. . . that’s when Satan will tempt you to sin. Our adversary is no fool. He’s not going to waste time and effort by working against your strengths. He will attack you when you are the weakest and where you are most vulnerable.
Here’s an example: Someone has had harsh words to say about you. They have assumed the worst, impugned your motives, jumped to false conclusions, spread rumor and innuendo about you. How will you react? You are angry, hurt, insulted, disgusted. The strong temptation is to strike back, to get even, to put this person ‘in his place’. But, you must not submit to the temptation. God’s word says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17,21). It’s hard to follow this instruction at the moment, because you are weak and vulnerable. But this course of action is best – the Lord says so, and our own experience bears this out.
During such times of weakness and vulnerability, we should pray as David did, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies” (Ps. 141:3,4).
We’ve been warned that Satan has many “devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Chief among these is his ability to detect our weaknesses and attack us there. Please realize that you must work hardest during your weakest moments, because that is when Satan is at work against you.
– by Greg Gwin