Hope in God!Sample

Hope Can Protect You Against Temptation

In his letters to the Ephesians and the Thessalonians, Paul contrasts living in darkness with living in the light. Living in darkness means living without God. This results in “unfruitful works of darkness”, such as sexual immorality, covetousness and foolish talk. Believers are “light in the Lord” — they “belong to the day”. This should be visible in their lives. They should stay away from those works of darkness, and live according to God’s will. But that is not always easy, especially when we are surrounded by spiritual darkness. All too often, we are tempted to be dishonest, to lie, to lust, or to treat others unjustly. Overcoming these temptations is a struggle. That’s why Paul writes about a spiritual breastplate and helmet. We need these to defend ourselves and to fight sin.

Paul says that “the hope of salvation” is like a helmet. This hope gives us the emotional strength to deny ourselves temporary sinful pleasures, since it puts temptations in perspective. Earthly things pale in comparison with the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” that God promises His children (2 Corinthians 4:17).

How do you defend yourself against temptations?