Pressing in during temptation

Heb. 12:4 - In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

When one sees that this verse occurs in the context of throwing off EVERYTHING that hinders or entangles in one's walk with God, they realize that the Christian's life is not one of rationalizing worldliness but rather one of passionate pursuit of the Lord. This verse is one that NEEDS to be emphasized because there seems to be entirely too much toleration of sin. Many Americans seem to think that if they pray about something and God doesn't immediatly answer it by taking it away that it really wasn't that big of a deal anyways. This is completely contrary to how God says how He works. We need to be rooted in Him and abiding in Him (Ps. 1 and John 15). In plants the roots get stronger in tough times not easy. So it is with Christians. When trials and temptations come is the time to see if one has any roots. When temptation comes one NEEDS to be dependent on God. I think God often does not zap temptation right away because He is teaching us to press in during prayer. He's teaching us how to depend on Him. He's teaching us how to live in His presence. He's teaching us just how week we are and just how much we need His strength. And He teaches us much, much more in the secret place as we cling to Him. If it takes one four hours to press through in prayer through the power of the Spirit for temptation to leave, than it was four hours on one's knees that were spent in quality getting to truly know the Lord. Getting to know the Lord is not something one learns just by reading about Him. One needs to truly know Him. Not know what others simply say about Him or what the cliches say. One needs to press in! It is in the secret place that God teaches us who He is...