“There hath no temptation take 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

It went on for years.

Back when I owned a “real world” business (I now operate 100% from the Internet) I would have salespeople come by my store almost every day trying to sell me things that I didn’t want or need.

I don’t deal well with confrontation, so this was a particularly frustrating situation for me. They’d come in and I’d express my disinterest by saying “no thanks” and then they’d continue to try to convince me otherwise.

I had a hard time trying to get salespeople to leave.

So, I did what I thought would solve the problem. I got one of those bright orange signs from the local Wal-Mart store emblazoned with “NO SOLICITING” and I placed it on my window right next to the front door of my business.

Think that stopped them from coming in?

Better think again.

While it did deter some salespeople, many just barged on in, despite the fact that I hadn’t invited them.

I even went so far as to post a sign that I made with my computer onto the front door itself right by the handle, so you absolutely couldn’t miss it. It read, “Unless you are wanting to sell me Twenty-dollar US bills for fifty cents each, absolutely NO SOLICITING. THIS MEANS YOU!”

Still, that didn’t stop them from coming around.

Occasionally, I even bought one of their products (like a cleaning solution that was supposed to clean every stain in the place) just so I could say “I already have some” when the next guy came in.

That didn’t work either. The next salesman either tried to explain why his product was better, or he had some “accessory” to offer me.

Finally, almost in desperation, I realized that I just had to be firm. These salespeople weren’t going to go away. Like them or not, they were a part of my life and I had to deal with them.

So, I planned my strategy. And that strategy was to say “No thanks.” If they continued to pitch, I would tell them “Did you read the sign out front? I’m not buying.” And, if that didn’t do it, I’d say “Do you want me to contact the police?”

No one ever tried to sell me after I said that. Never. The police are the authority and no salesperson ever wanted to mess with them.

Now, I share that story to tell you this: satan has salespeople. They are called “temptations.”

And you better get this fact straight right now: there isn’t a thing you can do to keep them from coming around. You can put up signs and all that stuff, but they are a part of your life here on this earth and you better learn to deal with them.

There is nothing you can do to avoid temptation. Nothing. Even if you went out to a deserted island and it was just you and the bananas and the palm trees, you still couldn’t chase them away. If you’ve got a mind that is working, then temptation will find you.

So, what are you going to do about it?

You can try your signs. You can give into it hoping it won’t come back again. You can whisper your polite “No thanks.” None of those are going to work.

You gotta be serious. “Do you want me to contact the Father?!”

When you face temptation, don’t play games. Immediately summon the One who can help you. Call upon the Lord Jesus. Demons will tremble, and temptation will scramble. He is the authority and temptation just won’t mess with Him.

Christian, temptation will come. You can’t do anything about that. But, how you handle it is completely under your control.

And the best thing you can do today is call upon the Lord.

“No soliciting” doesn’t always work, but the blood of Christ does!

Have a “Wonderful DAY in Christ,” Jimmy D. Brown dailydevotional-785@royalr1.com