OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

After being a believer in Christ for a number of years, I have come to realize one of the main ways we as Christians get into trouble. When we do not pay careful enough attention to what we allow ourselves to think about, it can be a slippery slope. All temptation starts with a thought, whether it results from something we see, hear, think or feel. How we respond to life is everything. If we allow an improper thought to develop, we are choosing the wrong path. No temptation becomes sin automatically. It is not a sin to have a bad thought cross our mind, but it can become one if we allow it to stay. The more we allow improper thoughts, or thoughts of temptation to develop, the more likely it is to turn into sin. But if we guard our thoughts and take that thought captive and stop it in its tracks, as 1 Corinthians 10:5 says, victory can be ours.
 

• James 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

 
We need to realize where temptation comes from. It is not God that tempts us, but temptation comes from the areas that we are weak in. Over time the enemy has learned what works on people and even personally on each of us, in what we can be tempted with. What is tempting for one is not necessarily tempting for another. Sin is not birthed instantly, but is the result of not taking control of what we think, and allowing ourselves to imagine doing it, or thinking about the pleasures or benefits we would get from it. This means we have time to stop temptation before it becomes sin. When something triggers an emotional feeling that has the potential to become sin, we must submit it to the Holy Spirit, filter it through God’s Word and resist it before it takes rulership, and emotions get out of control.
 

• James 4:7-8a Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

 
If we allow our imagination to see ourselves committing a sin and even find pleasure in it, it becomes harder to resist the temptation. The truth is that most sin has short term pleasure and even possible short term benefits. But In reality, it all comes with bad and costly effects in the present and eternally. There are many testimonies of people that were involved in all kinds of sin, addictions and wrong doings, and later admit that they were never truly happy or fulfilled, and that the pleasure they were experiencing was short lived, followed by a bitter taste and even depression.
 
We need to realize the biblical truth that there is no temptation greater than the strength we have in Jesus to conquer it!
 

• 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

 
If God’s Word says that the strength we have in Jesus is greater than any temptation we encounter, and that He has already prepared a way of escape for us not to sin, this is the absolute truth. God never requires anything of us that He does not equip us for or provide all we need to accomplish it. Because He wants us to win every battle with all temptation, God gives us the strength and weapons to overcome. But we must be willing to fight! The One who lives in us, Jesus Christ, is greater than the enemy who is in the world (1 John 4:4). In Jesus we have already won, because He defeated the devil at the cross. Because of Jesus we can escape from every single temptation, but we need to do our share.
 
Many think calling on the Lord is enough to overcome a temptation. But the fact is that we are the ones who must do our part. Our Lord cannot take our place, but in His Name, we have His authority to fight, and our victory is secure. We must be the ones to take control over our own thoughts and feelings, and submit them to Jesus, as we are taught in the following verses.
 

• 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

 
We are in a continuous spiritual war while living in these bodies, and in this war, we do not fight with regular, physical weapons. One of the weapons that God prepared for us is His truth, which pulls down every stronghold. We all know what our weaknesses are and what tempts us. We need to learn what God’s Word says about the areas we struggle with and have the truth of the Bible working in us. By knowing the truth we can conquer temptation, as we follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and not the lust of the flesh. We are not simply sinners whose sins were forgiven. When we became born-again in Christ, we were delivered from the bondage of sin.
 
By guarding our eyes, ears, thoughts and feelings we can become more of who we should be in Christ Jesus. We can become more pleasing to the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit who live in us. Jesus lived to please the Father. How wonderful it would be if we did the same. Sometimes we want to be better Christians just to be our best. But is that the same as wanting to please the Lord? Let us live to please the Lord and not allow sin to damage us or anyone else that our sin would impact. Let us guard our hearts and minds and refuse space to allow sin to be birthed. Let us keep learning the Word of God and allowing it room in us to shape and mold us and keep us truly walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
 

• Galatians 6:8-9 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.