Overcoming Temptation

Temptation comes from the devil and his demons so I want to start all the way back at the beginning when we first see temptation introduced to us.

Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

In Genesis 3:1-6 we can clearly see one of the main tactics of the enemy and how Satan and his demons operate. They use temptation, lies, and twisting of God’s Word to try to get us to question God, His goodness, His truth, His Word, who He is in us, and who we are in Him. The demons start with a temptation that often includes a lie. They try to get us to take our eyes off God and believe something that is not true.

Satan tempted Eve and she did not shut the temptation down. She looked at the tree and “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful.”

Her first mistake was not telling the devil to take a hike the second he started tempting her to sin. Being tempted is not a sin, but giving in to temptation leads to sin. She listened to the devil, she engaged in a conversation with him, and then she looked at what he was tempting her with, she thought about it, then the tree started looking really good to her, next she ate from the tree and shared it with her husband. Not only did she fall for temptation, but she tempted her husband, and he fell as well. When we fall for temptation it often affects those we are closest to as well.

We must stop the process the moment the temptation is whispered to us. That is the moment we must immediately pull the lie down, replace it with the truth found in God’s Word, and verbally command the demon to be silent and get out in the name of Jesus. If we sit with it for too long we can easily end up with the forbidden thing in our hand and before we know it we are sharing it with those around us.

Let’s look at the example of Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him into the holy city [Jerusalem] and placed Him on the pinnacle (highest point) of the temple. And he said [mockingly] to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You [to serve, care for, protect and watch over You]’; and ‘They will lift you up on their hands, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory [splendor, magnificence, and excellence] of them; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him; and angels came and ministered to Him [bringing Him food and serving Him].

How Jesus Responded to Temptation

He recognized the temptation and lies of the devil when he tried to tempt Him.

Jesus called the lies out. He did not come into agreement with any of them.

He replaced the lies with the truth found in the Word of God. He used the Word as a weapon.

He commanded the devil to leave, and the devil left.

Practical Tips to Overcome Temptation

We must understand what sin is so we can recognize when we are being tempted to sin. If we don’t know what is and what is not a sin we will never recognize when we are doing it or being tempted to do it. We can only do this by knowing the Word of God.

Also, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin, but don’t think you have to feel conviction for it to be sin. So many times I hear people say to rely on your convictions and if you do not feel convicted then it is not a sin for you. That is not Biblical at all. If the Bible says it is sin, it is sin for you and all of us. No one gets a free pass on any sin.

Recognize the temptation. Don’t just blindly go through life. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and keep your eyes wide open because demons WILL try to tempt you. Temptation is everywhere.

As soon as the temptation comes pull it down. Do not analyze it, think about it, or have a conversation with yourself or the demon about it. If you start trying to justify why it is not that big of a deal, or that God probably wouldn’t really care you have already lost the battle.

Be quick to say NO and move on.

Get and keep control of your mind. 2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,

Avoid any amount of pride. Demons love to try to get us caught up in pride.

Understand the tactics of demons and how they operate. They know our weak areas and they will never stop trying to tempt us to sin.

Fasting is a great way to get stronger in the Lord, crucify your flesh, and better recognize and pull-down temptations.

Pray and ask God to help you recognize and stand against temptation.

Discipline is a must. This may include changing your habits, refusing to let your mind run wild, avoiding areas where are you tempted, and getting out of your emotions and instead walking in the truth of God’s Word.  

Choose not to sin. Sin is a choice, and it is never an accident. It may feel like you are not making a choice if you have sinned over and over because it gets stronger and stronger and the hold on you gets stronger the more you continue the pattern of sin, but it is a choice. If you keep sinning, you may also no longer feel conviction because you have seared your conscience. The more we continue to sin the stronger hold it has over us, but it is never impossible to break it’s hold over our lives.

We choose if we are going to fall for temptation. I have people tell me they could not help it or that they “fell” into sin. That is just justifications and minimization. We are responsible for our actions, words, and what is in our heart.

We often use the excuse of being human to sin. But Jesus often told those He healed to go and sin no more, and God tells us to be Holy. We are told to be imitators of Christ.

1 Peter 1:15-16 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

Don’t fall into condemnation because of sin because that is of the devil and just another trap of the enemy.

If you sin run to your Father in repentance (change of heart, mind, and direction) and He is faithful to forgive your sins and cleanse you.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Conviction runs you to Him and condemnation runs you from Him.

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/VTyBbHCW5vA?si=8MViIw7_REJ9IAVW

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry

Fullnessofjoyministry@gmail.com