Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
— 1 Corinthians 10:12
Adolph Hitler has to be one of the most evil, hate-filled murderers to ever walk this earth. Between the years 1939 and 1945, he and his army are responsible for killing nearly 14 million people including an estimated 6 million Jews who were executed in various ways.
During World War II, Hitler had an interesting strategy for attacking the various European nations: he always did it on a weekend. Hitler knew the various parliaments would not be in session, making it more difficult to react swiftly to an invasion. Because of these weekend attacks, Hitler was able to blind-side his enemies and overtake many of them. Finally, he and his army were defeated and evil empire was brought down.
The devil also attacks us when we are leas expecting it. He will wait for an opportune moment, that decisive time to attack. It may be when our guard is down, when we are not expecting it or at a weak point in our life. It may even come when we think we are the strongest, when we think, “I am doing pretty well spiritually. I think I am really growing. Everything is going great.” Often weaker believers are less vulnerable than stronger ones, because weaker believers recognize their frailty and vulnerability. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:12 , “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Perhaps recently you have experienced a great blessing in your life. That blessing may involve your family, your career, your ministry, or your personal walk with God. But the enemy wants to rob you of it. Satan wants to blind-side you and destroy all that is good in your life.
In fact, the Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that our enemy, the devil, prowls around “like” a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The first thing you must recognize is that he is our enemy. Stop being friends with the enemy - he is setting you up for destruction. Next you must realize that he is pretending to be a lion. He is a liar (John 8:44) and a defeated foe (John 12:31). All his evil forces were defeated at the cross. Colossians 2:14-15 say that Jesus, “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he (Jesus) took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Jesus has give us the victory over temptation.
Remember, when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice was heard from heaven from the Father saying, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). The Bible says that after this, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (see Luke 4:1–14).
God cannot be tempted though. James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” It also says in Hebrews. 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Remember, it’s not a sin to be tempted.
Even Jesus was tempted, but he provides us a way out of sin. I Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” The sin takes place only when we give in to that temptation, when we open the door to it and entertain it. That is why we should flee temptation and never leave a forwarding address.
