Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10a)
Did you know that you can tell Satan to go away? In fact, that’s the method that Jesus used to get rid of the Tempter on more than one occasion. The great news for people who are trusting in Jesus’ death for the forgiveness of sins is that we’re not simply forgiven of our sins, but the power of sin is also broken in our lives. That means we no longer have to give in to temptation when it wields it ugly head. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can tell Satan to go away!
If you’ve had a hard time fighting off temptation, lean into Jesus’ model. You may even want to say it out loud. It could go something like this: Satan, I know that you’re tempting me right now. I’m going to choose not to give in. You have no power in my life. In fact, just go away; I want to have nothing to do with you!
I realize that this all sounds kind of weird, but will you try it? Will you tell him to leave? If you do, you may find yourself standing up to temptation in ways that you were never able to do in the past.
Father, thank You not only for the forgiveness of my sins but for the freedom I have to say “no” to temptation. Give me the wisdom to call temptation what it is and to see Satan’s efforts in clear light. Empower me with Your Spirit to send him away and to stand strong against temptation.
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