The Nail Biter
April 27
Resist the devil and he will flee.
James 4:7
As he pulled out his clippers, Gary received a revelation…he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been tempted to bite his fingernails. But he remembered the battle. Battles like that you never forget, he thought.
Looking at his fingers, he remembered the discipline required to overcome the desire to chew his nails until there was nothing left but bleeding quick. As he thought about the long struggle it was as if God was taking him on a journey through the process of his victory so he could recognize the need for consistent, unyielding resistance during the battle. He realized God had given him exactly what he’d needed each day as he’d waged war against the temptation.
He remembered that as he refused to give in to the temptation to disfigure his fingers, he received the thought to focus on something else. In retrospect he could see how God had directed him to do certain things while avoiding others.
He smiled as he uniformly clipped nails that extended past his fingertips, nails that showed no vestiges of ever have been bitten. He smiled because as he clipped he could hear God whisper, “I will always help you overcome the barriers and obstacles you face, but I will not do it for you.”
†
Resistance against anything counter to God’s desire for our lives is our responsibility. And it is rare when He delivers us out of the battle with no effort on our part. But, He will always help us overcome.
Overcoming is a process through which temptation is overcome; in other words, we must determinedly and continually resist to gain the victory!
We must not regard any battle as inconsequential or unobtainable, whether it’s nail-biting, sexual sin, overeating or lying. Satan will keep us in bondage as long as we allow his lies to reign over our self-discipline.
Gary didn’t just quit biting his nails one day…he overcame the temptation through persistent resistance with the Holy Spirit’s help.
If we expect victory in our lives we must ask for God’s help with the understanding that He will fortify our position every time we resist temptation.
Prayer
“Lord, give me strength to discipline myself with Your help and the promise of victory over the enemy. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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