Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)
Since He Himself
has gone through suffering and temptation, He is able to help us when we are
being tempted.
Temptation
has been around and attacking people since Adam and Eve were created. Even God Himself in the form of Jesus Christ
was tempted while living on Earth.
Henry Ward Beecher once wrote: “All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that cannot be
broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot”. Temptations include all kinds of things, but
the greatest majority of temptations involve sex, greed, overindulgence (e.g.
food, drink, prideful pursuits), gossip, lying, and coveting.
This
verse, as well as Hebrews 4:14-16, affirms that Jesus knows what it is like to
be tempted and can help you to overcome your weakness to yield to the
temptation. There is absolutely no
temptation confronting you that is unique to you (I Cor 10:13). Jesus experienced them all; yes, dare I
write, even sexual temptation, yet He remained obedient and never succumbed to
any temptation. To be tempted is normal,
to give in to the temptation is common, to resist and not be led into
temptation (Luke 11:4), frankly, is rare.
Only strong faith and dependence upon the strength and power of the Lord
through His Holy Spirit in you will enable you to resist temptation and be
delivered from evil (Matt 6:13, I Cor 10:13, James 1:5, James 1:12).
Indeed,
as you desire to be happy with your life, one key to happiness is to be able to
resist temptation and have peace of mind about it (James 1:12). Think about this carefully as you examine
your life right now-----if you feel unhappy about things, is there a temptation
that you are yielding to?
You
are especially vulnerable to some specific temptation and the enemy---Satan and
his demons—know what this is and will attack you constantly. Do not think for a minute that you are not
subject to temptation, you are (study James 1:14). Rather than ignoring temptation and hoping it
will go away on its own, recognize it and be prepared when it strikes. For example, if you are vulnerable to sexual
temptation, you must take proactive steps to avoid temptations from the
internet, hotel cable services, and even how you interact with the opposite sex
in the workplace, at the beach, even at church.
Indeed, Scripture teaches to “flee immorality” (I Cor 6:18) so you must
take steps to look for a way out as God promises (I Cor 10:13). This is not saying to avoid attending church,
but it is saying to be prepared to stay away from anyone, at church or
wherever, whom you know will increase your temptation to commit sin.
The
greatest way to resist temptation is to apply the model of Christ when He was
tempted and that is to recite the Word of God (Matt 4:3-4, 6-7, 9-10). Since you know what your greatest temptations
are, you need to know in your heart (i.e. have memorized) those Scriptures that
best help you deal with the temptation.
For example, when sexually tempted, recite such verses as I Cor 10:13,
II Cor 10:5, I Peter 2:11, and James 4:7.
There are Scriptures that deal with every kind of temptation known to
man because, again, God knows what they are and has inspired Biblical writers
to write about them for your benefit.
However,
sometimes, you will fail to resist the temptation. When this happens, you must recognize your
failure immediately (having daily intake of God’s Word will help you be
sensitive to your sins) and confess it.
Not only confess, but ask for repentance that you may not repeat the
succumbing to temptation again. Plus, it
also helps to have someone you trust to whom you can be accountable to so that
(1) being accountable to someone helps you resist temptation and (2) that
person can help you pray for your ability to overcome the temptation that
attacks you.
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