No matter how long we have been followers of Christ, we are all subject to the temptation to sin. There are, however, practical things we can do to become stronger and more knowledgeable in our fight against temptation. Sin is misleading as it both promises and delivers things that it never intended to. With the truth of God’s word, we should work to defeat deception. Let us make sure to commit to memory a verse from the Bible that explicitly addresses any particular sin that we frequently succumb to temptation with. Let us also take comfort in the awareness that God Himself is the source of our joy and fulfillment.
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11
Photo source: Cameron Yartz
As Christians, there are numerous approaches to resisting temptation and overcoming it. Here are a few of the many approaches.
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Avoid enticing circumstances
In Matthew 6:13, the Lord Jesus instructed His followers to pray to God for protection from temptation and deliverance from evil. If we ask God to help us resist temptation, we must also exercise caution to avoid being drawn into enticing circumstances. Friendships with persons that tempt us toward evil may need to be dissolved. While we might be guiding these unsaved friends to God, we should be careful that they do not lead us away from God’s kingdom and His righteousness. The Bible warns us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that bad company corrupts good manners.
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Refrain from being ungodly and strive to be godly
We shall always be vulnerable to temptation on this side of eternity since it is a characteristic of man. Temptation only succeeds when our hearts are not ready for it. Thus, we should put on the Lord Jesus Christ and not give in to the lusts of the body. Denying our ungodly desires is not enough; we also need to find our godly desires satisfied in the Lord. Let us delight ourselves in the Lord and He will provide our heart’s desires rather than seeking pleasure elsewhere.
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Ponder on God’s Word
We are tempted and even under pressure to conform to the evil of the unsaved world around us. The psalmist said in Psalm 119: 11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Also, let us not forget how the Lord Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations by quoting the Scripture He had concealed in His heart time and time again. We should make it a point to make God’s Word a priority since studying, reflecting on, and practicing it protects us from many perils.
