Have you ever been tempted to do something wrong and failed? I know I have. Truly, all of us fail, even when we try not to. No one can overcome temptation to sin on their own. Rom. 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We have all failed to live up to a perfect and holy God. As the saying goes, “to err is human.” But, there is some bad news and consequences of not overcoming temptation. Rom. 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The second part is the best news of all, the gospel.
The gift of God is His own Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, as fully God and fully man, overcame all temptation and all sin. He died on the cross paying for sin. Jesus rose from the dead proving He defeated sin for us. Therefore, we do not have to live perfectly to be eternally saved. All anyone has to do is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus won the victory over sin for us. He happily tells us in His Word how to live victoriously over sin, and not be defeated.
After a person trusts Christ and gets eternally saved, do they still get tempted, and sometimes still sin? Yes, unfortunately, we all still do. In fact, some have many addictions to sinful behaviors, to destructive habits. So, how does a Christian overcome temptation to sin? There are some specific practical things God’s Word says a Christian can do to overcome temptation to sin. Not to trivialize often a painful topic, but here are nine, so you can live fine. Or as Jesus says, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Scriptural Tips to Overcome Temptation
- Flee lusts and temptation (1Co. 6:18; 10:12-14; 1Ti. 6:11; 2Ti. 2:22). 1Co. 6:18 says, “flee fornication” as it is actually sinning against your “own body.” None of us wants to sin against our self and get more than we bargained for, e.g., STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). “Sin takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you want to pay” (Steve Ferrar).
- Put on the spiritual Armor God provides (Eph. 6:10-18). Eph. 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.”
- The battle is in the heart and mind (Rom. 12:2). I call the LSD of temptation: Lust–>Sin–>Death (LSD). Lustful thoughts and feelings, lead to sinful actions, which lead to death (spiritual and ultimately physical). Rom. 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“
- Depend on God’s Word for victory—Jesus did (Mat. 4:1-13; Luk. 4:1-11). Mat. 4:4 Jesus says, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
- Put up walls to protect your weakness (e.g., accountability partners). Pride is a killer (1Co. 10:12; Pro. 4:23). Pro. 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence…” Numerous men have asked me directly to regularly ask them if they have stayed pure in what the look at and what they do. Will you humble yourself in areas of weakness to ask others to help you, to pray for you?
- Align your will with God’s will in prayer (1Th. 5:17; Mat. 6:10; Luk. 11:2). Mat. 6:10 says, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” I often pray for my will. When I desire what God wants, I can pray for what he wants. When I do, this aligns my will with His wonderful perfect will.
- God promises and provides the way to escape (1Co. 10:13). “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” You can bear up under temptation. Please take the escape when He provides it. Do not delay, escape.
- A strong spiritual walk with God provides victory (Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 8:14). Gal. 5:16 says, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Yielding to God’s Spirit, keeps one from yielding to temptation.
- God rewards you when you endure temptation (James 1:12-15); James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” Get God’s rewards, endure. May God bless and keep you from sin in your upward spiritual journey to be more like Him. Thank you Lord for the victory found only in you…