In today’s society the modern way of life makes everywhere a place full of sin and corruption. The devil is everywhere, preying on the weak in faith and devouring them. Living the life of a Christian in these wicked times can be extremely difficult. It seems that the children of God, especially young people, are alone in this world sometimes, without the aid of anyone to help them overcome these temptations the devil poses. Biblical living is a challenge for young people due to the effects of the devil’s power.
In my eyes, young people are very susceptible to temptations of worldliness. This is due in part to the fact that they are beginning to live more independently, away from the watch of their parents. They have jobs away from the home, which can inhibit them from meals with their family and family devotions. Young people spend more time away with friends or at work than at their homes where their parents can protect them from the harmful dangers of sin. This poses a challenge because this is just what the devil desires. He wants us by ourselves or with friends so he can tempt us more easily without parents getting in the way.
Young people do not even need to be away from home anymore to be tempted with worldly pleasures. With the readiness and availability of the internet and television, and the amount of time that young people spend in those activities, temptations come in swarms. The world promotes the kind of living dangerous for a Christian. On television, they make light of the seriousness of the use and overdosing of drugs and alcohol. On the internet they play worldly music that appeals to the grossness of the human nature. They mock the sin of adultery in ways that tempt Christian young people. Sins like these are everywhere around us, threatening the faith of even the most sincere of God’s believers.
When a young person falls into sin, a real problem can occur. If a person drinks too much alcohol while underage, his conscience will nag at him at first, telling him that what he did was wrong. The person at this point can put the sin away, or try it again. The work of the devil also nags at the man, telling him that what he did was pleasing and cool, wanting him to commit the sin again. The more the young person commits the sin, the less his conscience will affect him. He will begin to justify the sin of drunkenness in his mind, while the devil is greedily feeding on his rebellion against the word of God. The person will try to convince himself that he is not falling into sin. The devil is speaking to him here, telling him to continue the sin. The person can then become addicted to the alcohol so badly that he cannot stop drinking. Without faith in God, he will perish in the lust of the flesh.
This is where God’s gift of faith plays an important role in the person’s life. If the person who has fallen into any grievous sin has faith, he must show it. He must pray to God for mercy on him, for he is a sinner. He needs to open the Scriptures and read what they teach him concerning his sin. He must attend church and genuinely listen to the gospel preached, for the preaching is the word of Christ Jesus spoken through the minister directed at him. Only then will he see the path of righteousness and come to repentance from his sins.
It is a wearisome life, the life of a Christian, but that does not give an excuse to slack off and let down one’s guard. Biblical living is supposed to be a challenge. God requires the child of God to serve him and strive to fight constantly against sin and the devil at all times, which is difficult due to our human nature’s desire to sin. The devil does not rest, however, so neither should the child of God. Continuing to fight in the name of God is what he desires from his people, so living by his word is how his children must answer that call.
God’s children are at an advantage when it comes to fighting the devil. The child of God is not alone because God is always going to be on his side. God is with his people at all times, so he need not worry about what the devil will do to him. Prayer to God to keep from temptation is an action that a child of God must repeat often. This is because God will answer that prayer, strengthening his faith, making the burden of the devil’s power on his soul lighter. The challenge of biblical living becomes easier with more prayer and faith in God’s name.
The devil will tempt children of God, especially young people; that is inevitable. The young person is away from the watch of his parents most of the time, making him a prime target for the devil’s attacks. A child of God will see those attacks coming and pray to God to forgive his sins and keep him far from temptation. The only way the child of God will overcome the devil and live with God in the forefront of his mind is with the power of God behind him.