Sympathetic Love – February 23, 2021

He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.
Mark 1:13

Sympathetic Love

“Unless you’ve walked a mile in my shoes, you wouldn’t understand.”

Have you ever had this thought? Every day we experience troubles, trials, and temptations. Every day, most people—even those closest to us—won’t know the half of it. Sometimes this is because people are too busy to ask or too self-focused to care. Other times it is because, to protect ourselves, we keep what we think and feel and experience bottled up and locked in.

But no matter who you are or what you have experienced, you have someone who knows you intimately. His name is Jesus. And he is not out of touch with your reality. He knows your triggers. He knows your turmoil. He has walked in your shoes. He went through weakness and testing in all the ways you have. He has experienced it all, except for the sin. And because he has, he can protect you.

He was born to protect you. The reason he came into this world was to destroy the devil’s work. The devil’s work is sin, and his end goal is our damnation. But Jesus fought the devil for us and won. God put our sin on Jesus, who never sinned so that Jesus could make us right with God. He endured our hell. He experienced our death. And in exchange, he offers us his righteous life. Because Jesus was perfectly obedient—even to death on a cross for us—those who trust in him are perfectly holy. God does not judge us guilty.

Jesus doesn’t just protect you from future judgment. Every moment of every day, he is ready with his power to protect you. This doesn’t mean that you will never again be tested, tried, or tempted. But when temptations come, Jesus’ protection is just a prayer away.

Jesus understands. He died and was raised again to free you from the devil’s work. Go to him at any time, in any trouble. Ask him for his strength to stand up against the devil. Jesus will give it. And the devil will flee.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. Amen.