Watch Your Opponent
WATCH YOUR OPPONENT
Read 1 Peter 5:6-9.
Eight-year-old Mitchell was excited as he put an X on a corner spot of the tic-tac-toe game. He laughed because on the next move he could win against his big sister, Mari, in two ways. But his laughter stopped suddenly as Mari marked an O and went on to draw a line through three Os in a row! She had won again!
“I hate you!” he shrieked as he threw his pencil across the room and stomped out. A little later Mom found him lying on his bed.
“Mari told me what happened,” she said. “You lost two things—the game and your temper. And you lost both of them because you didn’t watch your opponent.”
Mitchell sat up straight and looked at her, a question in his eyes. “That’s right,” she said. “Mari was your opponent in the game, but you were so concerned about how you would win that you forgot to think about how she would play. You also have another opponent, a more serious one. The Bible says that the devil is our enemy, or opponent. You weren’t watching out for him when you lost your temper.”
Mitchell nodded sadly. “I guess not,” he said. Then he brightened. “But Jesus will forgive me, won’t He? I’ll ask Him, and Mari, too. And I’ll ask God to help me not to do it again.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes forget to watch out for Satan? He loves to see you lose your temper. He’s happy when you cheat. It pleases him if you disobey your mom or dad. He likes to hear you gossip. Whenever you sin, Satan is glad. But you don’t have to lose to him. Resist him, and God will give you victory.
TO MEMORIZE:
Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
RESIST SATAN.
From the book
