For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)
Did you ever go through temptation and feel helpless because you felt that Jesus couldn’t possibly understand what you are going through? Well that is not what God’s word tells us. His word says that Jesus went through all temptation like us, but He sinned not. Temptation is not a sin but the devil wants us to get caught up in what we are tempted with so that he can put shame on us which will help in falling to the temptation. Once we fall, most of us will live in guilt, and that puts a wall between us and God. Know this, Satan is a liar.
In the word of God, it talks about a reproach, which is in fact shame. Throughout God’s word He tells His people that He will remove their reproach. We must first realize that shame is at work before we can allow the Spirit of God to release us from it. We can not change what we don’t acknowledge or see. The first step is recognizing! For years I suffered with shame because of my past sexual abuse as a child. As the years went on I needed to be high every day in order to handle the shame I felt constantly. I didn’t even know it was shame until the Lord revealed to me that every part of my mind, will and emotions were covered with dark shame. Shame was my reproach which only God could remove. Through exposing the shame, acknowledging it and allowing His love to remove it from me, I was allowed to start the walk on the road to freedom.
When you are tempted to re engage with shame, reinforce that Satan is under your feet through Jesus Christ, put the devil in his place. Turn your back on shame and enforce the power that the Holy Spirit works in you to overcome. You are more than an overcomer through Him who loves you. If you do sin then we have an advocate to the Father and we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy in time of need. Jesus has conquered everything for you but we must walk it out.
As you continually fight the enemy, he will realize that he is getting no where with you and he will leave you because his resources are being wasted on you, he is not stupid. Know your enemy so that his tactics are exposed, but even much greater than that is to know your God for those who know their God shall do exploits! We have a Helper in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is able to aid those who are tempted and remove the reproach of shame!
TMMC-The Teaching Ministry of Michael Cannatello
