and the

One who paid the price for my salvation.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that you put me in Christ. Forgive me for trying to fend

for myself when Jesus is all I need. Show me how to find all my security, all

my sense of value, all my wisdom, and all my righteousness in Jesus.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Copy 1 Corinthians 1: 30 onto a card and review it many times during the day.

Let this verse become part of you. As you go to sleep tonight, repeat the

words of this verse.

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CHAPTER 18

“WHO’S A HYPOCRITE?”

When Nathan started dating Kara, the only thing he could see was a vivacious,

pretty girl who was considerate and caring.

As he got to know her, though, he noticed some negative qualities. Kara

camouflaged her laziness with impossibility thinking. Whenever she faced a

disagreeable task, Kara simply said, “I can't because I don’t have time.” Or, “I'm too

tired,” Or, “I don’t know how to do it very well.” If someone irritated her, she made

no effort to hide her displeasure. It was obvious that there were some people she just

couldn’t stand.

One day, Nathan showed up at her house 45 minutes late because of an

unavoidable traffic jam. Kara gave him the silent treatment. This was just too much

for Nathan. He exploded. “You're one of the biggest hypocrites I've ever seen!”

Kara quickly rediscovered her voice and shouted back, “Hypocrite? What do

you mean? I don’t just pretend I feel loving if I don’t. I don’t act as if I want to do

something when I’d rather not. I might not be perfect, but at least I'm genuine.”

Nathan recovered his cool and apologized. Then he began again, evenly,

“Kara, what I'm going to say is very important, and I really want you to listen.

You're a Christian and you're a new creature because the Bible says you are. As a

believer, you are to accept what God says is true, not what you feel. If the Bible

says, ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4: 13),

then you'd better think twice before you say ‘I can't.’ If Scripture instructs us to love

our enemies and to forgive as Christ has forgiven us, that’s truth – not your feelings

of resentment or disgust.”

Kara was stunned. She’d never thought of it that way before. But she saw that

Nathan was right. She believed her feelings instead of the truth of God's Word.

The dictionary – and the Bible – define hypocrite as a person who plays a part

or who pretends to be what he or she is not. The devil’s definition of a hypocrite is

one who acts differently from what he or she feels. If some married man said, “I

don’t feel married, so I'll ask my secretary for a date,” no one would applaud him for

being “honest.” He’s totally deceived.

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It is the same with you, a sincere Christian. Because Jesus lives inside you,

you’ve got the power to do the things you dislike doing. So saying “I can't because I

don’t feel like it” is being a hypocrite. Jesus can love through you – to the extent that

you really do love your enemies. You are a new creature in Christ, with the capacity

to love everyone. That is the fact. Living according to your emotions and deciding to

hate, or punish, or ignore a person who doesn’t suit you is being a hypocrite, because

you're just not living like the new you.

Are you trapped, like Kara? Do you obey your parents only when you feel like

it? Do you put off doing things you don’t like to do? Is your love reserved for those

who measure up to your standards? Do your feelings control your “mood

barometer”? Who’s acting a part that doesn’t fit? Maybe it’s you!

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MEMORIZE:

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so

that they may have the full riches of complete understanding. In order that

they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all

the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2: 2-3).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I receive God’s encouragement and I guard the unity I have with other

Christians. I long to know more of Christ. In Jesus and His words recorded in

the Bible, I'll find all wisdom and knowledge. What He says is truth no matter

what my emotions tell me.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, encourage me! Give me love for other Christians. Teach me more

and more of Jesus. I promise to seek all my wisdom from Him and to live by

His truth, not my feelings.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES:

Ask God to show you where you follow your emotions rather than His Word.

List these areas along with the consequences of letting your emotions reign.

Also indicate the actions and consequences of following God's

commandments.

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SELF-EXAMINATION

PART II. THE BEST DEFENSE IS A

GOOD OFFENSE

1. If you sin again, you are no longer a Christian. T___ F___

2. If you sin, you should: a. Confess it to Jesus____ b. Feel bad about it for a long

time and do something good to cover it up.___ c. Apologize, or in some way

pay back what you have taken.___ d. Accept God's forgiveness and go on in

victory.______

3. Your value is determined by: a. How good your grades are and how well you

perform.___ b. How popular you are.___ c. How many true friends you

have.___ d. How much God loves you and the high price He paid to redeem

you.___

4. If you really believe God is your all-loving and all-powerful Father: a. You'll

know that you're always accepted by Him.___ b. You'll know that He’ll supply

what you need.___ c. You'll accept His discipline realizing it’s best for you.___

d. You'll obey Him without reservation.___

5. How does God feel about you? a. He’s just given up on me.___ b. He’ll give

me one last chance.___ c. He loves me and offers forgiveness and a new start as

I cooperate with Him.___ d. God helps those who help themselves.___

6. What’s wrong with saying, “I believe my experience instead of God's Word”?

a. It’s putting your trust in the mirages around you instead of in unseen

reality.___ b. It’s really saying that God is a liar.___ c. It forces you to operate

on false assumptions.___ d. It makes you look to people for acceptance instead

of to God.___

7. If your sense of significance or importance comes from something or someone

other than Jesus: a. You'll set yourself up for temptation.___ b. You'll do

anything just to please that person or to obtain that goal.___ c. Pleasing Jesus

won't be your only purpose in life.___ d. You must put that person or thing “on

the altar of sacrifice,” or you'll never be happy in your Christian life.___

8. Which of these areas are weaknesses in your life? a. Assurance of salvation and

forgiveness.___ b. Confidence that God loves me and that He is working

through me.___ c. Treating God as a loving Father, who will supply my every

need.___ d. Knowing that God will never give up on me.___ e. Believing God's

Word instead of my experiences.___ f. Getting all my self-worth and

significance from Him.___ g. Living by faith, not by feelings.___

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9. Ask God how you can build up these weak areas, and write down the ideas that

come to mind (e.g., confession of sin, deeper surrender to God, memorizing

Scripture to reinforce certain truths, listing the lies the devil has been telling

you and determining not to believe them).

10. Using the devotionals in Part II, list all the foundational truths that will help you

build a strong wall to keep out temptation.

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ANSWERS:

1. F

2. A, c and d.

3. D

4. A, b, c and d.

5. C

6. A, b, c and d.

7. A, b, c and d.

8. Personal

9. Personal

10. Personal

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PART THREE

“IT’S ABOUT THAT HOLE

IN THE

DEFENSIVE LINE”

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CHAPTER 19

“FIGHTING – WITHOUT THE

FACTS”

“How ‘bout a ride?” Dustin asked Joe one evening after the youth meeting.

“Sure,” replied Joe. “Jump in. This here taxi is free.”

Dustin climbed in Joe’s old Ford. As they drove away from the youth center,

he asked, “Was everything you said in that testimony of yours true?”

“Of course – do you think that I would lie?”

“We’re old friends, right? And I know you are one of the world’s most

accomplished liars! Remember the time you convinced your geography teacher that

your mother was dying? She felt so sorry for you she passed you, even though you

didn’t do any work!”

“But that was before I was a Christian,” Joe countered. “Jesus has changed my

life.”

“Be honest now. Haven’t you smoked even one joint lately?” Dustin persisted.

“No – not even one,” Joe said firmly.

Dustin shook his head. “How do you do it? I have a constant struggle, and I've

given in a couple of times recently. I am about ready to give up on Christianity and

go back to drugs. The craving just won't go away.”

Joe pulled off the street into a supermarket parking lot and stopped the car.

“Dustin,” he began, “I don’t think you really understand what happened to you when

you gave your heart to Jesus. Something I just read might help you. Do you know

how elephants are tamed?”

Dustin grinned. “This is a trick question, right?”

“No, I’m serious,” Joe came back. “Just listen to this. When they want to tame

an elephant, they tie him down so tight he can't even move. They don’t give him

anything to eat, and for days he struggles and thrashes around trying to get free.

They even torment him to reinforce his feeling of helplessness. Finally, the elephant

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gives up. His will is broken to the extent that he can be tied to a little stake by a rope

and he won’t try to pull away. He doesn’t even know the difference.”

“Before Jesus came to live in our lives, neither one of us could get free from

drugs. I tried and tried. I was like that tied-up elephant. But now the chains of sin

have been removed. I still have the same emotions, the same thoughts and desires as

before. Sometimes I don’t feel free. But I don’t live by my feelings any more.

Feelings lie.”

Joe went on to explain the power of sin is all around us, putting up paper

tigers that look terribly real. We’re used to responding to those “tigers” in certain

ways. But the fact is, we are free. What the Apostle Paul said is true about each one

of us. “I (that sinful me that likes to sin) have been crucified with Christ and I no

longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the

Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2: 20).

“Well, I guess if I am crucified, then I am a dead man.” Dustin said

thoughtfully.

“For sure,” Joe agreed. “And a dead man doesn’t want to do drugs any more.

It’s just that you have an outer shell – a body, mind, will, and emotions – that tries to

demand certain things. The new you has the power to control those emotions and

physical cravings by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within you!”

You might as well know: The devil wants this information to be a well-kept

secret, because he hates people who are walking advertisements of the power of

Jesus! He knows that he has a good chance of defeating the Christian who keeps

fighting without the facts – and that he will lose when we know the truth.

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MEMORIZE:

“Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but

rather offer yourselves to God” (Romans 6: 13).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I was crucified with Crist, and so I am dead to sin. Because of that, I, by the

power of the Holy Spirit, can use my tongue for praising God rather than for

gossiping, my feet to go on a walk with my grandmother rather than taking me

to a place of temptation, and my eyes to read the Bible instead of watching a

questionable program on TV.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thanks that I am dead to sin and that, through the Holy Spirit, I

have the power to offer the parts of my body to you and not to sin.

BEING THE BOSS OF YOUR BODY:

Make a list of commands to give your body. Enforce them by the power of the

Holy Spirit. For example:

1. Tongue, you will stop criticizing ___________and find something good to

say.

2. Mouth, you will stop eating so much junk food and eat more vegetables.

3. Hands, you will make the bed and clean the room before you play

computer games.

4. Ears, you will stop trying to hear the dirty jokes in the locker room and

will listen more closely to the sermons on Sunday.

___________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 20

“CLIFF DIVERS, TEMPTATIONS

AND TRUTH”

Jillian was so excited she could hardly take it all in. Her family had planned

this vacation for so long!

A big metal bird had lifted them from the snow and sleet of Chicago and set

them down in the balmy paradise of Acapulco. The tranquil, bright blue of the

horseshoe-shaped bay was breathtaking. A white sandy beach beckoned – and so did

street markets full of brightly colored clothes, tropical fruit, and an incredible variety

of pottery.

Jillian’s father, however, decided that the first thing on the agenda was a trip

to watch the famous cliff divers that he had seen on TV. When they stepped out of

the taxi, Jillian could hardly believe that anyone would jump from such a height into

water so dotted with craggy rocks. But it was happening right before her eyes!

Concentration was the name of the game. Each action was slow and

deliberate. These cliff divers didn’t allow their minds to wander or give in to their

emotions. They acted on fact: there was a way to jump safely and they knew how to

do it with flawless precision. Inner fears, thoughts of landing on jagged rocks, and

wrong information had to be totally discarded.

That night in her hotel room, before going to sleep, Jillian started reading

Romans 6. Verse eleven caught her eye: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to

sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

She also remembered her Sunday school teacher’s words. “When you

accepted Jesus as your Savior, you became part of Him. That is what 2 Corinthians

5: 17 means by being ‘in Christ.’ At the same time His Holy Spirit came to live

within you – ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (Colossians 1: 27).

“Because you are now one with Christ, everything that happened to Him

happened to you. Maybe you don't clearly understand all this. But you can accept it

by faith, because the Bible says that it is true. ‘For we know that our old self was

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crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we

should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from

sin’” (Romans 6: 6-7).

Jillian decided that considering herself “dead to sin” was much like those cliff

divers who believed they could succeed - even though all common sense and natural

feeling contradicted the truth. Now she could understand it! She had never really felt

“dead to sin.” In fact, temptations sometimes seemed overpowering. But that didn't

change the facts: The Bible said she was “dead to sin,” so that settled it.

Actually, she was living like a cliff diver who told himself “I can’t do it”

before each attempted jump. That is why Jillian kept yielding to temptations. She

kept thinking: “I can’t resist chocolate sundaes.” “I just happen to be a critical

person.” “I was born moody.” But now she realized that if she practiced keeping her

mind on God’s Word as much as those cliff divers trained their concentration on the

ebb and flow of the tide, then the application of God’s truth could change her.

That night - for the first time! - Jillian actually believed that constant victory

over temptation was possible for her. She really could say, with the Apostle Paul,

“We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6: 2).

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MEMORIZE:

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and

your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3: 2 -3).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I can set my mind on Christ and the things of His kingdom – not on my fears,

insecurities, and all the possibilities for sinning. Because the part of me that

likes to sin was crucified with Jesus, this is not just mind over matter. It is

believing and acting on the fact that my new nature, in Christ, isn’t interested

in doing wrong things.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to keep my mind on you. I will not think about

_____________and ____________ (present worries). Thank you that I died

with Jesus on the cross and rose to live the new life He lives for me!

