By Shenalyn Page
Brutus was well-known for his two fighting dogs. Muscles rippled beneath their fur, and huge teeth gleamed menacingly when they snarled. Even the bravest of men would tremble when Brutus’ dogs put up their hackles and began to growl.
The dogs seemed perfectly matched when they were made to fight each other—yet invariably, most of the betting spectators would walk away with their pockets empty and question marks knit into their foreheads.
But not Brutus. He won every round of betting on the two dogs.
“How do you know which dog will win?” his friends asked, but Brutus refused to give away the secret of his success. Then one day, a friend noticed what Brutus did the morning of a fight. Only one of the dogs received its usual slab of beef.
Cornered, Brutus finally admitted the truth behind his scheme: “I only feed the dog I want to win!”
The Lesson
Are you mad at Brutus for treating his dogs so badly? You should be. No one should mistreat animals! (See Proverbs 12:10.)
But wait a minute … have you done the same thing spiritually?
The devil is out to get you, and he’s far scarier than Brutus’ fighting dogs. “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan has thousands of tricky temptations designed to trip you up. Whether you give in to those temptations in the moment of battle depends on which nature you have been feeding:
1. The natural, sinful nature you were born with
2. Or the new, spiritual nature that Jesus gave you when you accepted Him as your Savior.
The one you spend the most time feeding—through your actions, entertainment choices, friendships, and thoughts—will have the strength to win in the moment of temptation.
What have you been feeding your mind? Things like Instagram Reels, romance novels, movies, etc., are all like candy for your mind. They might make you feel good in the moment, but they are mostly empty of value.
In order to grow spiritually, you need solid, spiritual food.
Feed Your Spiritual Nature
Jesus, our example, prepared for temptation by feeding His mind with prayer and Bible study. His mind was full of Scripture. We know this because when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus answered every temptation with a quote from Deuteronomy:
• Matthew 4:4 quotes Deuteronomy 8:3.
• Matthew 4:7 quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.
• Matthew 4:10 quotes Deuteronomy 6:13.
Jesus actively sought God’s presence in His life. He spent early morning hours in earnest prayer (Mark 1:35) and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13–17).
The Bible encourages us to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41) and to hide God’s words in our hearts “that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).
Fight the Battle
Jesus never gave in to the devil’s insinuations of doubt, not even for a moment. He knew that His life—as does yours—depended on immediately resisting every temptation. He did what He had told Cain to do back at the beginning of time: “Sin lies at the door. Its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).
How do you rule over sin when a temptation knocks? Choose to obey God! “Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Do you remember the feeling of leaping off a high place into strong arms that you knew would catch you? That’s what it means to submit to God—trusting Him so thoroughly that you are willing to give up your desire for the temptation and choose obedience instead.
God will give you His power to “resist the devil.” The Holy Spirit will often bring a Bible verse to mind or give you an opportunity to do or think about something else. If a song of praise pops into your head, sing it! Listen to the Holy Spirit and act on His promptings immediately. The Bible assures us: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
You CAN Overcome Temptation
Let’s be clear: It is possible to overcome temptation through God’s power. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God is absolutely committed to helping you win the battle against sin. Jesus’ death is proof that He would do ANYTHING to save you. His perfect life demonstrates that a life free of sin is possible.
So begin today to feed your spiritual nature through prayer and Bible study. Decide that you will choose God’s ways when temptation strikes. And if you fail, confess your sin and get back up (Proverbs 24:16) and “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1). And then be confident that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Would you like to learn more about how you can stand firm for Christ? Join us for “Stand: Unshakeable Faith,” the 2024 Amazing Facts Youth Conference, June 12–15. Visit afyouth.com for all the details!