Defeated Before He Can Begin
One of the things Scripture directs us to do in order to overcome sin is to defeat our own desire for it. At the Fifth of Matthew, the Savior declared that a man who lusts after a woman has committed adultery with her in his heart. Such lust is the desire for that which the pure in heart should abhor, and it enhances Satan’s ability to tempt. The First of James teaches us that everyone is tempted when drawn away by one’s own lust and enticed. The conception of such lust brings forth sin, and the result of sin is spiritual death. If we love what Satan puts before us, most of his battle for our souls is already won. If we hate what Satan presents, his efforts to destroy us are defeated before he can begin.
Written by David Hayes Prophater