“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” — 1 Corinthians 10:12

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Jack Clark played baseball in the major leagues for 18 years. He was an incredible power hitter who played right field and first base for the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox. Clark was a four-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger.

During his playing career, he received more than $16 million in salary. Yet he filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and again in 2018. Surprisingly, many other pro athletes with large salaries have also run out of money and filed for bankruptcy protection. In many cases, wealth makes people feel invincible, and friends and business partners tend to take advantage of the kindness of wealthy associates. Poor investments, extravagant spending, scam artists and unwise choices may bring a rich man to poverty in a few short years.

Overconfidence is a danger for everyone. After being a Christian for several years, we can start to fall out of the habit of reading the Bible regularly or may not attend church as often as we did when we first accepted Christ. But we need daily reminders of right and wrong. In addition, we need the power of the Holy Spirit and fellowship of other believers to overcome the deception of Satan.

During Paul’s ministry, he saw many people start well but not finish strong. So he pleaded with church members to stay humble and look to God for strength (1 Corinthians 10). Though Paul showed the way and taught others to live the Christian life, many of his hearers ignored his warnings and suffered as a result. In fact, some religious leaders disqualified themselves through reckless behavior.

Temptation knocks on our door often. If we don’t prepare our hearts and minds for the attacks, we will certainly give in to the devil without a fight. In order to defeat the schemes of Satan, we need prayer partners, wisdom from God and regular reading from the Living Book. Though it’s tough to be consistent in our walk with God, we can do it with God’s help (1 Corinthians 10:13). Of course, we will not resist every enticement, but we do better when we understand what Satan is doing so we can resist his schemes (James 4:7).

All human beings (except Jesus) have walked into the devil’s traps more times than we can count. It’s helpful to look at how Jesus handled Satan when temptation came His way. Notice: Jesus was hungry and weak physically when the devil tempted Him in the wilderness. We’re easier targets for Satan when we are weary. Yet Jesus made up His mind beforehand to stand upon the Scriptures and He defeated the evil one every time (Matthew 4).

We see the devil trying to get Jesus to question the Heavenly Father’s plan, but Jesus overcame Satan through the Spirit and Scripture. We can follow His example and overcome the enemy’s tactics by the Holy Spirit and Scripture giving us supernatural power from the Lord.

May we not get desensitized to the power and importance of the Holy Spirit and Scriptures. When we get too comfortable, or confident in our own abilities, we are at risk of losing the battles that will certainly come our way. The strategy to avoid spiritual bankruptcy is simple: full, surrendered dependence on the Lord. Walk with the Lord closely by studying His Word and praying often. He will never fail us.

— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia

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