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Copy this verse onto a card and take it with you today. Spend the day with

Colossians 3: 2-3 running through your mind, and fall asleep thinking about

its message.

______________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 21

“SHOPPING, SURFING, AND

ROMANS 6”

Although she was especially talented at sleeping in, Jillian found herself wide

awake at 6:00 a.m. She jumped out of bed and peered through the drapes. Darkness

covered the beautiful bay. This was a hotel room in Acapulco, and she couldn’t just

slip downstairs into the kitchen to rob the refrigerator.

Not wanting to wake her sleeping sister, she decided to take her Bible and

escape to the bathroom.

There, by the light of the fixture over the sink, she looked up the verse she had

read the night before: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to

God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6: 11). She recalled watching the cliff divers who

really considered themselves dead to feelings of fear, danger, and failure and

focused on one simple truth: It was possible to jump safely. She had resolved to

believe that victory over sin was possible because the Bible had said she was “dead

to sin.” She would believe God’s Word instead of her feelings.

An illustration she had once heard came back to her. A chalk artist she’d met

at home in Chicago had drawn a tree on his canvas. He said that the branches and

fruit represented bad habits and fleshly response patterns in our lives – like anger,

self-pity, revenge, and disobedience to authority.

“But instead of these bad branches,” he had instructed, “We can engraft the

truth of God’s Word. When Bible verses become a daily part of our thoughts, wills,

and emotions, they will actually become part of us. Then, the moment we are

tempted, we can have the kind of victory over temptation that Jesus enjoyed.”*

Jillian decided to start by memorizing and meditating on Romans 6: 11,

determined to rely on that truth the moment she was tempted.

Later in the morning, out in the street market, Jillian found a gorgeous purple

dress and just had to buy it – even though it meant parting with half of the spending

money she had brought. Returning to the hotel with her purchase, she met an

American lady in the lobby who asked her how much she had paid for the dress.

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When Jillian told her, the lady smirked. “You really got ripped off,” she gloated.

“Mine is exactly the same, and I paid one-third the price. You are still a ‘gringa’ and

don’t know how to shop in Mexico.”

To top it off, when Jillian got back to her room, she noticed a big spot on the

skirt.

Frantically, she tried to wash it out, but even the spot remover her mother had

brought along failed.

Immediately, she became depressed and crabby. But after about twenty

minutes, she remembered her morning’s resolution. Quieting herself, she began to

personalize Romans 6: 11, paraphrasing it: “In the same way, Jillian will count

herself dead to depression and moodiness but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” She

repeated it aloud several times and let it sink into her spirit.

Then she realized that it was just like the devil to try to convince her that a

spot on a dress and losing some money was the end of the world. But because of

taking a “Bible break” she conquered her depression.

Later, she totally enjoyed taking in the waves of the Pacific and eating exotic

seafood in a tropical oceanfront restaurant.

That night she thanked God that His Word had rescued her from being

bummed out all day. She determined to believe what God said about her. She

decided to be just as diligent about engrafting Scripture into her life as the cliff

divers were about their diving. It was amazing how Romans 6 related to shopping,

surfing, and supper.

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_______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6: 2).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I died to _____________ and _______________ (recurring sins in my life).

How can I live in them any longer?

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that I have died to sin. When temptation comes snaking

around, I just need to remember that the part of me that likes to sin is dead to

sinful suggestions and can’t respond to them unless I decide to jump out of

God’s protection and do my own thing. Thank you that I no longer need to

live in wrongdoing.

NAILING IT DOWN:

Put this verse on a card. Think about it constantly. Quote it to the devil each

time he tries to convince you that sinning is your only option.

_______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 22

“STOP PLAYING TACKLE

FOOTBALL WITH YOUR TONGUE”

Cory’s mom worked as a warden in a state correctional institution for women

– and she was just as strict and unyielding at home as she was on her job. Cory’s dad

was a construction worker who drank, and they fought a lot. The one thing he

learned from both of them was this: “It is a tough world out there, and you’ve got to

learn to defend yourself.”

Cory learned the lesson well. Even in first grade he had beat up a kid who

called him names. When he couldn’t use his fists, his tongue went into action. He

earned titles like “Loud Mouth,” “Smart Aleck,” and “Tiger Tongue.”

In his sophomore year, Cory met Wesley Whitfield. Wes was different from

any friend he had ever had. Although he talked about knowing Jesus, he was no

sissy. In fact, he was the best player on the football team. He was self-assured, cool,

and he really cared about Cory.

When Cory exploded because the officials declared the ball to be one inch

short of a first down, Wesley was the first to calm him down. When Cory was sent

to the office for mouthing off to his English teacher, Wesley took time to listen to

his side and to talk things through. Wesley asked him home for dinner; and everyone

made him feel like part of the family.

Then Wesley invited him to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer camp.

Cory was delighted. At the camp he met many athletes who had put Jesus Christ first

in their lives. And he decided to make Jesus his Lord, too. For the first time in his

life he experienced unconditional love and a real sense of belonging.

Although his character changed in many ways, Cory still battled with his

seemingly uncontrollable tongue. He blew up at Wesley for arriving a half-hour late

for their ski trip in the mountains. He criticized the youth pastor and made fun of his

long nose. When Cindy suggested that he clean out his messy locker, he replied, “If

Miss Perfect could get straight A’s in chemistry like I do, I would probably listen to

her.” Cindy burst into tears and walked away.

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At times, Cory felt bad about his “Irish temper,” but mostly he blamed others

for not understanding him.

After an especially violent explosion of insults that Cory had directed at a

church parking lot attendant, Wesley decided to have a talk with him.

“Have you ever read Psalm 12?” Wes asked.

“I guess not,” Cory admitted. “What does it say?”

“Why don’t you read it?” Wes suggested.

Cory opened his Bible and started reading out loud: “May the Lord cut off all

flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says “We will triumph with our

tongues; we own our lips – who is our master?” (Psalms 12: 3-4).

He shook his head. “I never knew that was in the Bible! I guess my big mouth

is pretty disgusting to God, huh?”

“Cory,” Wes continued, “God wants us to love and honor our parents. But

sometimes they teach us things that aren’t in line with His Word. I know your

family, and your motto is something like, ‘Tackle the other guy before you get

knocked down yourself.’ That is fine in football. But in real life a lot of innocent

people get hurt. You can’t blame your parents, because they were taught the same

thing. Now that you know Jesus, though, you have to fall in step with His principles

for right living. In fact, we all suffer tremendously from each lie we have received.

Only the Bible is truth, and we have to live by it.”

The truth is this: It is not up to you to defend yourself. The Scriptures teach,

“Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written:

‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12: 19).

The myth that you must be your own lawyer can lead you into all kinds of sins

– criticism, anger, exaggeration, and false accusations, just to name a few. You need

to learn to say, with David, “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope

in your Word” (Psalms 119: 114).

So stop playing tackle football with your tongue, and rest in the fact that God

loves you and cares about you. He will protect you.

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________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe”

(Proverbs 18: 10).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

Instead of verbally attacking the person who hurt me, I will call on the name

of the Lord. I will let God put me into His tower, where I will be perfectly

safe.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, ____________ (name of person) said/did ____________, which

really hurt me. Keep me from paying back evil for evil. Here I am, running to

you and asking you to keep me safe in your fortress. Heal the hurts and make

me strong again.

TAMING YOUR TONGUE:

List the bad habits your tongue has gotten you into, because of your fear that

others will win and you will lose (e.g., putting down others to make yourself

look good, repaying gossip with gossip). Then, after each item on your list

write out the words of Proverbs 18: 10.

______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 23

“DEMOLISHING THE DEVIL’S LIE”

Kelly felt as if her life were on a dimmer switch – and some unseen hand was

slowly turning off the light. The people who mattered most to her seemed to form a

chorus that chanted in unison, “Kelly, you can’t. Kelly, you can’t.”

Why don’t you just get on with it and bring home good grades like everyone

else in the family?” her mother chided.

“Kelly, you drive like a scatterbrain, and I can’t trust you with the car.” her

dad lamented. “If I let you loose on the streets our insurance rates will double.”

Her boss at Taco Bell fired her for inefficiency.

Her English teacher called her aside: “Kelly, your grades are a disaster. This

theme is completely unacceptable. I’ll give you two days to rewrite it or you will

receive a zero for the week.”

On the day after her trip to the salon, all the girls at school giggled as she

walked into homeroom. And Butch, the class loud mouth, said, “Where did you get

your haircut? At the dog groomers?”

The only bright spot in her life was Jack, her quiet, timid boyfriend. Other

people laughed at him because he stuttered, but he understood Kelly and she adored

him.

But then it happened. Jack informed her that he thought that they depended

too much on each other and that they should break up. That way, he explained, they

would be forced to widen their circle of friends. To Kelly this was the final blow.

“I am a complete failure,” an inner voice seemed to say. “Nobody loves me. I

might as well kill myself.”

Death seemed like the only escape. Because of what her church taught, she

thought that she would go to heaven if she died, and that seemed a lot better than her

horrible existence. Life seemed like an enemy, and death appeared to be her friend.

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Kelly decided that taking a lot of sleeping pills would be the least painful way

to go. She was just waiting for the right time.

Two days later, while Kelly was sitting alone at the school lunch table, Carla,

the new girl in her class sat down beside her and put an arm around Kelly’s

shoulder. “Kelly,” she began kindly, “you seem to be going through a rough time

right now. Am I right? I want to be your friend. I am here to tell you that Jesus can

help you with your problems.”

“It’s too late,” Kelly heard herself say. “I have already decided to commit

suicide.” She could hardly believe she was telling this to a complete stranger.

“Do you know who gave you the idea to kill yourself?” Carla asked.

“Nobody told me to,” Kelly said dully, “I have just made my own decision.”

“I would like to read something to you from the Bible,” Carla offered. “Listen

to this: ‘The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I have come that they

may have life and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd’ (John 10: 10-11). Who

do you think said this?”

“Jesus, I guess.”

“Who do you think the thief is?”

“Probably the devil.”

“You’re right. The devil always wants death and destruction. But Jesus came

to give us abundant life. Those ideas of worthlessness, depression, and defeat come

straight from the pit. Satan loves suicide. In fact, he even suggested that Jesus jump

from the pinnacle of the temple, remember? But Jesus knew how to stand up to the

devil by using the truth of God’s Word and rejecting all the devil’s lies.”

Carla explained that Kelly needed to do two things: First, to invite Jesus to

come into her heart to forgive her sins and run her life; second, to begin the process

of building her life up in line with what God says is true, not according to the

feedback she was getting from people, or on the thoughts the devil was cramming

into her head.

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“Jesus loves you so much that he shed His blood on the cross to save you,”

Carla said. “His blood is the most valuable thing in the whole world. That means

you are priceless to God.

“Just listen to this: ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the

Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a

future’ (Jeremiah 29: 11).”

“God really has a wonderful purpose for you. He made you special, to do

something no one else can do. Don’t build your life on your expectations or those of

others. Let God teach you who you really are, a person of great value and great

potential.”

Suicide may never have been one of your temptations – or maybe it has!

Whatever your situation, it is important that you recognize the devil’s strategy of

death and destruction.

Anything less than an abundant life full of hope, joy, peace, love and all those

good things means the devil is stealing something from you. Don’t just accept your

feelings of worthlessness, inferiority, and frustration. You are valuable. You are

loved. Whenever you forget that, the devil is there with a variety of temptations –

self-pity, self-hatred, suicide, blaming others, criticism – and the list goes on.

Don’t frame the pictures of yourself that are handed to you by people who

reject you. Fight the fight of faith – taking God's Word at face value and

demolishing the devil’s lies!

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________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water

will flow from within him” (John 7: 38).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I must believe in Jesus. Rather than feeling worthless, I will believe the truth:

that because Jesus died for me, I am valuable. I choose to believe that He

loves me as He said, instead of considering myself friendless. Then that

fountain of living water, with its joy and peace, will spring up inside me.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to believe what you say in every situation. Right now I

am having trouble believing ____________. I chose to believe you and to

permit those streams of living water to flow from within me.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Copy this verse on to a card and take it with you today. At each opportunity

repeat the words of this verse and apply them to your life. Go to sleep

meditating on John 7: 38.

_______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 24

“IDOLS, BASEBALL, AND

CHRISTIAN CARDIOGRAMS”

It was the bottom of the ninth. The score was tied 3 – 3. With two outs and

runners on first and third, Brandon Williams knew that he had a chance to become a

hero and to return the district championship trophy to Pinesville High.

After taking two balls, he swung at a perfect pitch – and thrilled to the crack

of the bat. The ball sailed over the left field fence!

As he rounded first base, he imagined a nationally known sports announcer

shouting, “Going, going, gone! It’s a home run!” He heard the fans going wild and

savored the thought that this would not escape the notice of the Kansas City Royals’

scout who was sitting in the stands.

When Brandon crossed home plate, his teammates mobbed him. The

Pinesville Herald reporter took several pictures. Everyone in the stands was yelling,

“Bran-don! Bran-don! Bran-don!”

From that moment on, Brandon became obsessed with the idea of becoming a

major league star. Before, he had thought of his baseball talent as a means of

opening more doors to witness to others about his faith in Jesus. Now baseball

became his life.

