Barbara was a good girl. She tried to keep the right kinds of friends, and together they tried to stay away from things they knew their parents and teachers would not approve of. Most of her friends were from the church so they listened closely to the sermons, the Sabbath school lessons, and other instructions they got at church to make sure they knew what was right. Barbara also did as she was taught and read the Bible and prayed for understanding. She had committed many Bible verses to memory.
Many of these verses she memorized often came to her mind when she was at crossroads in her life.
Sometimes, she would fall asleep while reading her Bible and then she would remember the disciples who slept in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed. Jesus said to them, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41. Oh how she wished she would be stronger and not fall asleep so easily. Her conscience was very keen to convict her of her errors when she was falling into sin.
To Barbara it was clear that God had written the Bible for a very special purpose—to help her with her faith, in struggling against her weaknesses and to advise, comfort and teach her. That is a pretty good book, written by the inspiration of God.
One day, Barbara met Sarah—a new girl at school. Sarah was not like the other girls, she was new, exotic, kind of exciting. So Barbara wanted to know Sarah more; she felt that Sarah could teach her some of those grown-up things that other people would not tell her about, because they always treated Barbara like a little child, and she was tired of it.
Barbara started finding times to be with Sarah when her parents and other friends did not know. She found her best times with Sarah were always when nobody knew she was around and the things she was telling Barbara were secrets. Secrets are fun.
“You know, most of the things your parents and the church say are bad are not bad.” Sarah told her one day.
“Really? Why would they lie to me?” Barbara objected. “I know they love me.”
“They do love you, but they think you have to be protected because they don’t want you to have the fun things they have. God could let you have fun things like smoking and drinking and staying out all night, but He knows the adults should keep things fun things all to themselves.” Sarah lied to Barbara, just like the Satan, in the form of a serpent “beguiled Eve through his subtlety,” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Sadly, Barbara started to believe her. It was so easy to want to be like Sarah and to try to please her.
As Barbara was walking home from spending time with Sarah, she was thinking about trying a few things she liked to do. After all, it was a secret so nobody would know. Plus, she would still be a good girl to her other friends and family and at church. Her fun times with Sarah would just be a little secret between the two of them. But her conscience still spoke to her, she thought of her “Father which seeth in secret.” Matthew 6:4. And the words she had memorized so well from Psalm 139 came running through her mind. “Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.” Psalm 139:7–12. These verses were troubling her. Like Balaam, she knew what was right, but was sorely tempted by the wrong, and her mind was in turmoil. Balaam “Well knew that it was his duty to refuse the rewards of Balak . . . . but the costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 439
And loudly she could hear the voice in her mind, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17. How long could she keep her little secret going? “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23, the voice said intently. Barbara was in such turmoil, because it was so much fun being with Sarah.
However, Barbara felt so much guilt and conviction in her spirit, but she was confused because she wanted it both ways. She wanted to be good and have the respect of God and her friends and family and the church, but the fun things Sarah offered were so hard to resist. Finally, she did start to give in and met with Sarah to try some things.
One day as she visited Sarah at her house, Sarah laid all of the exciting forbidden things on the table in front of her when nobody was around. There it all was, the cigarettes, the alcohol, the bad magazines and tapes, a connection to the Internet already on some naughty sites. All she had to do is reach out and take it and nobody was there to stop her.
Suddenly, she thought of Peter who denied Jesus. All Jesus did was look at him and he felt the conviction. Barbara felt the eyes of Jesus watching her now. What would she do? The Holy Spirit reminded her, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
Then she thought of what she would gain. It seemed to exciting to be with Sarah, and Sarah said all these things were harmless, but were they really harmless? Why would the Lord deny His followers something that was fun and pleasurable? As she pondered these thoughts, the verse came to her mind: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15–17. Yes, this was very true, and, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36
Oh dear, she did not want to lose heaven and the favour of her lovely Jesus. The conflict was fierce. She heard the voice of the Lord speaking to her through this verse, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17
And this verse sent a shudder through her entire being. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.” Hebrews 6:4–6. She did not want to crucify her beloved Jesus.
“None of that will satisfy you Barbara.” She heard an inner voice speaking to her. “All of these things are Satan’s cheap substitute for the perfect joy and love that Jesus gives. Right now Jesus is inside you giving you the strength to get up and walk away from these sins. You can feel Him, can’t you?” the voice said.
“Yes, I can feel Him.” Barbara said out loud.
“Don’t use your own strength to resist the sins Barbara,” the voice said to her. “Use God’s strength inside you and get up and walk away and go home and read your Bible.” “For without Me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5. But, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
And that is what she did. She stood up and just turned and walked away. God’s strength inside her even helped her resist arguing with Sarah or making any excuses. Without any word of explanation, she left and went home and knelt down in prayer, thanking Jesus for His help to resist and turn away from this temptation. She then put Sarah behind her and treated her like she did not even exist. Barbara had learned an important lesson about resisting the devil and his desire to make you sin. You can too. You are the believer, like Barbara. And you will have temptations, like the ones Sarah brought. But the Holy Spirit’s job is to come and help you resist temptation. If you take time to read your own Bible every day, you will hear His voice and He will help you to resists temptation every day.
How thankful Barbara was that she had made a regular habit of reading her Bible and that the Lord loved her enough to send the Holy Spirit to help her in the time of temptation when she was ready to falter. She was thankful for the Bible verses that the Holy Spirit brought to her remembrance just when she needed them. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:7–8
Barbara determined to read her Bible now more than ever before, so she could be wise and strong to resist all temptations in the future, but she knew she could only do it in the strength of the Lord.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13