“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
You may recognize these words as those spoken by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night in which He was betrayed. Jesus said these words to His three closest Disciples, Peter, James and John as He was waiting for the Betrayer, Judas, to come with the mob to arrest Him. Jesus felt tremendous sorrow at this time and asked for the prayers of His Disciples to sustain Him. You may also remember that despite Jesus strong request, the Disciples fell asleep again leaving Jesus alone at His most trying time. Jesus knew that the Disciples themselves would be facing the temptation to be unfaithful because of the threat that was coming and He wanted them to be prepared.
The verse from Scripture makes the point that there is a strong connection between the Spirit in striving against the flesh to avoid temptation. The spiritual dynamic of sin plays itself out in the mind of humans which leads to the acting out of that sin through the flesh, the thoughts, words and actions that we commit against God. Pray is an important part in combating such sin as it puts one in touch with God and His power. Without God we are defenseless, but when we go to Him in prayer, we rely on His strength and guidance to lead us through.
In Psalm 51:12, King David petitions God in the face of temptation saying, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” King David is relying upon God to supply the spiritual sustainable in order to avoid sin. He asks for a spirit that desires the will of God. What a wonderful prayer this is as the objective of prayer is to find the will of God and submit to it despite the urgings that temptation brings. When we feel temptation at our door, this is an appropriate and powerful response for us to imitate. There is no better defense again sin than to call upon God to be our strength and Defender.
Know that you are loved!
Peace and Joy,
Pastor Kilian