He stopped going to Bible study in order to attend a special pitching clinic in a

nearby city. That summer he dropped out of youth group, because he played on three

different summer teams and had no time for anything else.

When he started his senior year, Brandon sacrificed everything for his goal;

receiving the best available baseball scholarship. He even stayed home from church

on Sunday mornings to study.

In itself, baseball is a good, healthy sport. It was Brandon’s attitude toward it

that became the spiritual problem. The Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4: 23). Because Brandon didn’t guard his

heart, baseball became his idol.

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When something becomes too important to you, the devil can use it to tempt

you to sin. If having all the right clothes is all you think about, Satan can suggest

that you shoplift when you don’t have the money to buy what you “need”. If having

free time to do exactly what you want is your priority, it is pretty easy to leave a job

undone or to shirk responsibility. If your goal is straight A’s no matter what, the

devil’s suggestion that you carry a “cheat sheet” to that super difficult exam sounds

inviting.

Almost anything we find in the world could turn into a temptation – good

food, sports, new cars, classmates. It all depends on your attitude. Don’t ever blame

your temptation on God by saying something like, “If God hadn’t let that guy leave

his keys in the ignition, I would never have been tempted to steal the Corvette.”

Be honest. The temptation came because you wanted something more than

you wanted to obey God. The Lord allows us to face decisions like this, but His

purpose is always that you say no to temptation and become stronger than ever.

Let God give you a heart checkup – a Christian cardiogram. Do you have

some desires that are out of hand? Give them up to God before they open the door to

all kinds of temptation. Remember: “Above all else, guard your heart….”

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________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one

is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed”

(James 1: 13 -14).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

God can’t be tempted by bad things, and He never tempts me to sin. It is my

off-balance desires that create my temptation. (e.g., “Food is fine, but not if I

want too much of it.)

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Forgive me if I have ever blamed you for temptation. I acknowledge that my

wrong desires are what lead me into temptation.

DEMOLISH DECITFUL DESIRES:

List the longings that you have that can easily get out of hand. (e.g. “I want a

girlfriend/boyfriend so bad that I can easily forget God in my campaign to

impress a suitable candidate!) Every day for a month (longer if necessary),

surrender each of these desires to God.

_______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 25

SMART-ALECKS DON’T PRAY,

“LEAD US NOT INTO

TEMPTATION”

Chuck returned from Bible camp all fired up. He felt bold, powerful, and

ready to conquer the world.

He and Brad decided to go to some parties with the old gang so that they

could witness. When Brad called to say that his parents had grounded him, Chuck

didn’t give it a second thought. He pictured himself as the brave and fearless

ambassador for Christ, who was immune to all the temptations of his former

lifestyle.

When he arrived, Allison met him at the door. Her short-shorts and halter top

caught him off-guard. But he thought, No, I'm a Christian. Inside, though, the smell

of marijuana awakened in him an old craving. Then Jeannie – the girl he had always

wanted to date but whom he could never impress – rushed up to him. “It’s about

time that you came back to your senses! That Jesus freak stuff is just for wimps.

Come with me. I’ve got some really good coke.”

All of a sudden, Chuck felt completely alone – abandoned by God and open to

every temptation. The thought of witnessing never occurred to him. In fact, the

desire to get high again was more than he could resist – especially since it also

included special attention from Jeannie.

When he arrived back home at 2 a.m., he saw his Bible on his bed. Although

his head was somewhat cloudy, he felt a tremendous sense of guilt. Slumping down

on the bed, he tried to pray. The words that came out, automatically, were those of

the Lord’s Prayer, which he had repeated every Sunday for years. When he came to

“and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” he stopped short.

The next morning, when his brain had cleared, Chuck wondered why Jesus

taught his disciples to pray, “lead us not into temptation.”

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Then, suddenly, the answer occurred to him: Relying on his own strength, he

had walked into Satan’s trap and had gotten caught. He should have expected this

outcome, because no human is a match for the devil. He recognized that if he

sincerely prayed “lead us not into temptation,” it gave God permission to eradicate

his pride and change other attitudes.

Vaguely, he remembered a special speaker saying: “A valid interpretation of

this Scripture would be, ‘Dear God, let there be nothing in my heart that would

cause you to put me to the test.’”* His brash self-confidence had literally led him

into temptation.

Chuck also acknowledged that some Christians he thought of as stodgy knew

what they were talking about when they advised him to stay away from any place

that had once been the scene of his sin. It was wrong to seek spiritual danger as a

form of adventure.

Now Chuck knew that he could not be victorious over the devil. He had to

admit that he was weak and totally unable to resist temptation. He had to resolve that

every time the devil knocked, he would tell Jesus, “You go to the door.” When Jesus

faces Satan’s temptation, He is victorious.

Jesus in you can resist sin, but only if you are not undermining yourself by

placing yourself in tempting circumstances. If you disregard the advice of your

spiritual authorities, and if you have a cocky confidence in your own righteousness,

then the real prayer of your life is, “Lead me into temptation. Show me the way!”

Or is your true prayer, “Lead me not into temptation?”

*Bob Mumford, The Purpose of Temptation, p. 119.

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________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one”

(Matthew 6: 13).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will ask God not to lead me into temptation and will help answer my own

prayer by staying away from anything that looks like trouble. I will ask God to

save me from the devil, instead of being so cocky as to think I can face him by

myself.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, I ask you to guide me and keep me from walking straight into

temptation. I admit I’ll never be able to withstand Satan in my own strength.

Deliver me from his deception.

AVOIDING THE DANGER ZONE:

Identify attitudes that could easily lead you into temptation. Allow God to

change your way of thinking. In each problem area ask God to deliver you and

erect walls of protection around you.

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CHAPTER 26

“WHAT ORDERING YOURSELF

AROUND HAS TO DO WITH

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION”

In the darkness of her room, Sarah relived her day.

Her Saturday morning “sleep-in” had been disturbed by an emergency

message: The house was in danger of becoming a pigpen if it were not cleaned

immediately. Sarah hadn’t quite honored her mother. In fact, she had protested and

complained until her mother repeated her “ungrateful daughter” speech and gave in.

After lunch, April had invited her to go shopping. When they stopped for a

diet Coke Sarah took one look at the new Giant Sundae ad – and that was the end of

her new weight loss program.

Then she saw a dress she just couldn’t live without, and convinced April to

charge it on her mother's Visa card, even though she didn’t know where she would

get the money to pay her back.

Arriving home, she flopped in front of the TV, feeling too exhausted to start

on Monday’s big assignment, or to return her overdue library books.

That evening when the youth group president asked her for a report on what

her committee had done about finding a place for the Christmas banquet, she

invented some “facts” that were totally untrue, rather than admit that she had done

nothing at all. On the way home, she began to feel guilty.

Now, as the grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight, Sarah’s conscience

gave no indication it was ready to retire for the night. You claim to be a Christian,

that inner voice was saying, yet you don’t obey your mother. You don’t exercise self-

control. You aren’t concerned about paying your debts. You are not a good student,

and you even lie to cover up your laziness.

She had to agree; her conscience was right. And she knew what she should do.

She should apologize to her mother and clean the house next Saturday, return to her

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diet, take the dress back to the store and confess her lies to Jeff, the youth group

president.

But at the same moment, another inner voice told her she just couldn’t face all

that suffering. Everybody would say she was terrible – and maybe it was true. She

felt trapped and paralyzed. She didn’t seem capable of doing one thing she didn’t

want to do.

The clock struck one and, mentally, she changed the subject.

Do you ever feel like Sarah? Does your laziness, procrastination, and inability

to deprive yourself of any small pleasure make you easy prey for Satan’s

temptations?

Only you can put discipline into your life. The book of 2 Peter tells us how to

“escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1: 4). Part of the

plan is this: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,

knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance”

(vv. 5 - 6).

What are some practical ways to add self-control and perseverance to your

faith?

One way is to put Ecclesiastes 9: 10 into practice: “Whatever your hand finds

to do, do it with all your might.”

Attack the hardest homework assignment first. Mow the lawn now and relax

later. Clean your room without being told. Practice obeying your parents without

comment. Volunteer for jobs – even the hard ones – and do them well, offering them

as a service to God. Be like Jesus, who washed His disciples’ feet.

You don’t have to give in to all your desires. Ask God what you should buy.

Decide not to purchase anything you don’t have the money to pay for, and obey

Romans 13: 8: “Let no debt remain outstanding.” Don’t permit yourself to become a

slave to food or any other physical desire. A good way to break the hold these

desires have is by fasting.

“Wait a minute,” you may be saying, “every red-blooded teenager needs to eat

constantly. Fasting sounds like something people did 2,000 years ago.”

Well, they did fast – and they loved their neighbors, preached the gospel and

did a whole bunch of other things found in the Bible. Jesus was against fasting as a

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way to show off or to fulfill some kind of legalistic schedule, but He fasted himself –

and so did Esther and Nehemiah and Daniel and Jehosaphat, and the church at

Antioch. Do a Bible study on fasting. (By the way, it is good for your health!

Usually, it is wise to start by skipping one meal and spending that time in prayer and

Bible study.)

Building self-discipline will help you say no to the devil’s suggestions that

you need constant comfort and self-indulgence. So really, ordering yourself around

has a lot to do with overcoming temptation.

__________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must master it”

(Genesis 4: 7).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

The devil will see to it that sin is knocking at my door. Right now the

temptation to __________ is very strong. But I must master it, not only by

saying “no” today, but by putting discipline into my life to make me better

able to resist in the future.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to always recognize the sin that wants to overcome me.

Show me how to master sin, both by saying no today and by building self-

control into my life.

DEVELOPING DISCIPLINE:

List five areas of weakness in which you experience a lot of temptation. Pray

and ask God what decisive actions you need to take and what character-

building exercises you should engage in to reinforce this area of weakness.

(e.g., If procrastination is your problem, clean off your desk now, and then

make a list of unfinished projects and complete them one by one.)

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CHAPTER 27

“ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN

TRACK STAR?”

When Jolene gave her heart to Jesus her life changed radically. She stopped

hanging around with her old girlfriends, gave up drugs, and broke up with Dan.

Making new friends wasn’t easy, but she did it.

Although she was often faced with the desire to get high and had longings for

sexual pleasure, the joy she discovered in Jesus was so wonderful that she never

wanted to return to her old life. She experienced the power of the Holy Spirit giving

her a newfound ability to say no. As the months passed, she became more firmly

established in her Christian way of life.

But, one Saturday night, it seemed as if Satan came to pay her a visit in

person. Everyone in her family had gone out for the night. The house felt lonely and

deserted. The soft lamplight cast shadows on the walls, and Jolene sat on the couch

trying to read a book. But she just couldn’t concentrate.

Her Christian friends had let her down. She wasn’t invited to Brenda’s

birthday party, and it hurt her deeply. Not only that, just that morning her mother

had accused her of being “a religious fanatic – the only oddball in the family.”

Startled by a sudden noise, she felt that some unknown evil must be lurking in the

shadows. Depression and fear descended upon her.

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.

It was Dan. Smiling and good-natured as always, he began, “I miss you so

much, I just can’t stay away.”

To Jolene he looked more attractive than ever – curly hair, athletic build,

contagious smile – and the one person who had thought of her on a lonely Saturday

night. When he suggested they go out for a bite to eat at McDonalds, she couldn’t

refuse.

It had been so long since anyone had told her she was pretty, and as they

talked quietly that evening she soaked in all Dan’s compliments. Listening to him

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say, “I love you,” felt so comforting and so right. The desire to have Dan take her in

his arms became overwhelming. It was like God and His ideas about right and

wrong ceased to exist.

Getting into the car again, Dan drove to the bluff that overlooked the

Mississippi. There she enjoyed his physical closeness – and then surrendered herself

to him as she had done so many times before. She felt like a programmed robot with

no power to resist.

Of course, when she got home, she felt terrible. She cried and cried. She was

sure that God didn’t love her anymore and that there was no forgiveness.

On Sunday morning, Jolene decided not to go to church. But at 9 o'clock,

Sherry called to remind her that the youth group had planned a picnic after the

service and that she was counting on Jolene to bring the soft drinks. It was only

because of her strong sense of duty that Jolene assured Sherry that she would be

there.

God used the Sunday morning sermon to show Jolene the way out of her

predicament.

“Sometimes running away is the only means of resisting the devil,” the pastor

was saying, “and you must run straight into the arms of Jesus. The Bible says, ‘Flee

from sexual immorality’ (1 Corinthians 6: 18), and ‘Flee the evil desires of youth’ (2

Timothy 2: 22). God’s Word never says to stand up and face evil like a strong

Christian. In fact the root of our problem with temptation is that we rely on

something good and strong within ourselves – which just isn’t there.”

Keep out of the danger zone. Don’t stop at your favorite ice-cream parlor,

thinking you will only order a diet coke. Stay miles away from a situation that will

bring sexual temptation. Leave the house to avoid throwing a fit that is designed to

manipulate your mother into giving you your own way. If a surprise attack takes you

off guard, physically escape, as Joseph did.

God can seem far away when your mouth craves that chocolate sundae, your

body longs for sexual experience, or your emotions insist on staging a tantrum. At

that moment, look for the nearest exit and start running! You would do well to

become a Christian track star.

