"The Opportunity"

Luke 4:13 "When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came." Jesus being, yes Fully God was still, Fully Man while dwelling upon Earth and just like man was tempted by the devil yet without sin.  However, this scripture points out so beautifully that when we are, because the time will come, tempted by the devil and don't give him a foothold that he will leave us. Though he is still not far away and he is around still looking and waiting for his time to come in and attack at just the right moment. What is the right moment? For Jesus it was when he was really hungry and fatigued after fasting for 40 days. Jesus was in state of vulnerability and though he wanted to eat did not give into the temptation to use his, God-given, abilities to make food for himself.  The devil being sly and deceptive looks for these moments, these opportunities, of vulnerability to come in and cause Gods people to disobey Him and try to take power in our hands. The state of vulnerability for any person is at their weakest moment, the moment they're hurting, maybe for something they are use to but trying to get rid of because it's not good for them, or maybe over the loss of property or a loved-one. Basically whenever there is a yearning for something/someone we want but just can't have at that time the devil comes in and uses those opportunities. James 4:7 reads "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Jesus demonstrated this humbleness we need in order to resist the devil, and he did resist him so he fled! So if we allow ourselves to keep an attitude of humbleness before God no matter when that next opportunity is that the devil will come he will have no success in causing us to sin. Temptation is not a sin, it is the luring of something our flesh desires thats out of obedience to God in order to cause us to sin. When we give into the temptation and actually commit the act now it has become sin. So in reality the devil doesn't cause us to sin he only tempts us and we in our flesh make the decision.  Therefore, we need to be on guard making sure that we are not giving the devil another opportunity to come and tempt us. Because, he's there and he is waiting for that next opportunity!