One of the most underutilized weapons in the Christian’s arsenal is prayer. The crowning aspect of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). We should listen to the songs we sing and take the messages to heart. We sing verses like “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged: Take it to the Lord in prayer” (What a Friend We have in Jesus) and “In seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer” (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Did You Think to Pray? Likewise admonishes us, “When you met with great temptation, Did you think to pray? By His dying love and merit, Did you claim the Holy Spirit As your guide and stay?”
May God help us to train ourselves to make prayer our automatic response to temptation! Jesus told His disciples in the garden to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41) and taught His disciples to pray to God, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt. 6:13). God wants us to endure temptation more than anybody (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thess. 4:7), we should solicit His help when we are facing seemingly unendurable temptation!
God’s Word
Likewise, we cannot underestimate the power of God’s Word in our fight against temptation. God’s Word is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17) and is living, active, and sharp (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word was Jesus’ tool when the tempter sought to lure Him into sin (Mt. 4:1-11), and it should be ours as well.
There are a couple of ways in which familiarity with and meditation on God’s Word can help us overcome temptation. In the first place, God’s Word helps us to have our minds transformed so that we can discern between what is good and what is evil (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; Heb. 5:13-14). Also, having the Sword of the spirit stored in our heart gives us instant help in tempting situations: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). The more we meditate on and internalize God’s Word, the better equipped we are to overcome temptation.
The Psalms tell us that the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Ps. 1:2). It is not automictically the case that those who know more of God’s Word will sin less, but it is true that God’s Word is our greatest offensive weapon against being overwhelmed by temptation and conforming to the world. If we find ourselves struggling with sin and giving into temptation more than we used to, we likely need to flee to God’s Word for refuge: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Prov. 30:5).
Responsibility and Accountability
Finally, to help us overcome temptation, we should take responsibility and seek accountability. If our sin is always somebody else’s fault, we are not taking responsibility as we should. God does not tempt us, but our own desires lead us astray (Jas. 1:13-15)! When it comes to sin, we are in the driver’s seat. As God encouraged Cain before he murdered his brother, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:7). We can choose to rule over sin. There is no sin that we must commit. So, when we sin, we should take responsibility for our actions by admitting that we’ve done wrong, and seeking God’s mercy: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
God has given us Christian brothers and sisters to help us when we are struggling with temptation. Our time together in fellowship, worship, and community is designed to create an atmosphere of accountability and genuine spiritual concern for each other. If we neglect to assemble with the saints and spend time with our brothers and sisters, we will be more susceptible to caving into temptation. The wisdom of God tells us that “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Prov. 18:1). We should confess our sins to one another, reach out for help, and be willing to be held accountable by our brothers and sisters (even if that means receiving rebuke). We are commanded: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-12). We are told to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16).
When we are struggling, we should be with the church more,not less! May we take hold of God’s resources to help us in the fight against temptation.
Practical Actions to Resist Temptation Pt. 2
Pray
One of the most underutilized weapons in the Christian’s arsenal is prayer. The crowning aspect of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). We should listen to the songs we sing and take the messages to heart. We sing verses like “Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged: Take it to the Lord in prayer” (What a Friend We have in Jesus) and “In seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer” (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Did You Think to Pray? Likewise admonishes us, “When you met with great temptation, Did you think to pray? By His dying love and merit, Did you claim the Holy Spirit As your guide and stay?”
May God help us to train ourselves to make prayer our automatic response to temptation! Jesus told His disciples in the garden to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41) and taught His disciples to pray to God, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt. 6:13). God wants us to endure temptation more than anybody (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thess. 4:7), we should solicit His help when we are facing seemingly unendurable temptation!
God’s Word
Likewise, we cannot underestimate the power of God’s Word in our fight against temptation. God’s Word is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17) and is living, active, and sharp (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word was Jesus’ tool when the tempter sought to lure Him into sin (Mt. 4:1-11), and it should be ours as well.
There are a couple of ways in which familiarity with and meditation on God’s Word can help us overcome temptation. In the first place, God’s Word helps us to have our minds transformed so that we can discern between what is good and what is evil (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; Heb. 5:13-14). Also, having the Sword of the spirit stored in our heart gives us instant help in tempting situations: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). The more we meditate on and internalize God’s Word, the better equipped we are to overcome temptation.
The Psalms tell us that the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night (Ps. 1:2). It is not automictically the case that those who know more of God’s Word will sin less, but it is true that God’s Word is our greatest offensive weapon against being overwhelmed by temptation and conforming to the world. If we find ourselves struggling with sin and giving into temptation more than we used to, we likely need to flee to God’s Word for refuge: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Prov. 30:5).
Responsibility and Accountability
Finally, to help us overcome temptation, we should take responsibility and seek accountability. If our sin is always somebody else’s fault, we are not taking responsibility as we should. God does not tempt us, but our own desires lead us astray (Jas. 1:13-15)! When it comes to sin, we are in the driver’s seat. As God encouraged Cain before he murdered his brother, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:7). We can choose to rule over sin. There is no sin that we must commit. So, when we sin, we should take responsibility for our actions by admitting that we’ve done wrong, and seeking God’s mercy: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
God has given us Christian brothers and sisters to help us when we are struggling with temptation. Our time together in fellowship, worship, and community is designed to create an atmosphere of accountability and genuine spiritual concern for each other. If we neglect to assemble with the saints and spend time with our brothers and sisters, we will be more susceptible to caving into temptation. The wisdom of God tells us that “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Prov. 18:1). We should confess our sins to one another, reach out for help, and be willing to be held accountable by our brothers and sisters (even if that means receiving rebuke). We are commanded: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-12). We are told to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another” (Jas. 5:16).
When we are struggling, we should be with the church more, not less! May we take hold of God’s resources to help us in the fight against temptation.