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_______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and

peace” (2 Timothy 2: 22).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will run away from ______________ and _____________ (evil desires that I

have). I will run toward right living, faith, love and peace.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, show me other youthful lusts I should run away from. Make me

hungry for righteousness. Instead of a goal like having a girlfriend/boyfriend,

being a sports star, or having a lot of fabulous clothes, give me the desire to

increase my faith, to grow in love and to receive your peace.

MAKE NEW GOALS:

Ask God to give you one specific way to accomplish each of the following

objectives. Write it down and prayerfully seek to put it into practice.

1. Flee youthful lusts ___________________.

2. Pursue righteousness _________________.

3. Abound in love ____________________.

4. Receive more peace __________________.

_______________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 28

“THE DECLINE AND FALL OF

PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY”

Joel was into being “Mr. Success.” Ever since he could remember, he was

taught, “Give it all you’ve got and be the best.” When he pitched a good game in

Little League, he had loved hearing his dad say, “That’s my boy!” If he got straight

A’s (which was most of the time), his mother would comment, “I've always wanted

a son who excelled in academics, and you are my dream come true.” To Joel,

acceptance only came from achievement. He knew how to play the game and he

played it well.

His senior year brought him a Merit Scholarship, he was voted “best all

around,” and he was chosen captain of the baseball team and president of the youth

league at church. His parents were proud. His girlfriend, Nicole, adored him. And he

felt that God was pleased because he read his Bible every day and lived a good clean

Christian life.

But in March everything started going wrong. A broken leg on his last ski trip

wiped out his baseball season and his dream of leading the team to the state

championship. His father’s cancer surgery worried him so much that he couldn’t

concentrate and his grades started to slip. Nicole started dating Dave. Now that Joel

couldn’t perform the way he used to, he felt rejected by everyone. All of a sudden he

felt helpless.

Slowly and painfully, Joel learned some important lessons. He had never

really depended on Jesus to live the Christian life through him. He had done all the

right things, but he had done them in his own strength. Now he had to depend on

Jesus to keep some flaky freshman from knocking his crutches out from under him

and sending him down the steps. He had to trust Jesus to take care of his father so he

could concentrate on chapter eighteen in Physics. And he had to literally think about

Jesus just to keep from falling apart when he passed Nicole and Dave in the hall on

the way to English class.

Then Joel got his first C on a big test. He began to feel inferior to Dave.

Watching the baseball game was pure agony. “Mr. Success” had vanished. Now Joel

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was struggling to keep his head above water. During this time, Joel took special

notice of a verse he read in his Bible:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of

the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:

17).

It struck him that there was no mention of doing everything right, or being the

best. God’s criteria were that he act in the name of Jesus through the power of the

Holy Spirit for the glory of God. In other words, the Lord grades on motives, not

performance.

Then he realized that getting a C while depending fully on Jesus, and giving

the thanks to God, was better than getting an A through his own efforts. Watching

the game with his mind on Jesus was obeying Him, while secretly taking all the

credit for a grand slam homerun was disobeying Him. Being acceptable to Jesus was

the thing that mattered, not being Nicole’s dreamboat.

Joel had fallen for one of the devil’s most subtle temptations – doing the right

things with the wrong motives, sometimes called “walking in the flesh.” He had

been so busy succeeding that he had no time to depend on God – until he had to.

If you don’t want to be part of this “decline and fall of practically everybody”

scenario, ask God to show you where you are depending only on your own strength.

Consciously ask Jesus to live through you as you do homework and eat pizza and

watch television. Those who listen to God's still small voice don’t have to be hit over

the head with a ton of bricks.

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__________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what

that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their

minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8: 5).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If I am “walking in the flesh,” my mind is on me – my pride, my reputation,

my convenience, and my control of the situation. If I am walking according to

the Spirit, I am thinking about how to let the Holy Spirit live through me and

how to give glory to God.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, keep me from setting my own goals, making my own decisions,

and having my own way. Instead, help me always to be conscious of

permitting the Holy Spirit to live through me. Keep my mind on you. Right

now I want you to live through me as I ____________ (complete this

important task).

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Write this verse on a card to take with you today. (Romans 8: 5) Whenever

you have a free moment, meditate on this verse. Go to sleep with its message

on your mind.

_______________________________________________________________________

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SELF-EXAMINATION

1. If I really died to sin, why do I have so much trouble with temptation?

____a. It works for others but not for me.

____b. The devil did such a good job of chaining me before I became a

Christian that my mind and emotions still don’t think I can get free.

____c. I don’t try hard enough.

____d. I am fighting without the facts: Jesus set me free and the devil can’t

enslave me anymore.

2. Which things are involved in “considering yourself dead to sin”?

____a. Waiting until I feel “dead to sin.”

____b. Accepting it as a fact, because the Bible says it is true.

____c. Living as if I am “dead to sin.”

____d. Trying to understand it all with my mind.

3. Personalize Romans 6: 11. “In the same way _______________________

counts himself/herself dead to _____________ and _____________ but alive

to God in Christ Jesus.”

4. What lies do you live by? (Principles you have been taught that don’t line up

with God's Word.) ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

5. What is the devil’s strategy? D ___________ and D _______________.

6. What is an idol? ____________________________

a. Is there any idol in your heart? ____________________

b. What is it? ________________________

7. God can't deliver me from evil if:

____a. I am still a baby Christian.

____b. I don’t have devotions in the morning.

____c. If deep down in my heart I have the kind of pride that insists on being

the big hero.

____d. If I don’t know the Bible from cover to cover.

8. Pray and ask God what you need to do to build self-discipline into your life.

Write these things down. _________________ __________________

_____________________

9. What is the best way of handling the sexual temptation and other temptations

of the flesh? _________________________

10. The Lord grades on motives, not on _____________________.

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ANSWERS:

1. b, d

2. b, c

3. Personal

4. Personal

5. Death and Destruction

6. Something that becomes more important to you than God. Personal.

7. c

8. Personal

9. Avoid the danger zone and if caught off guard, start running.

10. Performance.

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PART FOUR

“HOLD THAT LINE”

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CHAPTER 29

“DEANNA’S DILEMMA”

Deanna, a high school senior, was completely swept off her feet by Scott, a

handsome Texan who came to study pharmacy at the University of Michigan. He

was part of a Christian band, and he owned an impressive library of Christian books.

Deanna soon learned that some of his ideas were unconventional, but he was

so persuasive that she couldn’t resist his line of reasoning. When her father raised

some doubts about Scott’s integrity, she flew to his defense. “Well, he is a much

better Christian than the guys that I grew up with at our church.”

One day, Scott explained to her that he believed marriage was just a formality.

After all, he said, Isaac just brought Rebekah to his tent and they started “living

together.” He thought that a marriage license was just a piece of paper and that “true

marriage” was an attitude of the heart.

Then he declared his undying love for Deanna, and gave her a tour of the

luxury apartment he had just rented. “I looked until I found the perfect place for

you,” he cooed, “and I’m inviting you to move in with me.”

Deanna had never thought of things that way before, but Scott’s argument

seemed so sophisticated and logical. Her heart clouded with doubt. Maybe the things

she had always been taught were wrong.

Deanna spent a sleepless night pondering every angle. Her mind became a fog

of confusion and questions. The next morning, Heather, the pastor’s daughter,

stopped by to pick Deanna up for school. She noticed that Deanna looked troubled,

and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Well,” Deanna replied, “I might as well be honest. Is it really wrong to live

together without being married? Scott says that Isaac and Rebekah did it.”

“First off,” Heather answered, “you’ve got to remember that doubt is the

devil’s introduction to temptation. If he can get you to doubt God's Word, the rest of

his job is easy. No matter what the issue is, you have to decide that God's Word is

true and that every argument contrary to the Bible is false.”

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But what about Scott’s argument? What does the Bible say about marriage?

It’s important to understand that marriage laws in the nomadic tribes of which

Isaac and Rebekah were a part consisted of an arrangement made between the

parents of the man and woman. Modern marriage laws are different. God doesn’t

look at a marriage license as just a piece of paper, because Proverbs 28: 9 tells us, “If

anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.”

The Old Testament also establishes some very important principles. “If a man

seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay

the bride-price, and she shall be his wife” (Exodus 22: 16). The formality of

marriage is very important to God, as reflected in the laws of Moses.

Deuteronomy 22 refers to any woman who has sex before marriage as a

prostitute. In 1 Corinthians 6: 15-16, 18, Paul instructs us: “Do you not know that

your bodies are members of Christ Himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ

and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites

himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will

become one flesh.’ … Flee from sexual immorality.”

There is something you can learn from Deanna’s dilemma. When doubts

come, dig into the Scriptures for your answers instead of letting human reasoning

take over. God's Word is the guide you need.

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death”

(Proverbs 14: 12).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

What seems okay to me could be very dangerous to me spiritually. I need to

check out everything with the Word of God.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, keep me from thinking I’m so smart and that my ideas are the

greatest. Help me to realize that anything that isn’t in line with your Word

could cause me great harm.

PLAN WITH GOD:

Put your philosophy of life down on paper. Make it detailed and include the

plans and goals you have for your life. (Be honest. Don’t write something to

make yourself look good.) Then ask your pastor or a trusted Christian friend

to examine your ideas in the light of God's Word. Ask for specific verses to

correct your wrong ideas.

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CHAPTER 30

“SEND THE DEVIL’S PACKAGES

BACK WITHOUT OPENING

THEM”

Brent had only been a Christian for two weeks, and he was really excited

about his new life in Jesus. When he found out that a group of young people planned

to go beach witnessing on Saturday, he found a replacement at work so he could go

along. After a short orientation, he teamed up with Keith, who had been a Christian

for a long time.

At the beach, they approached a couple of guys. Keith smoothly opened a

casual conversation, leading it around to spiritual things. He then asked Brent to give

his testimony. Brent explained how Jesus had given him power to quit taking drugs,

to stop skipping school, and to break off an immoral relationship with his girlfriend.

The guys listened intently, and then Keith went on to explain the gospel. One of the

guys decided to give his life to Jesus, and promised to come to Bible study on

Tuesday night.

Brent felt elated. And as he and Keith walked along, he thought how great it

was to be part of God's team, doing work that would last for all eternity!

But at that very moment he saw a very shapely lady in a bikini. A flood of

lustful thoughts rushed into his mind. Immediately, he was attacked by accusations:

“See, you are no different than before. You will never last as a Christian. The

terrible thoughts you just had prove that you're unacceptable to God.”

Keith noticed his silence and the pained expression on his face. “What’s the

matter?”

“I think that I am too sinful to keep witnessing,” Brent replied. “I better just

go home.”

“What gave you that idea?” Keith asked in surprise.

“Did you see that blond in the green bikini? Well, the thoughts I had after

passing her were definitely X-rated.”

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“Brent,” Keith explained, “I saw her, too. And the devil dropped a pretty

terrible idea into my head. But I've learned not to accept the thoughts he gives me. I

turned my head immediately and started looking at the sailboats. I also said under

my breath, “Devil I reject your thought. I am going to keep my mind on Jesus. This

is possible because I can do everything through him who gives me the strength”

(Philippians 4: 13).

“You see, Christians are still tempted, and temptation is not sin. Even Jesus

was tempted. The devil suggested that he jump off of the highest point of the temple

and commit suicide. Jesus didn’t give the idea a second thought. He quoted Scripture

to the devil. So the thought that the devil gives you isn’t sin – if you kick it out right

away.”

“I’m sure glad you clued me in,” Brent thanked him. “I had the impression

that I would never get any lustful thoughts again. But now I know that when I get

mail from the devil, I can send back the packages unopened.”

Luther tells this story. When a young man asked how to rid himself of evil

thoughts, an old man gave him this advice. “Dear brother, you cannot prevent the

birds from flying over your head, but you can certainly keep them from building a

nest in your hair.” *

*American Edition A.E. “Devotional Writings,” Luther’s Works, vol. 42, ed. By Martin O. Dietrich; gen. ed. Helmut

Lehman, trans. Martin H. Bertram (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969).

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_____________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those

who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2: 18).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

Since Jesus was tempted, I also can expect to encounter temptation. Because

Jesus suffered through temptations, He knows how I feel when trials hit me.

He was always victorious, and He can help me.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thanks for sending Jesus to earth to suffer temptation. Thank you

for understanding my problem with _________. Thank you for helping me to

meditate on Scripture.

PROJECT ENCOURAGEMENT:

Copy Hebrews 2: 18 on a card. Keep a record of the number of times you are

able to read it over and think about it this week. And trust Jesus to help you

with your next temptation.

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CHAPTER 31

“HOW IS TEMPTATION LIKE A

VACUUM CLEANER SALESMAN?”

Ashley often wished that her parents weren’t so strict. Living under the same

“eighteenth-century regulations” her parents had laid down for her brothers and

sisters (who were much older than she) seemed too confining.

One of these rules was that she couldn’t date until she was sixteen. Although

she knew that God had commanded her to honor her father and mother, resentment

boiled inside.

Chad was a tall blond who had recently moved to Indianapolis from North

Dakota. He sat next to her in the trumpet section. He was friendly, studious, and

athletic – plus he was a senior and he drove a sports car! She had had a crush on him

since September.

Then Chad invited her out for dinner. Even though her conscience begged

with her to explain that she couldn’t date him until August when she would turn

sixteen, she said she would love to go.

