The power to resist temptation

An army chaplain of another generation said men would frequently come to him and say, “Sir, I just couldn’t resist temptation. I tried, but the pull of sin was too strong, and I’m too weak.” The chaplain would respond to his men in this way: “Son, you go down to the port and you’ll discover that the wind is blowing in one direction, and one direction alone. Even so, you’ll see ships sailing with the wind, and against it. You can stand up to temptation, but it’s up to you and your will.” An old poem I’ve always liked says it this way: One ship sails east, one ship sails west, with the self-same wind that blows. It’s the set of the sail and not the gale that determines which way it goes.”

What about the set of the sail in your life? Remember, it is not the wind that rules, it’s the set of the sail—or the set of the mind, the heart, the will. When testing and trials come, resist the urge to make excuses. Don’t say, “I was particularly weak at the time,” or “I was blinded by prosperity,” or “I was frightened by poverty.” Ask yourself instead, “What is the set of my sail?” You do not have to be a victim to sin. God has given all of His children the will and the power to resist Satan, and to live lives that are victorious.