Sometimes, I feel as though I am all alone, fighting the battle against my own sinful nature. Today’s devotional was a welcome and humorous reminder that I am never alone. I used to watch the Popeye cartoons every Saturday morning. In spite of the fact that the show always ended the same way, I sat in front of the TV weekly to get my weekly look into heroism and true love. The answer was in a can of spinach. (Yuck!)

These days, when I am battling against temptation, I have only to call upon the name of the Lord and He is right there, reminding me of scriptures that I have memorized and testimonies from my past. God is always there and He does truly love me. We are all blessed to have a Savior as close as the next prayer and always willing to help us in our struggles.

From the YouVersion Bible App, “Daily Power, Day 9” by Craig Groeschel

I loved the old Popeye cartoons. You know, Popeye the Sailor Man? It was clear he was our hero and Brutus was his natural enemy, threatening to harm poor Olive Oil, the love of Popeye’s life. Every episode, after Brutus’ taunting and bullying, Popeye reached the point where “that’s all I can standz, and I can’t standz no more.” Out came his can of spinach, down it went, and suddenly his muscles were popping and fists were flying. Brutus didn’t stand a chance!

I’m convinced we occasionally need to choose a “Popeye moment.” When the Enemy attacks and we keep struggling, we need to “draw a line in the sand” and have a showdown. That’s all we can stand, and it’s time to change.

What fight are you facing today? Are you overworking, missing what’s most important in life? Are you battling an addiction and telling yourself it’s not that big of a deal? Are you putting off a conversation, hoping the problem will solve itself? Are you making excuses as to why you can’t drop the pounds, making jokes about it to help relieve your pain?

Maybe it’s time to stop. Make a decision. Enough is enough. It’s time to change. The good news is your strength doesn’t come from a can of spinach. Yours comes from our God. His power is available to you. His strength dwells within you. His spirit will help you do what you can’t do on your own.

Power Lift: That’s it, Lord. I’m tired of fighting temptation and giving in more times than I can count. Help me change—and help me change now!