She carefully planned her strategy: She would stay overnight with Kim, so her

parents wouldn’t find out about the date. Then she realized that Kim’s parents might

guess what she was up to, so she would really have to ask Chad to pick her up at

Kathy’s house. Something whispered, You're not going to get out of this one without

telling a few lies. But she reasoned that if her parents weren’t so old-fashioned she

wouldn’t be forced to go to such extremes.

There were a lot of details to be worked out. She had to bring her clothes for

Friday’s date to school piece by piece and send them home with Kathy. That way

she could leave the house at 4:30, wearing blue jeans and carrying a small overnight

case, which would arouse no suspicion. She asked Kim to not answer her phone, so

her mother couldn’t possibly call. Carefully, she concocted an alibi to tell Chad.

Another little voice informed her that this was her last chance to escape with her

honesty intact – but she refused to listen.

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At 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Ashley looked her best. One last five-second warning

advised her to back out. But she had gone too far to even think of it. Then Chad

knocked at the door of Kathy’s house, and they were off to the hottest new restaurant

in town. There were people lined up out the door, even to the sidewalk. After an

hour of pleasant conversation and joking, they were seated at a nice candlelit table –

right next to Ashley’s parents!

Maybe you don’t like stories that have a “you-may-be-sure-that-your-sin-will-

find-you-out” kind of plot. But these words are from the Bible, and in real life the

narrative always ends like that. If you want to avoid producing your own

autobiography with similar episodes, you must learn the truth of 1 Corinthians 10:

13: “But when you are tempted, he (God) will also provide a way out so that you can

stand up under it.”

Larry Christenson has observed that most spiritual battles are won or lost at

the threshold of the mind. That is because the easiest time to say no to temptation is

before you have had any time to mull things over and rationalize your way into

wrongdoing.

A fairly comfortable escape route was offered to Ashley when Chad first

asked her out. Explaining the truth to him would have been relatively simple. The

thought that she could make arrangements to stay overnight with Kim and have

Chad pick her up at Kathy’s offered another exit – a little harder to enter, but not that

difficult. An alarm went off before she lied to Chad. Getting out of the situation, by

then, required more humility and a loss of face, but it wasn’t impossible. However,

by the time Chad knocked on the door, the temptation to sneak out without her

parents’ permission was almost totally irresistible.

Anabel Gilham sums it up this way: “All sin is made up of component parts.”

And temptation is like a vacuum cleaner salesman – the sooner you say no,

the better. It is a lot easier to meet temptation at the door and say no than to kick it

out once it has gotten inside your mind.

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is

faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when

you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under

it” (1 Corinthians 10: 13).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I don’t face any temptations that other people don’t have. God promises that I

will never face any temptation too hard for me to overcome. When I meet

temptation, he will show me the escape route so I can be victorious.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that ___________________ (present temptation) is

nothing so unusual. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you that, with you

living through me, I can stand the pressure. Show me the exit you have

prepared for me.

MAP OUT ESCAPE ROUTES:

What are your three most frequent temptations? List the exit signs you usually

pass before committing sin. (e.g., (a) I could kick out the bad thoughts I have

about my brother, but instead I entertain them; (b) I could give my rights to

Jesus, but instead I insist on them; (c) I could control my tongue, but instead I

insult my brother.)

_______________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 32

“NEON LIGHTS, FIREWORKS,

AND VISIONS OF ANGELS”

Chris listened solemnly as his father passed sentence: “Give me the car keys

and I’ll keep them for a whole month. That will teach you never to lie to me about

where you are going. Your mother and I have the responsibility to keep track of you

and help you stay out of trouble.”

Those last words touched off a seething resentment within Chris. He saw

flashing red lights against the orange and yellow swirls on the den’s wallpaper. The

words read, “Honor your father and your mother.” But Christopher decided that

those orders were for little kids – and so he spouted off to his dad.

“I’m old enough to look out for myself. I'm the only guy in the junior class

who has to face the ‘Family Bureau of Investigation’ every time I leave the house. I

may just run away from home!”

In and instant, he was transferred to the locker room at school. Comments

were getting more and more off-color. He remembered a dirty joke that was really

very funny. This time he saw the neon lights silhouetted against the row of gray

lockers. Their message flashed: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or

coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5: 4). But

he really didn’t want the guys to think he was from Nerdsville, so he told the joke

and enjoyed being the center of attention for two whole minutes.

Next, he found himself in a social studies class. “How many of you really

believe that God wrote the Bible?” sneered the teacher. Now the neon lights lit up

the blackboard with these words: “If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we

disown him, he will also disown us” (2 Timothy 2: 12). But no one else raised a

hand, so he gave silent assent as the teacher declared, “See, nobody believes such

nonsense anymore.”

At that moment, Chris woke up. His clock told him that it was 9:00 a.m., and

the blaring TV in the next room assured him that his little brother was watching

Saturday cartoons. He puzzled over his strange dream, and half-expected to see neon

lights in the bathroom mirror when he got up.

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The next morning, Sunday, was just like all the others he had known – no

nightmare to contemplate, a family breakfast of bacon and eggs and the usual rush to

accomplish the sometimes difficult feat of getting four children and two parents

properly outfitted, with Bibles tucked under their arms and all aboard for the fifteen-

minute drive to church.

The pastor announced that his sermon topic was, “The Five Seconds That

Decide the Difference Between Victory and Defeat.” Christopher made up his mind

to listen.

The pastor pointed out that the ancient Israelites could have been winners.

“There were no temptations that could have overcome the children of God had they

used the Word of God which they had at the time. * It is the five seconds in which

you decide whether or not to obey the Word of God that you already know that

spells victory or defeat.”

The pastor continued, “I don’t counsel many people who have gotten into

trouble because they were ignorant of the difference between right and wrong.

Falling into sin is a result of deciding to do your own thing instead of obeying the

principles found in the Bible.”

Chris reflected back on his dream. He realized that real life wasn’t any

different – except for the neon lights. He always had the same choice: obeying God's

Word (whether or not he felt like it, even when the price of obedience was high, and

in spite of the fact that he really thought he had a better idea), or falling into

temptation. Chris began praying, “Lord, I want following your Word to become so

automatic to me that it won’t even take me five seconds to decide to obey you. The

neon lights were nice, but having your Word hidden in my heart will work even

better.” He stopped his prayer in time to hear the pastor say, to his astonishment,

“And you really don’t need neon lights, fireworks, or voices of angels to stop you

from sinning. God's Word alone will do the job – if you decide to obey it.”

*Hugh Smith, Overcoming Temptation, p. 4.

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____________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Blessed are they who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart. They

do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Psalms 119: 2-3).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

God will bless me if I keep all His commands and go after Him with my

whole heart.

Then He will keep me from doing anything wrong and from straying from His

path.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to follow all the rules you’ve put in the Bible. I want you

more than anything else in the world. You have said that if I do, these two

things will keep me from doing anything wrong. It seems too simple, Lord,

but I believe you.

GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT:

Make a list of temptations you keep falling for. With a concordance, or with

the help of a friend who knows the Bible well, find scriptures that will enable

you to obey your way to freedom. Meditate on these verses often.

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CHAPTER 33

“DON’T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR

POWER PILLS”

Rick was browsing in a bookstore, waiting for his mother to finish all her

shopping. A thick, black paperback caught his eye: The Truth About Witchcraft:

Scientific and Case Histories Prove Its Validity. Curious, Rick picked up the book

and started to leaf through it. He remembered his pastor’s words, “The occult is

nothing to play around with. Stay as far away from it as possible.”

But, an inner voice reasoned, a Christian should know what he’s up against.

Besides, this is a scientific study, not a book on black magic. Then a headline caught

his eye, “Witch doctor in Africa kills 1000 people with voodoo.” “Modern

Massachusetts Witch Tried for Murder” looked just as intriguing.

Before he knew it, Rick had shelled out $15.95 and had stuffed his new

purchase into the bag with the jacket he had bought. By the time his mother

appeared, her arms full of bundles, Rick was innocently scanning through the most

recent issue of “Sports Illustrated.”

Because it was summer and he only had a part-time job, Rick had a lot of time

on his hands. The book on witchcraft was so interesting and so captivating that he

read it from cover to cover and even bought the sequel.

One night he had a dream – about witches and demons, in which he was the

victim – his own personal horror movie. In fact, he woke up trembling. He

remembered the teaching he had received: “You have authority over the devil. You

tell him to leave in the name of Jesus and he must run.”

Rick said it out loud. “Devil, I am a King’s kid. You can't touch me. Get out

of here.” But nothing happened.

Night after night the terrible dreams continued. Finally, he went to see his

pastor.

“I just can't understand it,” Rick began. “I’ve been having satanic nightmares.

I have all my notes from the seminar on how to defeat the devil. But when I rebuke

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Satan, it doesn’t even help.”

“Rick, may I ask you a question?” the pastor pressed. “Have you done

anything to open the door for these demonic dreams?

Finally, Rick confessed that he was still reading the occult books.

His pastor then shared with him a very important truth. “Every bit of authority

that you have over the devil comes from Jesus, and it depends on you being under

the Lordship of Christ. The military policeman who disobeys his superiors and ends

up in prison no longer has the right to give orders. In the same way, your

disobedience to Jesus short-circuits your power system. You can't read occult books

and then turn around and claim authority over demonic interference in your life. It’s

like locking the front door to keep the devil out, while leaving the back door wide

open! Repent of this sin,” the Pastor urged. “Tear up your occult books and burn

them. Then you can take authority over the devil. In the name of Jesus and by the

power of His blood you can really kick the devil and his demons out of your room.”

Remember that you will be unable to exercise Jesus’ power if you put up

questionable pictures on your Facebook page, or surf for porn on the web, or buy

books that Jesus wouldn’t approve of. On the plus side, each act of obedience to

Jesus is like taking a power pill. Every time you obey, it enables you to exercise the

authority Christ won for you when He died on the cross and rose again!

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__________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will

love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’”

(John 14: 23).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If I love Jesus I will obey Him even in _______________ (something difficult

for you to do). By my obedience I make room for Jesus to live inside me and

experience His power through me.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, I do love you so I will obey you. I don’t understand it all, but I

know my obedience makes is possible for you and Jesus to live in me and

through me. That is the kind of life I want.

OPERATION OBEDIENCE:

1. Make a list of all the advantages of obeying God. (Jeremiah 7: 23, Exodus

15: 26, Deuteronomy 28: 1-14, Joshua 1: 7 might help.”)

2. Write down areas in which you find it difficult to obey. Affirm your

decision to follow God. If you can, place an appropriate Bible verse after each

one. (E.g. I will not talk back to my mother. “Honor your father and your

mother” (Exodus 20: 12).

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CHAPTER 34

“IMITATE THE INVENTOR OF

I-HAVE-OVERCOME-THE-WORLD

FAITH”

Libby popped a load of clothes into the dryer and closed the door. Listless and

discouraged, she stood staring at the turmoil going on inside. Swirls of color flipped

and turned. Somehow she felt just like her red blouse – helpless in the mix, agitated

to and fro by forces beyond her control, a prisoner with no chance of escape.

Problems, trials, temptations, spiritual growing pains, opportunities for

exercising more faith – whatever term you preferred, she had them all. With her

older brother on drugs and her parents continually arguing, her home was anything

but a refuge. Libby’s school was in a tough neighborhood, and kids like herself who

tried to do what was right faced harassment from gangs and ridicule from

classmates. Because her church seemed to be splitting, one could feel the tension

even during services. Besides all this, she had had a disagreement with her best

friend, Meagan.

That was why Libby felt like the red blouse in the clothes dryer – but she had

no assurance that it would all be over at the end of a half-hour cycle.

Tearfully, she agonized. “If only there were some way out.”

Absent-mindedly, Libby went into her room and sat down on the bed. On her

dresser, she saw the Bible verse poster that one of her Sunday school children had

made for her. It read: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our

faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat

down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such

opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”

(Hebrews 12: 2-3).

She thought about Jesus. His life was no picnic. Even His own brothers

refused to believe in Him. Peter was a smart-aleck, James and John were hotheads,

and Judas was a thief as well as a traitor – not to mention the Pharisees, Sadducees,

and lawyers He had to deal with. But His secret was that He never lost faith in the

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Father and His plans. He knew that God had everything under control and believed

that the future God had designed for Him was worth it all.

Jesus holds the patent on the kind of faith that enables each one of us who is

encased in a human body to live victoriously among hypocrites, heretics, halfhearted

Christians, hatred, and heartbreak. His faith is worth imitating. His life merits

consideration. He is the perfecter of our faith.

Libby realized that she was concentrating on her problems instead of focusing

on Jesus and hanging on to her faith in His Word.

A passage she found in 1st Timothy clarified her course of action: “You may

fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected

these and so have shipwrecked their faith” (1 Timothy 1: 18-19). She knew that the

only person who perfectly fought that good fight of faith was Jesus.

She would follow His example and triumph in the end! She would stop

listening to the devil’s lying voice (“Look, the people in your church don’t practice

what they preach, and neither do your parents. Things are utterly hopeless. You

might as well give up”). She would stick with Jesus. Others could shipwreck their

faith, but she didn’t have to join them.

