With Every Temptation, God Provides a way of Escape so that we can Endure the temptation.
Going through hardships is different from going through temptations. Hardships refine us, while temptations strengthen us.
Temptations come from, I believe, one of two places - Satan, or our own selfish desires (James 1:14). For those who belong to Christ, the temptation is usually a battle between the spirit and flesh. (Gal 5:17)
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, Jesus used the written Word of God to resist the first two temptations, (Luke 4:1-13) By quoting scripture, truth and light was shed on the situation. In the third temptation, Jesus used the Word again and also included a warning -, He reminds us, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ (Luke 4:12).
When contemplating giving in to temptations, it is only wise to remember God will not be mocked (Gal 6:7-9).
Everyone should have a battle plan for temptation. All battle plans are thought out before the battle. Usually the same temptations come your way until you learn to overcome them.
Jesus fasted and prayed 40 days before He was tempted.(Mat 4:2) Fasting and praying helps suppress your physical desires and strengthens your spiritual desires. Fasting will help you build a greater resistance to the temptation.
Feeling conviction and struggling with the temptation is part of Christianity (John 16:7-11). I find the battle easier when I imagine who it is that’s bringing on the battle - Satan himself! He sends out the assignments, hoping to make you fall and trip up, again. He is the enemy of your soul. It helps to imagine him there with his arms crossed scrutinizing you and waiting for you to give in so he can laugh and accuse you to our Lord Jesus. He is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).
With Every Temptation, God Provides a way of Escape so that we can Endure the temptation.
God’s Word gives us an emergency exit to any temptation. Simply, “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away”. (Matthew 5:30). This scripture is a strategy for overcoming temptation. You need to cut it off, make it dead to you. Do not put yourself in a position to be tempted.
I remember being so attracted to this guy I knew. I had a secret crush on him for 5 years! I would flirt with him but never give in to even a dinner date. After wrestling with this temptation for so very long, my resistance was wearing out. I remembered the scripture “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” and used it as my game plan. I had to have nothing to do with this guy, no friendship, no contact. He had to be “dead to me”.
We need to use wisdom and sometimes look at temptations with logic. If we are not in a position to be tempted then we cannot give in to the temptation. With temptation - going cold turkey is a must!
The good news is, we can “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Resist that devil! Endure the temptation! Merriam-Websters definition of “Endure” means “to remain firm without yielding.” Keep resisting and he will get bored and either move on to someone else or hit you with something else. Doesn’t it seem as if we are always battling something. With each victory, you’ll be empowered, and it will only lead to more victory.