Character Counts

By Paul Chappell

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Ephesians 6:11-13

We are in a battle in the Christian life. As someone said, we travel to Heaven on a battleship, not a cruise ship. And in the battle it is vital that we stand firm and maintain our character. The devil knows that if he can get us to let down our guard in even a small area, it will not be long until he has free reign to go to work in our lives. There are no small character failures.

Oscar Wilde was a brilliant and much-praised writer but also a greatly immoral man. Late in life as he suffered the consequences of his lifestyle, he wrote: "I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber, one has some day to cry aloud from the house-top. I ceased to be lord over myself. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace."

The devil is perfectly content to take small pieces of ground. If you do not stand firm, you will find yourself continually moving backward until you are completely defeated. When the temptation comes, remember the warning of Scripture, "Neither give place to the devil"20 (Ephesians 4:27). Guard your character so that he has no room to work in your life, and you will be on the road to victory.

Today's Rooted Principle:

Stand fast and maintain your character against temptation—both public and private, and both large and small.