And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5 ESV
Reflect
Temptation surrounds us on a daily basis. Temptation might be watching things we shouldn’t watch, ungodly thoughts, or whatever brings us further away from God. In Genesis 3, we see how the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden with the forbidden fruit: “You will surely not die…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” But what did God tell Adam and Eve in the Garden? In Genesis 2:17, God said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Sisters, temptation and sin will come, and it will come with fierce attractiveness, just like in the Garden. In the moment, sin lures us in with promises of eternal satisfaction, but in reality, sin will leave us feeling empty with no real fulfillment. Money will not make you happy, porn will not satisfy your sexual desires, and spending the night with your boyfriend will only lead down a road of destruction. We need to be constantly killing sin before it kills us (Romans 8:13).
If we are living according to our flesh rather than according to the Spirit, we are not making war on our flesh; we are dancing with sin rather than making a point to kill it. If we don’t make war on the flesh and put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit—if growth in grace and holiness means nothing to us—then we show a false profession of faith to the One who was crucified for those sins. Putting to death our sins is one of the ways God shows us that we are justified through Him, constantly fighting temptation from the Devil. But sisters, do not lose heart. For when we fail, we must fall on our faces and repent to our Heavenly Father. He is always faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9).
Pray
Father, sin is killing me on a daily basis. Most days I feel as if I am too weak to fight it. And in fact, I know I am. Give me the strength to say no to temptation, and mold me into the woman You have called me to be. Thank You for forgiving me when I least deserve it. Amen.
Your Turn
Are you actively trying to kill the sin in your life? Pray and ask God for His help. Confess your sins and repent. Reflect on 1 John 1:9.