Jesus would show her how to be victorious in her home situation. Jesus would

go to school with her every day. She would look at Jesus – not at those who didn’t

practice what they preached. With her eyes on Jesus she could apologize to Meagan.

She determined to imitate the inventor of I-have-overcome-the-world faith.

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Consider him (Jesus) who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that

you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12: 13).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will think about Jesus and imitate the way He handled worldly pressures. If

He had to face ___________ (problem you’re encountering), I think He would

_____________ (action you feel Jesus would take in your situation). Then I

won’t get tired of resisting evil and feel like giving up.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, I will let Jesus be my only example, then it won’t throw me when

“spiritual giant” Christians fail. Show me how to hang in there the way Jesus

did. Keep me from getting worn out and discouraged.

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE:

Reread the verse from Hebrews at every opportunity and let it soak into your

spirit. Spend time considering the life of Jesus, and determine to follow Him.

Fall asleep repeating the verse to yourself.

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CHAPTER 35

“DO YOU HIDE EXPLOSIVES IN

THE CLOSET OF YOUR HEART?”

Casey had to admit that sixth-hour social studies class had been interesting.

After a heated formal debate about gay marriage, their teacher – whose unusual

dress and effeminate manner had already aroused student rumors – launched into a

passionate lecture.

“Some people,” he declared, “are born homosexuals. Because they are a

minority, they have been denied the right to express themselves fully. Americans

accept people with black skin, with slanted eyes, and with handicaps, but

homosexuals are still discriminated against in this democratic country! It is no sin to

be what you are. A person cannot change something he was born with.”

As Casey listened, a thought had gripped him. That man was talking from

experience; he must be right. And Casey feared that he himself was one of those

guys who was “born gay.”

Because he was an extremely talented artist and didn’t care for sports, he had

always been rejected by the jocks. Even others noticed that he was different and his

sixth-grade classmates had called him “queer”. Deep down inside he felt more

attracted to some guys than he did to girls. He remembered hearing that sodomy was

the worst of sins. A voice seemed to be telling him, Casey, you might as well stop

being a Christian. You are already condemned. It isn’t fair, but you were born a

homosexual and there is no hope for you. You will never be fulfilled unless you

follow a gay lifestyle.

For months his mind was in turmoil.

Finally, Greg, his compassionate Sunday school teacher noticed his troubled

face. After class one day, he said gently, “I can tell that something has been

bothering you lately. I would like to talk to you about it. Maybe I can help.”

Reluctantly, Casey agreed. It took him a full twenty minutes to come to the

point, but finally he blurted out, “I guess I was born gay.” Greg didn’t even look

shocked. He simply said, “That is a lie that the devil gives to a lot of guys. I have a

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friend who was caught up in a homosexual lifestyle before he became a Christian.

Because he has decided to believe what God says about him and obey Jesus, he has

changed drastically. He is not the same guy that he was five years ago.”

A week later, Greg and his friend Al came by for Casey, and they had a good

talk. Al explained a lot of things.

“First of all,” Al stated, “God didn’t create any homosexuals. The Bible’s

definition of homosexuality is this: ‘Men also abandoned natural relations with

women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts

with other men and received in themselves the due penalty of their perversions’

(Romans 1: 27). God's love plus the pure, healthy love of other Christian men can

fill the void in your life that right now makes you long for a wrong relationship with

some other guy.

“Although a homosexual act is sin, the temptation is not,” Al emphasized.

“People are tempted to do all kinds of other things, like destroy their bodies with

drugs, abuse children, engage in daredevil exploits in order to show off, or commit

suicide. I might be tempted to jump from the Empire State Building, but I don’t have

to do it – and I don’t have to consider myself suicidal just because the devil placed

that thought in my head. You don’t have to call yourself homosexual, because of the

temptation, either!”

Casey met with Greg and Al every week. They had Bible studies and fun

times together. Casey actually began to believe that his problem wasn’t too big for

God. His awful fear began to leave. But he hated to think of what might have

happened if he had never confided in anyone.

So many sins could have been avoided if people, like Casey, had shared their

temptations and fears with a mature Christian. Ask God to give you someone in

whom you can confide. It is better not to hide any explosives in the closet of your

heart.

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_____________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”

(Galatians 6: 2).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will be willing to help other Christians with their problems and, in turn,

share my burdens with them. Christ didn’t intend that I, or any other believer,

should go it alone.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, give me wisdom and patience to help ______________ with his /

her present problems. Show me a mature Christian with whom I can share my

problem of ____________ (strongest temptation). I want to fulfill your law of

love.

CURE THAT LONE-RANGER SYNDROME:

Pray every day for a week, asking God to give you a mature Christian friend

(of your gender), with whom you can share your problems. Then ask that

person if you can meet every two weeks, or every month to share and pray.

This is one of the best ways to keep temptations from growing into sins.

_______________________________________________________________

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SELF-EXAMINATION

1. _____________________ is the devil’s introduction to temptation.

2. Temptation is a sin. T ____ F ____

3. The devil can put terrible thoughts into your mind, but if you reject them at once

you have not sinned.

T ____ F ____

4. How is temptation like a vacuum cleaner salesman? _______________________

____________________________________________________

5. You always have a choice: _______________ or falling into temptation.

6. You lose your authority over the devil;

a. If you are disobedient to Jesus, the source of your authority.

b. If you don’t talk to him in a loud voice.

c. If you forgot to pray that morning.

d. If you didn’t use exactly the right words.

7. Are there areas of disobedience in your life that are short-circuiting the power

you should exercise over Satan?

What are they? ________________________________

What are you going to do about them? ________________________________

8. Instead of looking at the hypocrites and halfhearted Christians around you, what

should you do? ________________________________________

9. Do you have a problem you should share with a mature Christian?

What is it? ___________________________________

10. What are the only two weapons the devil has? ________________ and ______

______________.

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ANSWERS:

1. Doubt that God's Word is true.

2. F

3. T

4. It’s a lot easier to meet it at the door and say “no” than to kick it out of your

mind.

5. Obeying the Word of God you have at the moment.

6. A

7. Personal

8. Admire and imitate Jesus.

9. Personal

10. Deception and manipulation.

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PART FIVE

“PUSH ‘EM BACK, PUSH

‘EM BACK, WAY BACK”

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CHAPTER 36

“THE TEMPTATION THAT DIDN’T

MAKE IT TO FIRST BASE”

Jessica hurriedly wiped off the tables and counters in the restaurant where she

worked. She said goodnight to Bob, owner of Bob’s Café and longtime family

friend. She ran to her mother’s car and zipped over to the bank’s drive-in teller to

deposit some cash in her savings account.

It was two minutes to nine. She had made it just before closing time.

The transaction completed, she put the car in gear and was about to drive off

when she noticed something shiny on the ground. She got out of the car and picked

up a small sequined purse. Opening it, she gasped with surprise as she counted the

roll if bills. In her hand was $3,500!

Jessica’s first thought was to bring the purse to the bank the next day, so that

the person who lost it could recover their money. Instantly, the devil came up with a

lot of other ideas – but to Jessica, anything other than strict honesty in money

matters was unthinkable. She knew God saw her every action. She loved Him and

wanted to please Him.

When she brought the money into the bank at 9:30 a.m., an older lady was

there to meet her. She thrust a crisp one hundred dollar bill in her hands and

exclaimed, “It is so nice to know that there are still some honest people left in the

world!”

The reason that Jessica’s temptation didn’t even make it to first base was that

she really had no desire for money that wasn’t rightfully hers.

Jesus never once fell for any temptation because His only desire was to obey

God in every area of life. He put it this way: “The prince of this world (the devil) is

coming. He has no hold on me” (John 14: 30). Jesus had no discontentment in His

life. He harbored no bitterness. He had no inclination to trade righteousness for

attention or apparent security. Satan just couldn’t get in anywhere.

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James 1: 14 expresses it like this: “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil

desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” One very important way to prepare for your

temptation test is to identify weak spots in your life and surrender your desires in

this area to God.

If you, un like Jessica, love to spend money and just have to have the best

clothes and the newest gadgets, you are leaving a door open to Satan. When

opportunities arise to steal or shoplift, you could be convinced that having things is

more important than honesty. If you resent your brilliant older brother, temptations

to make fun of him or to get back at him will find fertile ground. If you want to get

married more than you want to follow Jesus, you lay yourself wide open to falling

into a lot of traps.

Check over your desires and decide to line them up with God's Word –

regardless of your screaming emotions and mental excuses. When wayward wishes

are brought under control, passing a temptation test is the easiest thing in the world.

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will

of him who sent me” (John 6: 38).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

If Jesus came down from heaven only to do the will of the Father, who do I

think I am doing my own will? If I decide that I am here to do God's will, not

mine, I can shut the door on a lot of temptations.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

(Warning: This prayer may be dangerous – unless of course, you really

mean it.) Dear God, right now I’m deciding that I am here to do your will, not

mine. I know ___________ (something hard) is your will, and I’ll do it with

your help.

IDENTIFY YOUR DANGEROUS DESIRES:

First, make a list of everything you would like to have (e.g., a good-looking

boyfriend/girlfriend, Calvin Klein jeans, an A in physics, a shorter nose, etc.).

Then circle those wants that could easily get out of hand and become more

important to you than doing God's will. Find scripture (or get help to do so)

that you can memorize to help keep those desires in line. (e.g., shorter nose;

“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to

him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9: 20).)

________________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 37

“DON’T BE HOGGISH! - UNLESS

WHAT YOU WANT IS MORE OF

JESUS”

Danny attended a “Winter-tainment” weekend with his friend Paul – and what

a blast he had! After a day of skiing, skating, and tobogganing, 300 teenagers packed

into a gymnasium for an evening rally. There was some enthusiastic singing,

followed by a dynamic speaker who challenged everyone to make a commitment to

Christ.

Danny sensed a deep conviction in his heart and responded to the invitation.

The speaker gave each of them a New Testament – and some words of advice. One

thing especially stuck in Danny’s mind: “Find yourself a good church, where there

are Bible studies and where people believe and follow the Word of God.”

Since Danny had never gone to church in his life, he didn’t know where to

start. He went to church with his friend Paul for a little while.

One Sunday evening, the pastor asked for “testimonies.” A man got up and

proclaimed, “I accepted Jesus as my Savior fifty years ago, and I have never been

sorry.” A younger lady shared, “I rededicated my life to Jesus on July 6, and I have

been walking with the Lord ever since.” After hearing a couple of others, Danny

assumed that a “testimony” was declaring publicly something God had done for a

person years ago.

When Nick invited Danny to his church, he discovered a different type of

testimony. The pastor had asked, “What has Jesus done for you this week?” A 15-

year-old girl explained, “I prayed for money to go on the youth retreat. Yesterday I

received a fifty dollar check in the mail from my aunt in California.” A man stood to

his feet: “You don’t just dedicate your life to Jesus once – you do it over and over

again. This week I was asked to do something dishonest at work. I chose to obey

God and risk losing my job. I carefully explained to my boss why I couldn’t fulfill

his orders. At first he threatened to fire me, but then the president found out about it

and gave me my boss’s job!”

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Danny noticed that these people lived as though they could never get enough

of God. They didn’t just dwell on something He had done in the past. They were

much more interested in what God was going to do today. It was like they wanted to

receive more and more of Jesus’ life. Danny decided that he, too, wanted to live like

that.

One of the most effective ways to defeat Satan in your life is to be constantly

expecting and receiving more of the supernatural life of Jesus. At all cost, avoid the

“saved, sanctified, and petrified” syndrome! “Because of the Lord’s great love we

are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning”

(Lamentations 3: 22-23). But if you don’t depend on that new grace each day, you

just might feel overwhelmed.

Possibly the best definition of a Christian is the one given by the apostle Paul:

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1: 27). And probably the best formula

for victorious Christian living is that given by John the Baptist: “He must become

greater; I must become less” (John 3: 30).

If Jesus is really alive and growing in you, there is always something different

to learn, newer ways to turn your life over to Him, greater security to experience and

increasing denial of self so that Christ’s life can freely flow through you. This life of

go-for-it faith is never boring. There will be growing pains and times when your

mind cannot grasp what is going on. Even in defeats you can reach out for more of

Jesus. Unpleasant operations will be necessary to remove some “cancer” of self that

prevents the life of Jesus from increasing in you. But there will be great victories.

Becoming a Christian is a new birth, but being a Christian is letting that new

life in Jesus grow in you, knowing that you are “predestined to be conformed to the

likeness of his Son” (Romans 8: 29).

Don’t try to “arrive” spiritually. That is an ego trip reserved for deceived

people. Thank God for each special experience He has given you – but don’t live in

the past. Jesus has more of His life, more of His power, more of His love and more

of His grace just for you. Don’t be hoggish – unless what you want is more of Jesus!

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is

ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me

heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 13-14).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will make it a point not to live in the past, not even to rely on yesterday’s

mountaintop experiences with God. Instead, I go forward, expecting God to

do even greater things in the future. I will cooperate in every way I can to

fulfill the goal God has for me and to win the prize – everything God has

planned for me in heaven!

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, forgive me for being proud of ________________ (some spiritual

experience or accomplishment) and for not being willing to put

_________________(past failure) behind me. Paul forgot about yesterday and

kept running toward the goal. I better do the same. God, I promise to serve

you today, tomorrow, and the next day. Thank you that the prize for fighting

the good fight of faith is well worth the effort!

