“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’” (Mark 14:37-38, NIV)
In this passage, Jesus has just returned to the disciples after spending time alone in prayer asking God to prepare Him for what He was about to face on the cross. Knowing the challenges that were ahead for both himself and the disciples, He specifically instructs them to, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” While Jesus admonished them for not keeping watch and praying instead of falling asleep, He declared, “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” How often do you face the same agonizing dilemma that Jesus addressed and that Paul describes, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on do-ing.” (Romans 7:17-18). What are the areas of your life where the spirit is willing but your body and mind are weak? Where can Satan cause you to stumble and fall into temptation? In the hours leading up to His arrest, as a man, Jesus suffered and struggled to face His fate. He didn’t just tell the disciples what to do in a time of personal crisis. By spending time alone before God in prayer, Jesus demonstrated and modeled how to resist and overcome temptation.
Child of God, I encourage you to make a decision today to trust God in the midst of whatever test or trial you might be facing. Pray and ask Him for help, with the confidence that Jesus knows your struggles. Through your faith, He will give you the grace to overcome every challenge and test. Remember, it is Jesus who will strengthen you with His grace. In Him, you will have a willing spirit, strong mind and body to face every trial.
Lord, thank you for being my Rock,!myFortress, and my Shield of strength. Jesus, help me to have a willing spirit, a strong body and mind to resist every temptation. In you Jesus, in your grace, I win every battle, every time. Through the blood of Jesus and in the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
