“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!”
Psalm 141:3-5
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:5
Guarding yourself from sin is so important. We should be on guard at all times, not letting down our guard. Especially when we enter dangerous territory, and we all know what that is for us. There is a known area of weakness where failure is most likely to occur for each of us. The devil tailors his plan of attack to the individual. And he’s been at this for a little while, so he knows the usual weaknesses of human kind. It could be gambling, gossip, substance abuse, romantic obsession, pornography, etc.-whatever your vice, it’s been done before. So we should stay away from places or activities that may lead to sinfulness. This is what it means to guard yourself. A way to counteract temptation is to act immediately to bring tempting thoughts under Christ’s control. Allowing the thoughts to linger is giving the devil a foothold. How do we counter these attacks? With the power of the Holy Spirit. He has given us the necessary tools to combat this type of spiritual ambush. Prayer, confession, meditation and memorization of Bible verses and truths are ways we can stay pure and undefiled.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
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