Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has provided to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted “I am tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Winning Life’s Skirmishes

Visitors looking for Fort Davidson in the Ozark country at Pilot Knob, Missouri, find only the remaining earthworks. A Civil War battle was fought there September 27, 1864. Although some 1,000 men were lost in the 20-minute engagement, it was not considered a major battle.

The outcome did, however, save St. Louis, a key city on the Mississippi, and that had a great bearing on the Civil War outcome.

In everyday life, ever so many situations can be easily dismissed as minor. But when unattended to, a minor problem can develop into a major tragedy. A concession to Satan by cheating a little, lying a little, or hating a little can easily prepare the way for a major surrender. An initial argument not ending in reconciliation or a solution can become a festering wound, bringing serious trouble into the family and home.

Life’s troubles go back to an event in the Garden of Eden, where an encounter took place between Satan and two people. A minor event? Not so. By the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world, and death by sin. What many consider a minor skirmish was a major defeat for the human race, and it set the stage for the great duel involving Satan and the woman’s Seed, Jesus. It was fought not only at our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness but ultimately in the battle He won on Calvary’s cross, as celebrated by His resurrection.