WHAT TEMPTS YOU? – PART 2 OF 2

What tempts you?

It important to know what tempts you.

Why?

It is important to know what tempts you because that knowledge will empower you to better protect yourself against yielding to that temptation.

If you know what tempts you, you can better protect yourself from yielding to that temptation by:

a) completely avoiding what tempts you

b) minimizing your exposure to what tempts you

c) making sure you have a pre-determined plan to deal with what tempts you if you are involuntarily exposed to it

d) looking for and taking the God-provided way of escape.

And why is this rejection-based posture toward temptation important?

Let’s revisit James 1:13, 14 and add verse 15.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.

 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.”

(Amplified Bible)

This rejection-based posture toward temptation is important because according to John 1:15, evil desires when conceived give birth to sin and sin when it is fully matured produces death.

The New Living Translation puts verses 14 and 15 this way:-

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

(James 1:14, 15 – NLT)

Yielding to temptation leads to sin and death so it is important for us to know how to protect ourselves from and in temptation.

In light of this, here are 8 keys that will help you deal with temptation:-

1) Know what tempts you. – Don’t deny that something tempts you just because it is taboo. No matter how dark and sinister it may be in the eyes of God, if something tempts you, it tempts you and  the reason it tempts you is because you have a desire for it. Be honest with yourself and with God about what tempts you and ask Him for wisdom as to how to deal with it.

2) Do everything that you can to avoid unnecessary temptation. – Temptation often comes in specific circumstances and under specific conditions. Once you know what these circumstances and situations are for you, do everything you can to avoid being in them.

3) If you find yourself  in the face of temptation look for and take the way of escape. – In instances where temptation is thrust upon you, look for the God-provided way of escape and flee. Know that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which you can bear and with every temptation He provides a way of escape. The test within every temptation is whether you will  choose to take the way of escape.

“For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.”

(I Corinthians 10:13 – Amplified Bible)

4) Know what the Bible says relative to your area of weakness – Read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word relative to your area of temptation and ungodly desire. It’s important to know what the scriptures say before you encounter the place of temptation. Remember, Jesus quoted the Word when confronted with temptation (Matthew 4:3, 4) and so should we. How can we speak “It is written” when we do not know what s written?

“And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made loaves of] bread. But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

(Matthew 4:3, 4 – Amplified Bible)

5) Have an accountability person(s) to help you through. – Prayerfully find someone who is a mature Believer in Christ who you can support, encourage, strengthen and help you deal with your struggles. Connect with them to talk, pray and study the Word concerning your issues. Agree that this person can contact you at least once a week to see how you are doing and that you will be honest with them no matter what. Creating accountability can help you in your struggle against temptation.

“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

(James 5:16 – Amplified Bible)

6) When tempting thoughts come, “change mental channels” – According to psychologists, we can only do one cognitive task at a time so when thoughts relative to your area of temptation come, instead of dwelling on them, cast them down and think of something else. Choose to “change mental channels” and focus on the Word or begin to praise God instead of focusing on what tempts you. It would be difficult to yield to temptation when your heart and mind are fully concentrated on the Word, or on praising and worshipping the Lord.

7) Pray – Ask God for help in dealing with temptation. – In Matthew 6:13, when Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, He told them to ask God to lead them away from temptation and to deliver them from evil and in Hebrews 4:16 tells us to fearlessly go to God for grace to help us in our time of need. We need to pray and ask God for help in dealing with temptation.

“And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

(Matthew 6:13 – Amplified Bible)

“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].”

(Hebrews 4:16 – Amplified Bible)

8) If you fall, confess and repent quickly. – if you yield to temptation, don’t get bogged down in guilt and condemnation, but instead, confess and repent quickly. God already knows about your sin , it’s no surprise to Him, but confession and repentance is necessary to move forward. It is extremely dangerous to persist in your sin just because you’ve yielded because as James 1:15 states, sin when is it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

(I John1:9 – Amplified Bible)

So, what tempts you?

I pray that this knowledge, in addition to the eight keys outlined in this post will empower you to better protect yourself against yielding to temptation.

Hymn – “Yield Not to Temptation”  – music and lyrics by Horatio R. Palmer (1868)

Be encouraged!

Kim

Copyright © 2013 by Kim Sweeting, Author of “Unwalled” Blog, All rights reserved.

Image “Temptation”  – source – churchcentral.org.uk

 Video “Yield Not To Temptation” – by H. R. Palmer, courtesy of redz0627–  http://www.youtube.com