TAP OUT TEMPTATION - By Paul Perseverance

Hey kids, this is Paul Perseverance congradulations on advancing to your orange belt in ChrisJitsu. Before we get started on our next training session covering temptation, let's look at how our Grandmaster tapped out the devil in his fight against temptation in the wilderness.

After Jesus was baptized and recieved his Grandmaster rank from the Father in Heaven, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and for forty days he fought the devil inside the Cage of Life. The evil one kept thowing punches and kicks of temptation at him every round. To make matters even worse, the Grandmaster fasted during those forty days. That means he didn't eat anything during that time, and of course, at the end of the time he was very hungry.

Satan saw this as an opportunity to punch him with temptation once again. He said to Jesus during the good fight, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." Jesus counter punched, quoting from the book of Deuteronomy; "It is written, ' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'".

Next the devil took Jesus up on a high mountain and showed him all the championships of the world in just a moment. Then he told him that he had been given the authority to give those championship belts to anyone he wished.

Remember, the devil's best punch is a lie! God rules in the kingdoms of men and it is He who gives power to the people He wants to have that power. Satan told Jesus that if he would worship him, he would give him all those kingdoms.

Jesus replied with a powerful kick to the face, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve'." Again Jesus is quoting from the Bible.

Satan come out again in the third round and tries to tap him out again. He brought Jesus to Jerusalem and took him up to the highest part of the temple and told him to jump off. He said that angels would come and lift him up so that he wouldn't be hurt.

The devil even starts trying to throw scripture punches at the Grandmaster now. He quoted from Psalm 11, "For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." (Satan left out the part about 'to keep you in all your ways'.)

Jesus again counterd the attack by saying to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God'."

Satan finally tapped out for the moment and left him, but he would return later for a rematch when he thought he had an opportunity to get Jesus to sin. Of course, we know that he never succeeded. After Satan left the Cage of Life, angels came and helped the Grandmaster.

As ChristJitsu trained Anointed Fighters, what does this story mean to me?

When Satan tried to get Jesus to do wrong, Jesus always counter punched him with scripture. In Matthew's account of the story, with each temptation, Jesus said, "It is written", and then he would quote the scripture.

The best way to tap out temptation inside the Cage of Life is to study and memorize Bible words and "hide" them in your heart to keep from doing wrong. If you do this, you will always know how you should act in any situation. Think about how the Grandmaster would act.

Remember, it is called a fight for a reason. However, we fight from victory not for victory. KEEP FIGHTING!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for giving me the power to tap out temptation through your Holy Spirit. AMEN