“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” – Romans 13:14

    Last summer a friend of mine was staying with us for a week in order to get some work done and one of the things we did during his visit for “recreation” was play wiffle ball.

    Well, one evening we were out there playing and it got dark.  It was so dark during my last at bat, that I honestly couldn’t see the ball at all. 

    Well, my friend was up by three runs on me, it was the bottom of the 9th inning, the bases were loaded, there were two outs and I had two strikes on me. 

    (No, I’m not making that up, it’s the truth.  Straight out of every Little Leaguer’s dreams, but nonetheless, that’s what it was.)

    Immediately before my friend pitched that last one to me, I told him, “Just lob the ball up here softly to me.  I’m down three runs.  It’s the bottom of the 9th.  I’ve got two strikes and neither one of us can see a thing, c’mon give me a chance here.”

    In other words, “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

    My friend said “okay” and tossed the ball softly towards me, never expecting me to even see the ball and certainly never anticipating that I’d make contact. 

    I swung as hard as I could, somehow connected with the ball and knocked it over the fence for a grand slam and I won the game!

    My friend had victory in his grasp, but threw it away because he let his guard down at my coaxing and his adversary scored a fatal blow.

    Oh, if there was ever a vivid picture of how satan paints temptation, I saw it that night.  (Even though I couldn’t see the ball!)

     Isn’t it just like satan to say, “Just take it easy on this.  There’s no reason to give it your best effort.  It’s in the bag….YOU’VE GOT NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!”

    Christian, when it comes to temptation, we don’t give the enemy a chance.  No taking it easy on him.  No listening to his smooth talking.  No giving him any opportunity whatsoever to get back into the game.         

    We refuse to let our guard down to temptation and refuse to give in to its wooing, opting instead to close the game out God’s way…  

    “There hath no temptation taken you but such as it common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear with it.”   (1 Corinthians 10:13)

    When temptation comes, we get the final out by taking the way out!