Defeating Temptation

Each and every day a person faces numerous temptations. No matter how young or old you may be, no matter where you grow up, no matter how much money you have; we all face temptations.  Some temptations are more obvious than others.  However, the temptations we face are abundant and will continue throughout our life.  Even men and women who have been in the church for decades face temptations.  We all have heard the saying that Satan comes to “steal, kill, and destroy.” (John 10:10) Satan’s plan is to destroy us and pull us away from living the life that Christ has called for us to live. 

Throughout life, we all sin. We sin daily and sometimes we may sin without realizing it on the spot.  Many of our sins come from falling into temptations.  Although we know we will sin daily, we should not settle for falling deeper and deeper into temptation.  We should work each day to defeat the evil temptations that come to our mind and heart. 

This past Sunday, my father preached about living righteous in an unrighteous world.  We are living in a world full of evil.  The world continues to walk farther and farther away from the hands of God and his Gospel.  As Christians we should have an attitude that wants to defeat the temptations that hurt our lives and pull us away from Christ’s calling and purpose for our lives.

So how do we defeat the temptation?  We keep our hearts focused on Christ.

We must pray.  Prayer is our daily communication with God.  We can talk to him at any point of the day.  Through prayer communicate with the Lord what you are going through and the temptations that you are facing. He will help you.

We must continue to read God’s word.  Through the Gospel, we receive our instructions for our time on Earth.  The Bible is full of examples of people who fell into temptation.  In some cases, the temptation they fell into ruined them.  In other cases, a person would realize their temptation, work to defeat it, and turn their life to Christ.  Reading God’s Word should give us positive thoughts on Christ.  Our eyes must be fixed on the Glory of the Lord, His promise, and his purpose for our lives. In His Word, we find scriptures that help us to overcome temptation.

We must stay focused. Our relationship with Christ should be the most important thing in our live.  We should work to grow and improve our relationship with Him.  As we walk with him, our trust in Him will grow.  By studying God’s Word, a Christian learns more about temptation and how to defeat those temptations.  Sometimes defeating temptation may be as simple as completely avoiding a situation that may put you in a situation where that temptation may appear.  In other cases, defeating temptation may be a slow (and maybe rough) process. But with Christ, accountability partners, and prayer you can overcome temptation.

Many people fall to temptation without caring.  Falling into temptation prohibits us from living out God’s grand plan for our life.  JC Watts says that “Character is who you are when nobody is watching.”  There are many people who attempt to be a person of high character when everyone is watching.  However, behind closed doors they fall into a constant temptation without a care.  No matter what benefit you think may come from following temptation, it will not compare to the Glory of the Lord.  Through prayer, reading God’s word, and staying focused on the Lord’s calling we will gain knowledge of how to better fight the temptations that we face daily. 

Though you may face many temptations or one huge temptation, run to Jesus, His Word, and a community of prayer warriors.

-Nick Buford