Influencers Weekly Devotional

Victory Scars

by

Rocky Fleming

“For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

In every contest that involves the will to win, there will be required of us sacrifice and dedication to accomplish our challenge. Whether it be football or golf, education or labor, war or peace, the challenge will require that we suffer in some way to win the contest. It is the same with overcoming temptation. Though we may not be cut, and bleed physically, we will likely carry hidden scars from the ordeal. But the “victory scars” we carry are likened to a great warrior who has fought a war and returned home as victor. His scars declare that he overcame his enemy and that he is the real deal. God's men will have some scars from our battle with evil. But, so did Jesus when He fought and won His battles. His “victory scars” will likely be seen on Him when we meet Him in heaven, for they are a sign of His great victory over temptation, and they are now part of His identity. Suffering with temptation is an interesting perspective. In fact, if it is true that we suffer when tempted, and I believe it is true, then we can understand better how to meet the challenge. For instance, it stands to reason that if we are in a temptation process that causes us to suffer during it, we are also susceptible to something that will give us quick relief. That's where the Tempter offers a quick fix. The message we hear from the Tempter with his temptation is, “Go ahead and give in, and find your relief.” Problem is, when we enter a door that the Tempter opens for us to find this temporary relief, what will follow are many more doors of temptation. Like an addict addicted to the next high, we go through one door after another until we either enter a place called desperation, or we stand firm until we find our relief from Christ. What is it about the voice of the Tempter that is so alluring? What is in his message that tempts us so greatly that to resist causes us to suffer? Let's use our imagination and try to answer those questions. Imagine if you will, that you stand before an open door and behind that door a voice is speaking to you that tempts you to come in and get a “quick fix” to your problems. This voice will appeal to you in some basic root areas of perceived needs that all men have, which is our need for approval and acceptance, our need to gratify our flesh, and our need to maintain some semblance of control in our life. To resist these allures requires a battle of our will and faith against something we want badly enough to violate our principles. To resist requires that we suffer in battle until we overcome the temptation. Why do I categorize these needs above as basic? I do so for they are a consequence of our fallen state, and all of us have this nature within us. This basic nature of mankind is also called the “Nature of Adam” or the “Flesh Nature.” It is a nature that is opposed to God and His ways. This nature has been formed by years of following the Tempter's voice, beginning with Adam and Eve, and perpetuated with every generation of mankind that has followed. At the heart of it is the nature of Satan, and his nature is to hate and oppose everything about God, and attempt to separate mankind from Him. High on his hit list are Christian men, and his effort to hurt God is placed in his allurement of God's men to a place of heartache and desperation, for that is where his open door leads. Why do we listen to him in the first place? Are we not given a new nature in Christ when we receive Him? No, not really. Our flesh nature, although redeemed, still remains within us. We will always struggle until death with our flesh nature until we leave it behind at our death and resurrection. At best, we deal with the Flesh Nature by taking up “the yoke” of Christ and learning from Him how to resist the appeal of temptations. But, it is still a battle, and in a true battle we will suffer in some way. You see, it is impossible to consistently resist temptation without Christ's help, for the allurement to our flesh is almost irresistible. The battle we fight is to either follow Christ's directives or the Tempter's, and to go against our nature requires resolve and courage. But, we have help.We must understand that Christ did that which we cannot do, which is to completely resist the allurement of the evil man's voice. In doing this, He satisfied the requirement of a perfect life God requires of His child to have a relationship with Him. In believing this work of Christ, and trusting that Christ has done for us that which we cannot do, we are “atoned” for. This is the best news we will ever have. But, there is more. Because Christ fought and won the same temptation battle we are in, He understands how to help us win our battle, and He will help us do so. Still, we will have to wage a battle against the powerful temptations that come at us with our own resolve, and there will be wounds from our battles that we will carry after the battle. But, they are good wounds. They are victory wounds. One might try to minimize Christ's resistance of Satan by saying that He is God and because of it He could do the impossible in resisting Satan's temptations. If this is your thought, consider what the writer of Hebrews declares: “He Himself has suffered when tempted”. I know it's hard to think of our precious Holy Savior as a man who was tempted as we are to want power, acceptance, to greed and to lust. He was also tempted to walk through Satan's door and quickly satisfy His needs by taking the Tempter's invitation. However, the verse above says He suffered when He was tempted. He suffered with resisting His temptations just like you and I must, and He won His battles. Man of God, if you have some sort of temptation coming at you today, stand firm and wait for Jesus to show you the way out. Do not take the quick remedy Satan offers to satisfy your perceived need. To resist will require of you courage and total dedication to Christ, for the force will be great against you. But remember: Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in this world. You have been given the power of God to fight and overcome what is coming at you now. Stand firm Influencer. The battle is yours to win.