REINFORCE SOME RESOLUTIONS:

1. List your top spiritual experiences:

_______________________________________________________

Thank God for each one of them, but, resolve not to live in the past and to

continually seek more of God.

2. List some dreams you have for the future:

___________________________________________________________

PRAYER:

Dear God, I determine to let you be God. I will not live for my goals but for

the goal of obtaining more of the life of Jesus and getting to know Him better

and better.

_______________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 38

“WINNING THE WAR AGAINST

FEELINGS”

Rosa pulled the covers up over her head, and her tired body sank into the

soothing warmth of her comfy bed. It had been a hard week and she welcomed

Friday night. Because she had had to work overtime and study for three exams she

was totally exhausted.

Pondering her plans for the next day, however, gave her a special sense of

satisfaction: She would sleep in, relax, take an afternoon nap, and allow a full three

hours to get ready to go to the concert with Bill.

But at 7 a.m., Rosa heard her if-there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-new-creature-in-

Christ-you-had-better-prove-it-at-home mother yelling from the bottom of the

stairway, “Rosa, it is time to get up! Remember, you promised you would help me

clean the kitchen. Well, today is the day.”

Rosa’s body and emotions rebelled. After such a tough week, she deserved a

rest. Couldn’t her mother show any consideration? She knew that Rosa had wanted

to go out with Bill for a whole year and that tonight’s date was very special. It just

wasn’t fair.

Besides, when her mother cleaned the kitchen it took all day.

Rosa wanted so much to scream, “No, I won't! Let me sleep. You are not

being reasonable. I promised to clean the kitchen, but not today.” But she

remembered her pastor’s words: “If the devil can entice you to live according to

your feelings, instead of by the part of God's Word that applies to your situation, he

will win and you will lose.”

Rosa knew what God's Word to her was at that moment. She had just

memorized Philippians 2: 14: “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” She

knew she couldn’t pamper her tired body instead of obeying Jesus. And she couldn’t

put Bill before God.

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In order to lay down the law to her body and emotions, she said it out loud: “I

will obey God's Word and forget about my feelings.”

When her mother’s second call came – complete with turned-up volume and

angry words – Rosa answered like a champion who had just won, even though the

competition was fierce: “I’m getting dressed, Mom, and I’ll be right down.”

Sensing Jesus’ presence, Rosa put her heart into washing walls, scrubbing

cupboards, and scouring the stove. It took all day. When they had finished, she was

as proud of the kitchen as her mother.

Glancing at the clock, however, she panicked. It was 5:30! That gave her only

one hour to try to look her best for her evening with Bill. A “Mother-now-I-won’t-

have-time-to-get-ready-for-my-date-and-it-is-all-your-fault” almost escaped from

her lips. Again, Rosa had to choose between feelings and God's Word. She took her

stand on Scripture: “Do everything without complaining.” Instead of grumbling and

working herself into a tizzy, she prayed: “Oh Lord, help me to hurry and to look my

best!”

And God answered her prayer. By 6:27, she was completely ready. When she

answered the doorbell, Bill grinned at her, “You look great! I’ll bet you sent all

afternoon fixing your hair.”

“As a matter of fact,” Rosa replied, “I spent all day cleaning the kitchen. If

you had come an hour ago, you would have caught me in dirty blue jeans with

greasy, stringy hair and no make-up.”

“When I talked to you yesterday,” Bill remembered, “you said that you

planned to take it easy all day. What made you change your mind?”

When Rosa related the whole story, Bill confided, “I want to follow God

completely. In fact, the reason I asked you out is because I wanted to get to know a

girl with real character. It looks like I made a good choice.”

Rosa smiled – and silently prayed, “Thank you, God. Thank you for helping

me win the war against feelings.”

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”

(Psalms 119: 11).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will memorize and internalize God's Word. I will follow what God says,

instead of being driven by my feelings.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you for your Word. Show me how to think, breathe and live

your Word. Help me to avoid sin by constantly obeying your commandments.

INSTALL YOUR ANTI-SIN-LISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM:

List the recurring sins in your life. Beside each one write a verse, which if

obeyed would eliminate that wrongdoing. (If you don’t know your Bible well

enough to find the verses, get someone to help you.) Determine to digest the

verses spiritually and let them sink into your heart.

________________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 39

“GROW AWAY” THOSE

PROBLEMS THAT JUST WON'T

GO AWAY!

When her father announced that the family would spend their vacation

traveling to Denver and camping in the Rockies with the Smiths, Brooke nearly

groaned out loud. She just couldn’t share the enthusiasm of her little sister whose

only goal was to see “a real live bear.”

Brooke could only remember how awkward she had felt during the visit they

had made three years ago. The Smith’s son, Steve, was exactly her age. Because the

Smith’s had once been next-door neighbors, Steve and Brooke had practically grown

up together. When they were both eight, the Smiths had moved to Colorado.

Six years later, Steve bore no resemblance to the cute little boy who had

protected her from dogs and climbed trees to get apples so her dolls could have real

apple pie. At fourteen, he had been a short, skinny loudmouth, an unbearable tease,

and a practical joker who didn’t know when to quit.

Now, just the thought of having to spend ten days within earshot of Steve

inspired Brooke to buy ten new tunes for her iPod so she could just tune him out.

When they arrived at the Smith home, though, she saw a tall, handsome young

man with a ready smile and a courteous manner. If it hadn’t been for his red hair and

freckles, she never would have guessed it was Steve. Her heart skipped a beat, and

she decided that this just might be the best vacation she had ever had!

That night before going to bed she read a chapter from her Bible. A special

verse caught her eye: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of

imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God” (1 Peter 1: 23). She

saw something new: That imperishable seed planted in each believer, if given the

opportunity, will grow. As it grows it will replace garbage-like thoughts, weeds of

sin – even mental blocks and personality defects. The very life of God is contained

in that seed which is placed in the heart of each real Christian!

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Just as growing up a little had resolved problems for her and Steve, spiritual

growth could help her overcome some present trials and temptations. Brooke

decided to do everything possible to give herself the right atmosphere to grow as a

Christian. She knew she needed to put more and more of God's Word in her heart. If

she didn’t spend time talking to God and listening for His voice, she realized she

would never be more like Jesus.

Now, she also saw how some things she had always considered as negatives

could provide her with an atmosphere for spiritual growth. If she chose to listen to

good Christian music, it would help her become a stronger Christian. If she read

only material that would build her up, she could grow a lot faster. And she could

choose recreation that would bring her closer to Jesus.

She knew that difficulties wouldn’t just go away. She also realized if there

was sin involved, she had to repent totally before there would be any progress. She

also saw that it is possible to “grow away” from many of her problems and she

resolved to do her part.

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_________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and forever” (2 Peter 3: 18).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will grow spiritually if I put myself in a position to receive God's grace.

Right now, I rid myself of bitterness about ___________ so I can get special

kindness and mercy from God to handle this situation. I will internalize more

of God's living Word so I can get to know Jesus in a deeper way. I praise God

for His grace!

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, thank you that as I experience more of your grace and learn to

know you better, I will grow up into Christ and have even more to praise you

for.

PIN IT DOWN:

Copy 2 Peter 3: 18 on a card. Refer to it throughout the day and let its words

become a part of you. Go to sleep repeating, “To Him be glory both now and

forever.”

_______________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 40

“THE FAILURE THAT MADE

VICTORY POSSIBLE”

Gary felt even smaller and skinnier than he looked in the mirror – more

insignificant and rejected, too.

Because his father was being transferred to Texas, this was Gary’s last day at

Roosevelt High. Nobody had organized a goodbye party for him, and only a few

kids even bothered to wish him well. Dejectedly, he stuffed the few things he kept in

his locker into a big shopping bag. Everyone always cleared out quickly on Fridays

and the school was practically empty.

For some reason, Gary decided to take a final tour of the building where he

had spent three and a half years of his life. Worried thoughts kept tormenting him: If

I haven’t made any close friends here in all this time, what’s it gonna be like in

Texas? Entering the gym, he saw a letter jacket on the bleachers. Absentmindedly,

he picked it up. He noticed that it was his size and that all the medals were in track

and skiing.

Suddenly, an ingenious idea occurred to him. There was plenty of room for

the jacket in the bottom of his shopping bag. No one would notice if he walked out

with it. If he took off all the track pins he wouldn’t have to compete, and yet he

could wear it in his new school, posing as a Minnesota ski hero! Maybe then he

would gain some respect.

And so “Gary the Great” registered at Booker T. Washington High School in

Dallas, sporting a letter jacket with ski medals. On his first day, he managed to

attract quite a bit of attention. But because Pam, who sat next to him in English

class, also attended the church his parents had chosen, his lies followed him to

Sunday school class.

One day, Pam’s comments to his mother blew his cover completely. He was

totally embarrassed and ashamed. Worst of all, he had made a fool of himself in

front of Pam, the one person he most wanted to impress.

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Fortunately for Gary, his Sunday school teacher, Tom, drove over to his house

to see him the next day. “Gary,” he said reassuringly, “all of us fail. But there is a

way to turn failure into victory. The first thing you have to do is repent of your lying

and resentment against God for not giving you an athlete’s body. Admit you stole

that letter jacket. Saying, ‘I’m sorry I got caught’ just won’t do. You need to tell

God, ‘I’m guilty of lying and stealing and trying to be somebody I’m not. I hate

these terrible sins against you and I’m going to change.’ Then you can accept God's

total forgiveness. It is also important to forgive yourself, instead of dwelling on the

incident forever.”

Tom went on, “It’s your responsibility as well, to send the letter jacket back

with an apology to the boy who owns it. And in order to come clean, you must also

tell the truth to everyone you lied to, no matter how much you hate doing it. Be

ready to accept all the shame and embarrassment and any other discipline God has

for you. Remember, God only ‘spanks’ His kids because He loves them and wants

the best for them. All the pain will be worth it in the end.”

“You can learn something very important from this incident,” Tom concluded,

“and if you do, all your suffering won't be wasted. Not accepting yourself as God

made you is very dangerous, because it opens the door for all kinds of sins. Since I

went through the same thing as a teenager, I feel I can help you – and someday God

will use you help another person, too.”

Gary got the message. When he asked God to forgive him, he didn’t blame

anything or anyone else. He realized how greatly he had sinned against God by lying

and stealing. He resolved never to do such a thing again. He also asked God to

forgive him for not accepting his short, skinny body, and he thanked God for making

him the way he was – a perfect frame in which to “show off” the life of Jesus. He

accepted God's forgiveness.

When kids asked him, “Where is your letter jacket?” he told them the whole

truth. A few made fun of him. But he decided that since he had brought it on

himself, he wasn’t going to worry about it.

With Tom’s help, Gary started learning how to really receive God's love, to be

thankful for everything and to get all his acceptance from God, rather than from

those around him. After six months, he regarded the whole incident as the failure

that made victory possible.

As he relaxed and accepted himself just the way God made him, a whole lot of

things began to change. Pam admired the way he handled failure so much that he got

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up enough courage to ask her out. And when he left for college in another state, his

new friends did organize a goodbye party – just for him.

_________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to

him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9: 20).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I, ___________, will not complain about the way God made me. After all, the

Divine Potter formed me with both time and eternity in mind. I trust that He

knows best and I thank Him.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Forgive me for questioning the way you made me. Thank you that you have

all power to change me and heal me. I will put everything into your hands and

trust you.

BANISHING BITTERNESS:

Make a list of the physical characteristics you’ve always wished you had the

ability to change. Repent of resentment you’ve had against God for these

things. Remind yourself that God's purposes are eternal – not tied to the

world’s present idea of “good-looking.” Also remember that God is all-

powerful, able to change and to heal. Relax and let Him be God.

_________________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 41

“YOU'RE NOT HERE TO LEAD A

TREASURE HUNT”

Rachael tried desperately to brush away invading thoughts.

Frantically, she attempted to do something with droopy hair that defied extra-

body shampoo and had responded very poorly to a perm. Besides her complex about

having “mousy hair,” she thought she was too tall, too thin, and that her feet were

much too large to be considered feminine.

Deciding that standing in front of the full-length mirror was making her

depressed, she started looking through her closet. Surveying her clothes, however,

failed to cheer her up. She couldn’t find anything fabulous to wear to the

evangelistic picnic that her Sunday school class had planned. This was the day they

were going to put into practice what they had learned about personal evangelism,

and she thought looking good might overcome some of her nervousness.

Rachael wondered if she really could find a time during the day to witness to

one of the new girls they had invited. She worried about how she would come

across. Everyone labeled her a “brain” and she battled a shyness that made her feel

socially awkward. She wished she could be pretty, vivacious, and “Miss Personality

Plus.” Then others would certainly be willing to listen when she shared Jesus with

them.

When Mary, her Sunday school teacher, picked her up early to help make

sandwiches, she noticed that Rachael looked discouraged, “You look down. What’s

the problem?” Mary asked. And Rachael shared her feelings.

