Can I Overcome Sin?

No one can dispute the importance of the Apostle Peter to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Think of the things that Simon Peter did. He made the magnificent confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

After the resurrection, Simon Peter was instrumental in taking the gospel to the Gentile world. Cornelius, his family, and his friends came to Christ because Simon Peter took the extraordinary step to go to Caesarea and enter the home of a Gentile in order to preach the gospel.

These events are truly exciting to read. Before Peter finished preaching, the Spirit fell on the gathering and Cornelius and all his household was saved (Acts 10:44-48).

But, the thing we all know about Simon Peter was his failure. Though he spoke with confidence that he would never forsake the Lord, he did just that.

What was it that allowed Peter to do such a thing?

While we can’t know everything about Peter, we can see some things that would have made a difference in his life.

The Gospel of Luke records what Jesus counseled his disciples to do concerning temptation: “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40).

On that same night when Jesus was betrayed and taken to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, Peter faced the temptation to forsake Jesus.

As far as we know, Peter had not prayed.

Prayer is the only effective antidote to temptation. We can see in Simon Peter and in ourselves that when we refuse or neglect to pray, we are subject to all kinds of behavior.

One of Simon Peter’s problems was his self-reliance. Self-reliance always leads to moral failure. Peter thought he knew himself, and he believed he could deliver on good intentions.

When Simon Peter realized what he had done, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). Sin, self-reliance, and lack of trust in God will always break our hearts and break our lives. Isn’t it amazing what otherwise “good people” can do when they are not attentive to God and His plan?

We desperately need to learn from the life of Simon Peter. We need to pray that we would not fall into temptation. We need to be prepared every day for the difficulties that will arise. We can get ready by spending time with God and being diligent in prayer.

Each day I write a devotional for followers of Jesus Christ. If you would like to have your own copy in your inbox each morning, you can sign up in the box below or at WaylonBailey.com.


 

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