Seven Friendships Every Man Needs by Justin Erickson

Author:Justin Erickson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736975155
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Victory over Satan—Urge Him to Say No to Temptation

John goes on, “I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one … I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:13-14). Twice John says the mark of a Christian who is growing from spiritual infancy toward maturity is his victory over “the evil one.” Your disciple has reached spiritual adulthood when he is defeating the lies, temptations, and tactics of Satan.

Remember this: Satan hates you, hates your disciple, hates your mentoring process, and wants to cause as much disruption to your disciple’s growth as possible. The more your Timothy grows, the more vital it will be to equip him with the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6:10-18. Suffice it to say, Satan has two main weapons that work on believers: false teaching and temptation. If he can get your disciple to stop listening to Scripture or lure him away from obedience to God, he can wreak havoc. That’s why you must turn your Timothy’s heart to the one who overcame the enemy and lives in us who believe.

Your disciple should be aware that Satan never sleeps and that temptation is always coming (Matthew 4:1-2). Your disciple doesn’t have to seek temptation—Satan will bring it to him. It will happen when he’s most isolated from others and most vulnerable in weakness. You will need to help your disciple identify what his weak areas are. Make it clear to your Timothy that with God’s help, he can resist the devil (James 4:7). But don’t let him underestimate Satan’s pull, which will always come from one of three different directions: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). When tempted, he will want bodily gratification, visual stimulation, or personal exaltation, but he must learn to resist (Matthew 4:3-10). All sins falls into one of these three categories. But your disciple can be victorious if he remembers God’s Word, trusts God’s character, and submits to God’s plan. When he overcomes, his victory will make him ready for when “the evil one” returns (see Luke 4:13).

Those whom I disciple are given permission to call me anytime, day or night, if they are under the intense pressure of temptation. It might be the temptation of a heated argument with a spouse, the intense pull to reach for a bottle or needle, or the siren call of Internet pornography. If the enemy has my Timothy on the ropes, it doesn’t matter if it’s 3:00 a.m. If he feels he is about to go down, I want him to get me out of bed rather than dishonor Jesus Christ. I will talk with him, pray with him, rehearse Scripture to him, and if needed, drive to where he is and help him. As a mentor, I believe it’s my job to give this lifeline and accountability. I don’t want to hear about it a week later.

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