Playing The Victim
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, Who loved us. Romans 8:35-37 NLT
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26 NLT
Insight
I may not be great at poker or spades, but I am excellent at playing the victim card. Though I know that the Spirit that overcame sin and death dwells within me, I often pretend that I am powerless against temptation. When my addictions and selfish desires lure me in, I tell God that I am “not strong enough” to resist them. Though sin has no authority on this side of the cross, I live as though my temptation is stronger than my Heavenly Father. I surrender to the enemy, rather than to my loving Savior. I choose death, rather than life. When I do, I hurt myself and those I aim to love and serve. When I do, I continue on a path of destruction that will never bring me the contentment and peace my heart longs for.
If we are honest, leveraging the strength God gives us is far more difficult than throwing up our hands and giving into temptation. It is easier to yield to our short-term desires for comfort, escape, and pleasure than to give control over to God. Following Him can cost us. However, we are assured that when we let go of our idols, God will give us something infinitely more precious: a deeper relationship with Him. Our idols cannot give us the full life we crave. Yet, we cling to them and let them rule over us as if we have no choice but to give them control. We let ourselves live in bondage, rather than embracing the freedom Christ bought for us on the cross.
We love to tell God that we “can’t” fight against our urges, but what we really mean is that we won’t. God has given us every spiritual resource necessary to fight our battles. He doesn’t leave us alone in our war against sin. He goes before us, stands beside us, and guarantees our victory.
We don’t have to believe in our ability to overcome the enemy; we simply have to trust in God’s ability to defeat our demons. We don’t have to be “strong enough.” We just have to have faith that God is.
We will never be perfect at resisting temptation. Inevitably, we will have moments of weakness where we choose to obey the enemy rather than God. Thankfully, we have a Savior Who was tempted in every way, yet obeyed the Father flawlessly (Hebrews 4:15). His record has become our own. We don’t have to fear punishment, because God’s righteous anger fell squarely on Jesus’ shoulders. We have a grace that is far greater than our sin. However, this doesn’t mean we have a blank check to play the victim and give in to the enemy every time he tempts us. Though it is incredibly challenging and uncomfortable, we have to make the conscious choice to honor God and let Him dictate our choices. We are called to pick up our cross and follow Him.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). We don’t have to be slaves to sin. We don’t have to let temptation control us. We can live fuller, more abundant lives when we surrender our ways to Him. Following His law is the Way to true joy. Resisting temptation benefits us and enables us to better love our neighbors. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
Reflection
In what areas of your life are you “playing the victim” and letting sin control you? What would it look like to take a small step toward obeying God?
Prayer
Gracious Father, thank you for Your inexhaustible grace. Thank you for meeting us with mercy when we choose to give into temptation. Thank you for calling us to live differently, to embrace the victory You’ve gifted to us. Remind us to live in freedom. Help us to fight against the allure of sin, relying on Your strength. We are not able to do it alone. We need You, and we have You. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.