Eternal Wisdom – Day 22

₁Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Devil.

₁₀Then Jesus answered, “Go away, Satan! The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’ ”

₁₁Then the Devil left Jesus; and angels came and helped him.

₁₁Put on all the armour that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. ₁₂For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.

₇So then, submit to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.

₈Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ₉Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that your fellow-believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.

₁₂Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. ₁₃If people are tempted by such trials, they must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. ₁₄But people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires. ₁₅Then their evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

₁₂Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self. ₁₃Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.

₁₅So be careful how you live. Don't live like ignorant people, but like wise people. ₁₆Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. ₁₇Don't be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.

₁₈Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. ₁₉Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. ₂₀In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father.