KNOW YOUR ENEMY - HE KNOWS YOU!

"I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray." 2 Corinthians 11:3

Temptation begins in your mind.  Satan gave Eve the idea of eating the forbidden fruit.  Eve was not just standing there trying to figure out how to disobey God.  You must understand that the initial thought to do evil, is not from you.  The new nature you have from God would not come up with that.  The devil studies you the way a coach studies the game film of his opponents.  Satan knows your weak spots.  He knows which temptation has the best chance of success against you.  How often have you ended up "I promised God and myself that I did never do that again," yet you did it.  That is because Satan knows what works on you.

But before you feel defenseless and get discouraged, God gives us this assurance: "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man [we are all cut from the same bolt of cloth]; 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." 1 Co 10:13.  God builds a back door into every temptation with a lighted "exit" sign over it.  The key word in this Scripture is "with".  The way of escape comes with the temptation.  So while you will never be exempt from temptation, you can be victorious over it.  And the Good News is, when Satan discovers that his strategies against you are not working, he goes looking elsewhere.