On guard!

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.— 1 Corinthians 10:13

 A man whose company provides data security for military space operations told me how vulnerable computers are to outside attack. During a training exercise, hackers shut down a highly protected system without stealing a password or cracking a code. They simply accessed the unsecured maintenance program for the building that housed the computers and turned off the air conditioning. When the computer room became too hot, the system automatically shut down.

As in military situations, overconfidence and a false sense of security can lead to defeat in our battle against the forces of evil. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Paul cautioned, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse by saying, “Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.”

We are not told to try to outsmart the enemy of our souls, but to trust the One who can. “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape” (v.13).

Confidence in God, not in ourselves, is the key to staying spiritually on guard.— David McCasland

When all goes well and I feel strong,

Oh, help me, Lord, to see

That I must place my confidence

In You and not in me. — Anon.

READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

When temptation knocks,

send Jesus to the door.

The Bible in one year:

• Habakkuk 1-3