Overcoming Temptation

Once you become a Christian, you never sin again, true? Of course not. No matter how long a person has been a Christian, he/she will be tempted to sin. How does he handle temptation? If he does fall into temptation and sin, what can he do?  

What kinds of temptations do we face? We are tempted by envy, wrath, laziness, sexual thoughts, anger, hatred, and unforgiveness.

 

Is temptation sin?

To be tempted is not sin. Jesus was tempted by Satan, but He did not sin. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. “At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12–13)
Jesus overcame temptation by God’s word. For us believers, it is possible to overcome temptation by Jesus’ power and the Word of God.

Where does temptation come from?

The desires of the flesh

James 4:1 identifies the source of temptation: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” Our human desires entice and tempt us to sin daily. We quarrel and fight because we cannot get what we want. We sin in thoughts and actions. 

Paul lists the acts of the flesh in the book of Galatians. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19–21).

The devil

James tells us that God does not tempt us. “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13). But the devil does tempt us. The apostle Peter warns us to be on guard, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan lies in wait to make us sin.

The devil uses deception to tempt us. Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden by casting doubts on God’s word and character (Gen 3:4). The lie is that we can be our own gods. Satan makes us believe that we can live independent of God, the Creator without consequences.

The world

The apostle John advises us not to love the world. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 Jn 2:15–16). The world tells us to want more, to follow our fleshly desires and be proud. The world’s values and philosophies are in opposition to God's design and values.

 

How do we overcome temptations

Sometimes we may think that our temptations are unique, but the Bible says otherwise. Our temptations are common to what others face. ^“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor 10:13). God is faithful to keep the temptation from becoming too strong for us to resist. When we are tempted, he will show us a way out so that we will not succumb to the temptation.

Ways to overcome temptation:

1. Flee from the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes.

For some temptations, the Bible instructs us to avoid sin by fleeing. We are to flee from sexual immorality and youthful passions (1 Cor 6:18, 2 Tim 2:22); idolatry (1 Cor 10:14); and the love of money (1 Tim 6:11). Joseph is a good example of what it means to flee sexual immorality. Potiphar’s wife seduced him day after day, but Joseph resisted the temptation and fled (Gen 39:10); “He escaped and ran outside” (Gen 39:12). He ran away from the danger of sinning against God.

 

1. 2.    Do not listen to the lies of Satan.

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Rev 12:9). Satan is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).

He uses deception to lead the world astray.  

He continues to deceive people today. He deceives the unbelievers about the truth of the gospel. He tries to deceive Christians by planting doubts, discouragement, despair, and fears in our minds. The devil makes us think that we can find greater satisfaction apart from God and that sin will bring us happiness and fulfilment in life. Some lies that Satan say to us: you would be happy if your circumstances were different; if you were married, or if you weren't married; if you had more money; or if you have a better job. Don’t believe Satan’s lies. Sin never keeps its promises!

 

1. 3.       Call upon Jesus and the Word of God

We don’t face temptations alone. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb 2:18). We can call upon Jesus to grant us the mercy and grace to help us in times of need to overcome temptation. He understands our struggles and weaknesses. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15–16)

Jesus overcame temptation by the Word of God. When tempted, Jesus quoted scriptures to defeat the devil (Matt 4:10). In the same way, we need to know scriptures and apply them to our lives. 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Ps 119:9–11). We are to study the Word of God, pray for understanding, hide it in our hearts, and obey His Word (Ps 119:34).

According to Ephesians 6:17, one of our spiritual weapons is the Word of God. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every lofty opinion that is against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)

As you read the Bible regularly, you will have God’s guidance in your life. The Word will transform your mind, so you have the mind of Christ. When tempted, you can wield the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) to overcome the temptation. 

What to do after sinning

Although we try to resist temptation, we will fall from time to time. When we fail to flee temptation, or we listen to the lies of the devil, we sin and fall. The question is, “What should we do when we sin, or fail to do the right thing, or act in a way that does not please God?”

Repent and confess our sins

We need to repent and confess our sins. We confess every known sin that the Holy Spirit convicts us and claim the cleansing and forgiveness which God promises in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Then we ask the Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit. This restores our fellowship with God. As we continue to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit we will not give in to the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).  

Application to overcome an area of temptation

1. Identify a temptation that you are currently struggling with.
2. What desires are enticing you to sin? Do you need to flee?
3. What lies is the devil telling you?
4. Choose to turn to Jesus through prayer.
5. What scriptures can help you to overcome the temptation?

 

Resources:

Fairchild, Mary. "How to Resist Temptation and Grow Stronger." Learn Religions, Feb. 16, 2021, learnreligions.com/how-to-avoid-temptation-701018.

https://www.creativebiblestudy.com/overcoming-temptation.html. Accessed on 16/9/2022.

https://explorethebible.lifeway.com/blog/adults/3-ways-to-overcome-temptation-session-11-genesis-393-1219-21/. Accessed on 16/9/2022.

Cru Media Ministry is the trusted Christian bookstore in Singapore. We develop and publish Christian reading and multimedia materials to provide resources to individuals for their spiritual needs, including Bibles in both English and Chinese, as well as Children’s Bibles. You might also find another article written by the same author, How to Tap into the Power of the Holy Spirit helpful and relevant.

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