There are many things in this life that can poison your heart. In college, it might be alcohol, drugs or toxic relationships. As a professional athlete, those temptations are often in the form of material possessions and money. But when I committed my life to Christ during my playing days at the University of Nebraska, I allowed Him to fill the void in my heart that worldly things could never satisfy.

No matter how long you have been serving the Lord, the enemy of your soul is going to tempt you to walk away from the straight and narrow path. Thankfully, when I began playing for the Buffalo Bills, I had a group of like-minded individuals to help me stay the course.

Jesus set the perfect example of how to resist worldly things. He surrounded Himself with a group of men who wanted to please God, and He studied God’s Word daily. When He faced a difficult test in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), Jesus was able to stand firm against Satan’s temptations.

When you face temptations within sport and life, you don’t have to carry those burdens by yourself. Find other believers who will hold you accountable, stay consistent in your Bible devotion, and then you will be able to fully “submit to God” and “resist the Devil.”