“Rachael,” Mary encouraged, “There is a verse in the Bible that you need to

understand: ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing

power is from God and not from us’ (2 Corinthians 4: 7). We’re the jars of clay and

Jesus is the treasure. God planned it that way so it would be obvious that the glory

belongs to Jesus, not to us. The person who led me to Christ really was a bit of a

nerd, but I could see that Christ had really made a difference in her life. I thought

that if Christ could help her – and she had many more problems than I did – He

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certainly could help me. Just remember that you're exactly the right container to

display the wonderful treasure Jesus really is.”

Rachael remembered that when they reached the picnic. She made friends

with Tammy and started to tell her what a wonderful friend Jesus is. Then Tammy

confided, “You’re the first timid person I've ever met who claimed to be a Christian.

I thought that only self-confident kids who don’t mind standing out from the crowd

could follow Jesus. If Jesus helps you overcome shyness, I’m interested.”

Under her breath, Rachael prayed, “Thank you, God, for making me the way I

am. Thank you for putting the treasure of yourself in a clay jar just like me.”

Although it’s right to “look your best for Jesus” and to be conscious of

making a good impression on non-Christians, it is wrong to forget that you’re a clay

jar. If you try to be “Super Man Christian” or “Wonder Woman Witness,”

attempting to eliminate your humanness, you will fall into temptation. Either you’ll

become discouraged because you didn’t live up to your goal, or you'll begin faking it

– pretending to be someone you’re not.

Never excuse anything that is contrary to God's Word – not even “shyness.”

But remember that the containers God chose to demonstrate His power had

weaknesses. Gideon had an inferiority complex. Moses most likely stuttered.

Jeremiah was sometimes depressed. Peter made rash decisions. Thomas doubted.

The list goes on. God's plan hasn’t changed. He still puts the priceless treasure of

himself into people who talk too much, who lack poise, who have trouble with math,

and who bite their fingernails. Accept the fact that you, too, are human.

If you concentrate on Jesus, totally, forgetting about your idiosyncrasies and

personality problems, others will see so much treasure that the vase it comes in will

make no difference. You are not to lead a treasure hunt – Jesus should become the

only thing that people notice about you.

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_________________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were

unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these

men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4: 13).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

When people see what Jesus has placed in me and they realize that I’m

___________, __________, and _____________ (inadequacies and

weaknesses), they’ll be surprised. Then they’ll be able to see that I was able to

accomplish what I did because of spending so much time with Him.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, put _______________ and ______________ (qualities you need to

serve God) in me. I don’t care if I don’t have _______________ (qualities

you’ve always admired). I just want people to notice Jesus in me.

BUILDING CHRIST-CONFIDENCE:

Write this verse on a card and refer to it throughout the day, reminding

yourself that people can tell the difference if you spend time with Jesus. As

you close your eyes tonight, reflect on the verse.

_________________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 42

“ARE YOU SUFFOCATING IN

YOUR ISOLATION BOOTH?”

Mark wished he were back in California.

Adjusting to living in a small Midwest town was more than he bargained for.

The kids at school treated the “new boy from California” like some kind of

transplant from Mars, and they thought he dressed a little weird. If he didn’t feel like

going bowling or playing miniature golf, there was nothing to do. And the problem

would get worse in the winter when he’d either have to learn to ice-skate or become

a social outcast.

But the hardest part was that the church here was nothing like the one that he

had left behind. He thought the pastor’s sermons were boring. Only five kids showed

up at the youth Bible study. They didn’t know how to really dig into the Word, and

it was obvious that they knew nothing about the deeper Christian life. Mark decided

that he was too spiritual for the group and that he would get more out of doing his

own Bible studies at home.

In a letter to Pastor Jim, he explained the whole situation and his decision to

hold a private Bible study. Soon he discovered a super TV program on Saturday

nights and found out that sleeping in on Sunday morning felt good. His plan for

attacking the book of Ezekiel got as far as chapter three.

When Mark got Pastor Jim’s reply to his letter, he opened the envelope

eagerly. He began reading:

Dear Mark,

Thanks for your letter. I’m sure that it is difficult to adjust to new

surroundings. But you must remember that nothing changes God's clear,

biblical directions, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the

habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see

the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10: 25). “Make every effort to keep the unity

of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4: 3). “So that there

should be no division in the body (of Christ), but that its parts should have

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equal concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12: 25). You can't fully obey any

of these scriptures if you're not part of some local church.

You need to be aware of the fact that it is Satan’s strategy to isolate

Christians. If he can get you to think you are too good for the Christians

around you, he can use your pride to try to make you think you’ve got a

deeper knowledge of the Bible than anyone else. This will lead you off track.

If he can convince you that these Christians don’t really accept you, he can

turn you into a bitter, lonely person. The devil is also good at giving people

lazy habits, like sleeping in on Sunday morning and watching TV instead of

going to prayer meeting. The truth is that you need other Christians and they

need you. Just as it is simple to break one pencil alone and impossible to break

twenty at once, it is easier for the devil to deceive a loner than a whole group

of Christians.

Besides, each Christian group and each church has strengths and

weaknesses. Maybe you can teach this youth group more about how to study

the Bible. But also be open to be taught by them in other areas.

May God bless you!

Pastor Jim

Mark decided to go to the youth group on Saturday night. The pastor

explained that a young couple had just moved into town and that the husband had

injured his back so he couldn’t work. Their home needed to be fixed up and they

hardly had food to eat.

Leslie suggested that they take up an offering and buy groceries for them. It

was Craig’s idea that the whole group spend the next three Saturdays fixing and

painting all the rooms. “After that, we can share the gospel with them,” Holly

offered.

Mark had never seen such generosity and love. He certainly did have

something to learn from these Christians.

At 10:00 p.m. on the third Saturday, they finished their project. The grateful

couple was ready to hear the gospel message they presented, and both of them

accepted Christ. At this point Mark was thinking, And I could have missed all this

just to watch some silly TV show.

He realized how close he had come to suffocating in his isolation booth.

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______________________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let

us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching”

(Hebrews 10: 25).

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD:

I will not manufacture excuses for staying home from church. I’ll attend and

go with the idea of encouraging someone else. I know that we all need to help

each other, because Jesus is coming soon.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Dear God, help me to be faithful in meeting with others for worship, prayer,

and Bible study. Make me an encouragement to other Christians. Jesus, thank

you that you are coming back again soon.

ELIMINATING THAT EXCUSE BOOK:

List all the excuses you’ve used to skip church or Bible study. Cross out each

one and write out Hebrews 10: 25 over it.

_______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 43

“WEARING THE RIGHT

WARDROBE – AND WINNING”

There was an air of excitement as Edison High kicked off to Central. This was

the championship game!

Bryon, the quarterback for Central, couldn’t wait to get his hands on the ball.

A third-down fumble put the pigskin in their possession. As he called out the signals,

he happened to look down and realized that he was playing barefoot in his pajamas!

Sudden fear gripped him as helmeted monsters with cleats for claws rushed toward

him after he got the ball.

He was sacked for a fifteen-yard loss and badly beaten up.

As he took the next snap from center, such panic seized him that he started

running from would-be tacklers – only to be brought down bruised and bloody.

Fighting dizziness and trying to rise to his feet, he heard the fans booing…..

Just then Byron’s alarm clock went off. He awakened from his nightmare,

thankful that the game was on Friday and he could play it in full uniform.

Although most of us would never want to be on a football field in pajamas, we

often face the battle of life – with its temptations and trials – just as unprepared.

Because the Bible clearly tells us what to wear, it is our fault if we venture forth

without our proper uniform and then experience defeat. If, however, you decide each

day to don the armor outlined for us in Ephesians 5, you’ll stack up more and more

points in your victory column.

First, we’re told, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your

waist” (Ephesians 6: 14). For the Roman soldier, the belt was an apron made of thick

leather, which covered vital organs and supported his sword. It was the most basic

part of his armor. Because total truth will nip temptation in the bud, it is also the first

thing you must put on in order to stand against Satan. Believe what God's Word says

about you, your friends, and the world. Determine to live the truth without

exaggeration, rationalization, giving false impressions, or cheating just a little. Truth

demolishes Satan’s strongest weapon – the lie.

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The Scriptures also instruct us to have the breastplate of righteousness in

place. Charles Stanley, in his book, Temptation, says, “The breastplate of

righteousness is to guard us from making decisions based on what we feel rather

than on what we know to be right.” “The end justifies the means” is one of the

devil’s oldest clichés. Satan just can't get you if you choose to do what is correct –

regardless of how you feel, how much it will cost, or the consequences you'll have to

face.

Your shoes must be “the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (v.

15), which is also translated, “the preparation of the gospel of peace.” The root for

the Greek word translated “readiness” or “preparation” means “to shimmer like gold

or like the clear sky.” To me, this signifies an experiential appreciation of the value

of the Christian message, which gives us peace with God and with those around us.

Peace is an extremely important weapon in spiritual warfare. The agitated, the angry,

and the anxious lose their heads when Satan attacks. Those who know the power of

the gospel, who allow it to bring peace within and who spread that peace around,

will not easily be tripped by temptation.

Next, we are told, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (v. 16). Don’t let the devil steal your belief

that God can do anything. Without that, every problem is monumental; but with faith

all things are possible.

The helmet we wear is the “assurance of our salvation.” God has saved us not

only from hell, but from sin, too. We have the potential to say no to Satan’s

suggestions.

The Word of God is our sword. The devil is afraid of the Word of God. It is

the defensive weapon Jesus used against Satan and his demons. It will work for you.

Charles Stanley suggests that, every day even before you get out of bed, you

consciously put on your spiritual armor to face the day’s schedule. For example, say

to yourself: “I’m going to wear truth and righteousness today, and I won't even think

of cheating on the geometry test. I will value the peace God gives, so I won't get

ruffled by the teasing and unkind remarks I hear in gym class. I’ll take the shield of

faith and believe that God will give me the strength not to talk back to my mother,

even if she’s in a bad mood. I’ll put on the helmet of salvation and not listen to the

devil’s doubts. And I’ll use this part of God's Word, ‘I can do everything through

him who gives me strength’” (Philippians 4: 13).

This is a great way to start the day! I've tried it. Why don’t you?

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_______________________________________________________________

MEMORIZE:

“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6: 13).

PICTURE THIS:

PERSONALIZE AND READ OUT LOUD (IF YOU INTEND

TO DO IT!):

I will consciously put on all God's armor – truth, righteousness, the peace that

the gospel gives, faith, understanding of my salvation, and God's Word in my

heart – each day. Then, when disaster strikes I’ll be able to stand my ground.

PRAY THE VERSE, APPLYING IT TO YOUR LIFE:

Lord, help me to obey your command to put on your armor. Right now I need

it for _______________. Keep me from falling in this evil world.

PREPARE TO FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTION:

Make a poster for your room reminding you to put on God's armor every day.

Maybe you can draw a soldier, or do a series of cartoons. If not, creatively

arrange the words, truth, righteousness, faith, etc., on your poster.

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SELF-EXAMINATION

Part V. Push ‘Em Back, Push ‘Em Back,

Way Back

1. It is easy to pass temptation tests;

____a. if you’ve memorized the whole Bible.

____b. if you're a straight A student.

____c. if you’ve never been into “serious sin,” like drugs or stealing or illicit sex.

____d. if you’ve surrendered all your desires to Jesus.

2. Some safeguards against temptation are:

____a. arriving spiritually.

____b. constantly expecting and receiving more of the supernatural life of Jesus.

____c. letting “He must become greater; I must become less” function in your

life.

____d. exercising “go-for-it” faith.

3. You win against temptation when:

____a. you obey God's Word, even though it is hard.

____b. you follow your feelings.

____c. you go along with the crowd.

____d. you do what comes naturally.

4. The Bible teaches that you are born again of imperishable seed. What can you do

to help that seed grow? ____________________________________.

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5. Which is not a step in handling failure?

____a. Confess and forsake your sin.

____b. Go around for a long time feeling sad and doing penance.

____c. Apologizing and making up for your wrongdoing.

____d. Accepting God's discipline and forgiving yourself.

6. But we have this treasure in ______________________ (2 Corinthians 5: 7).

7. I need to be part of a local church, because: _________________________.

8. List the armor you need to put on each day: _________________________.

9. Who must be the only source of your significance and self-worth? ___________

_______________.

10. When the devil puts a bad thought into your mind, what should you do?

________________________________________________?

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ANSWERS:

1.) D

2.) B, C, D

3.) A

4.) Put God's Word in your heart, listen to His voice, provide yourself with an

atmosphere of Christian growth – godly music, edifying reading material,

wholesome recreation, etc.

5.) B

6.) Jars of clay

7.) It’s a biblical command, it is Satan’s strategy to isolate Christians so he can get

them off-track, I need other Christians.

8.) Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness that come from the

gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit.

9.) God

10.) Kick it out immediately.

The following is at the end of the book:

Thank you for selecting a book from

BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Bethany House Publishers is a ministry of Bethany Fellowship International, an

interdenominational, nonprofit organization committed to spreading the Good News

of Jesus Christ around the world through evangelism, church planting, literature

distribution, and care for those in need. Missionary training is offered through

Bethany College of Missions.

Bethany Fellowship International is a member of the National Association of

Evangelicals and subscribes to its statement of faith. If you would like further info,

please contact:

Bethany Fellowship International

6820 Auto Club Road

Minneapolis, MN 55438 USA

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