Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (Jam 1:14 NIV)

Temptations signal a sorry time, and often it’s even more sorry, because we tend to fall in them. Be it bread, honour, power – most often they don’t tempt us in vain. Each of these has been idolized and countless souls have fallen victim to their alluring. Don’t people go extreme distances to get these and make them their own? I’m not talking about others, but rather about you and me. My own heart and those whom I am most closely and friendly associated with, make me admit this as bitter experience. Oh bread has become for many the reason of great sin. Honour has given too many a big head and swollen ego. Power corrupts even in poor and lowly circles due to excessive ambition and ugly passions. We and our children, our neighbours and people to whom we belong have often seen the temptations of Jesus afflict us too with that difference that we were not as steadfast as he, but failed rather to often and most dismally and shamefully. It would be a good and fresh start if we could realize this and then go on to use bread, honour and power for what they are and not idolize them. It would help to achieve this if we put on Christ’s armour, with which he triumphed victoriously. Do we want that?

Nobody can serve two masters if the service is to be appropriate. He, who came for our salvation, isn’t happy with a half-hearted approach. Full salvation is for those, who belong entirely to him and are not still half-way attached to the world.

It is very dangerous to sit on the fence in this matter. You can’t serve two masters. Here you can’t keep middle ground, you have to go the way of the Lord all the way.

If security has overwhelmed you, temptations of this world are not far. This life is so enticing that you imagine that your in perfect happiness already. It’s the broad way, where first love diminishes fast and sanctified perception dim quickly.

If you feel this predicament, make sure you flee the threatening danger and rush towards the truth and saving grace of the Lord. Ask him for spiritual guidance and he will see you overcome! (Ludwig Böhringer, 1841-1928. The translation of this hymn is rather literal, but not poetical. The preceding devotion is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the Sunday Invocavit (First Sunday in Lent) as found on Pg. 121 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and puplished in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.