THE DANGER OF SELF-CONFIDENCE

In his book The Screwtape Letters, author C.S. Lewis wrote: “The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, one that is soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

Many Christians do not believe they can or will ever drift away from God. They see their devotion as solid and unwavering. However, compromise and a lack of spiritual discipline can quickly open the door to temptation and sin.

Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the enemy knows his work of eternal destruction has been thwarted. However, he is relentless in his effort to work havoc in the lives of God’s people. Therefore, he goes to work in a different way. He knows that he cannot have our souls, but he remains committed to destroying our lives.

One of his greatest weapons against the body of Christ is pride. He seeks to tell us we are complete and worthy apart from the Lord. He wants us to feel good about our talents and abilities—so much so that we begin to make decisions without considering God’s purpose and plan. Before we know it, we have believed a lie and departed from our first love: our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

There is nothing wrong with knowing God has gifted you and that He is the one who is using your abilities. The story changes, however, when you begin to take life into your own hands without regard to the Savior’s will.

Temptation by itself is not sin, but if left unchecked, it quickly leads to sin and broken fellowship with the Lord. You can say no to the subtle sin of compromise by asking the Lord to keep you close to Himself. Be committed to spending time in prayer with Him each day.

Begin by asking God to make you sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. He will give you the strength—through His Spirit—to say no to temptation and yes to God’s will. If you are struggling with temptation, you can overcome it, but not in your own power. In fact, your life has been infused with God’s power. Simply ask Him to give you the strength to resist the devil and flee from temptation.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through God’s Word. One of the best ways to grow in your relationship with the Lord is through the study of His Word. Perhaps the best way to apply God’s Word is through memorizing passages of Scripture. When the enemy approaches you with thoughts of defeat, failure, or some other temptation, the Holy Spirit will bring the Scripture to your mind and help you to use it as a tool for victory.

Michael Youssef, Ph.D