HAVE YOU EVER STRUGGLED
TO BREAK A BAD HABIT?
RIGHT WHEN YOU THINK
YOU'VE CONQUERED THE BEAST,
YOU SLIP UP AND SLIDE
RIGHT BACK TO THE PLACE
YOU THOUGHT YOU'D
NEVER FIND YOURSELF AGAIN.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IT TAKES
TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS TO KICK
A BAD HABIT AND REPLACE IT
WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE.
TOO BAD THAT SELF-HELP AND
WILLPOWER DON'T WORK WITH SIN.
BUT GOD'S CHILDREN
AREN'T LEFT WITHOUT HOPE.
IN EPHESIANS 5, THE APOSTLE PAUL
REMINDS BELIEVERS IN JESUS
THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED
TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN,
IF WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE OUR
STANCE ON THE RIGHT BATTLEFIELD.
PAUL ENCOURAGES US
TO EMBRACE OUR POWER
AND LIVE AS "CHILDREN OF LIGHT,"
EXPOSING THE DARKNESS
OF THIS WORLD WITH
"GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND TRUTH."
WHEN WE'RE ARMING OURSELVES
FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE,
WE NEED SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH.
PAUL SAYS TO QUIT TRYING
TO FILL OUR EMPTINESS
WITH USELESS AND
TEMPORAL SUBSTANCES
THAT MAKE US
SUSCEPTIBLE TO SIN.
INSTEAD, BE FILLED
WITH THE SPIRIT,
WHO GIVES US
WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT
AS WE TAKE UP
THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
THEN WE CAN POUR OUT
GRATEFUL PRAISES
"TO GOD THE FATHER
FOR EVERYTHING,
"IN THE NAME OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
DARKNESS CAN SHROUD HOPE,
BUT GOD'S CHILDREN HAVE
THE POWER TO TURN ON THE LIGHT
AND LIVE IN THE VICTORY THAT
JESUS HAS ALREADY OBTAINED.
