“The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.” (Proverbs 11:6 NIV).
Evil desires can be overcome with Jesus. We’re studying Corinthians in my Bible study right now. The Corinthians had some issues, they weren’t faithful to the message of the gospel. Paul, in his letter to them, spends time correcting them for believing false teachers, conflict in the church, their pride. They were so young in their belief, they were being swayed back into the ways of the world. But Paul is giving them the answer to their evil desires. Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.
Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.
At the end of chapter four, Paul asks the Corinthians a question:
“What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:21 NIV).
Paul is challenging them to choose which way they are going to follow. Are the Corinthians going to continue to follow the ways of the world? Or are they going to focus their eyes back on Jesus. Whichever they choose determines how Paul will respond to them. In order to get their eyes back on Jesus, they must first admit, they’ve taken their eyes off of Him.
One of my favorite books, “Soul Revolution,” points out how easily we take our eyes off of Jesus. The author challenges the reader to set an alarm for every hour. When the alarm sounds, use it as a trigger to pull your thoughts back to Jesus. I’ve done this experiment before, I was amazed at how far away from Jesus I could get in an hour. When we lose sight of Jesus, our evil desires begin to raise their ugly head. But the minute we re-focus our gaze, Jesus delivers us from our evil desires.
Whatever evil desire you’re trying to overcome, take it to Jesus. Paul gives us an answer to all of our temptations:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)
God knows we all have evil desires. He knows our hearts, and He’s provided a way to overcome them: Jesus. When we keep our focus on Him, we’ll see the way out God has provided for us. Focus on Jesus, He delivers us from evil desires.
Question of the Day:
What evil desire do you need Jesus to deliver you from today?
Further Reading: Numbers 15:17-16:40 NIV, Mark 15:1-47 NIV, Psalm 54:1-7 NIV, Proverbs 11:5-6 NIV
