OVERCOMING IN MOMENTS OF TEMPTATION

 

There are a couple of Biblical truths that are extremely useful for resisting temptation:

1) Believe it’s possible, and that we are not slaves of sin.

2) Want what Jesus wants.

Believing it’s possible:  Romans 6:13-14, 8:2 addresses this:  “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace….the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (NKJV).  The Spirit of God in us believers sets us free from sin.  We CAN make right choices.

Wanting what Jesus wants:  In Matthew 15:18-20, Jesus points out that sin comes from the heart.  We can get deceived into thinking that something other than God will satisfy the desires of our hearts.  Psalm 63:1, 3-5 tells us the truth that our souls thirst for God, and He satisfies:

“O God, You are my God;….my soul thirsts for You….Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips” (NKJV).

If we believe that sin will satisfy our hearts’ desires, we will sin.  But we will be selling ourselves short, because sin doesn’t satisfy for very long (and then there are those blasted consequences!)  Only God will fill the emptiness in the heart.  When tempted to sin, ask yourself, “What is the deepest desire of my heart?”  Then look in God’s word and you’ll find that God is aware of that desire, and He Himself is the satisfaction of it.