Unless you’re one of those annoyingly blessed people who never has to worry about their weight, chances are you’ve tried many a diet. But how easy is it to undermine all your efforts by falling back into your old eating habits?

Mark Antony was a skilled Roman general and politician in the 1^st Century BC. He sought to rule Rome but fell to the temptation of his love for Cleopatra. Instead of focusing on his political and military strategy, he became entangled in their affair, prioritising pleasure and personal indulgence over duty.

That obsession led to poor decisions. At the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, he abandoned his fleet to follow Cleopatra, sealing his defeat. Ultimately, his temptation for love and luxury cost him both his power and his life.

It’s a story as old as time, isn’t it – and doubtless one that we can both relate to. Yep, there have been times in both our lives where temptations have undermined our best efforts.

And that’s something that God is only too well aware of. So here it is, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep you safe from the temptations nipping at your heels, right at this moment:

1 Peter 1:14 In the past you did not have the understanding you have now, so you did the evil things you wanted to do. But now you are children of God, so you should obey him and not live the way you did before.

Don’t let the temptations from your past undermine your new life as a child of God. Get a grip – obey Him and don’t fall back to live the way you did before.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.