CHAPTER
SIX
How To Handle
Temptation
In order to stay out of trouble in life, we must understand the nature
and dynamics of temptation. First of all, it will not go away; we all get
tempted.
For years I made the mistake of just wanting temptation to go away. I
thought if I just would not get tempted to lose my temper, then I could stay
peaceful all the time. Or if I did not have to endure the presence of people
who aggravated me, then I could walk in love. It was a great day for me when I
finally realized I was wanting something I would never have. I had to learn to
face temptation, say no to it and gain the mastery over it.
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And when he was at the place, he
said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luke 22:40 KJV
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People are tempted in different areas depending on their specific
individual weaknesses. I have always been more prone to get upset than my
husband, so there were things that were a temptation for me that were not a
temptation for him. I have never been tempted to rob a bank or a gas station,
but there are people who are. Some are more tempted by food than others.
I recently heard someone say that we all have our own demons to face in
life. That means we all have things that seem to be just too hard for us, but
they won't be if we will learn to lean on God for the help we need.
In Luke 22:40 KJV quoted at the beginning of this chapter, we see Jesus
telling His disciples to pray because they were about to be tempted. He was
really telling them to pray for the strength they needed to avoid entering into
the temptation that was coming, but He never told them to pray that it would
not come.
In order to stand against the trials and temptations of this life, we
must be strong — and we can be through our personal relationship with Jesus
Christ.
Don't see yourself as a weak person who cannot resist temptation.
Instead, believe that in Jesus you
The Lord's Prayer, with which most people are familiar, says, And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.…1 God will deliver you from
evil. He will give you the victory over it, if you pray and ask Him for help.
For example, if you need to lose weight and are tempted to overeat, pray
for the strength to resist overeating before sitting down to the table or going
through the drive-through at the fast-food restaurant.
Prayer is a privilege of your relationship with Jesus. You can ask God
for anything in Jesus’ name and be assured of receiving it, if what you are
asking is in accordance with His will. (John 14:14.)
Avoid temptation as much as possible by staying away from the things
that you know are tempting to you. The Bible says that we should avoid even the
appearance of evil.2 Separate yourself from people who try to tempt you to do
things that go against your own conscience or that you know from God's Word to
be wrong.
Living a
righteous life brings a reward with it. If you make good choices, you won't be
sorry. It may be hard for a period of time, but later on you will have the joy
that everyone seeks.
My brother, who received the Lord a few years ago after many years in a
lifestyle of alcohol, drugs and living with different women, said, “Living the
Christian life is easy. What is hard is living a worldly life. You wake up sick
with a hangover in the mornings, trying to figure out where to get money each
day to buy drugs, and that is hard!”
Satan wants us to live for the moment and act as if tomorrow will never
come, but it always does come, and we have to face the consequences of
yesterday's decisions.
Use wisdom. Don't live on emotion alone. When the temptation in a
specific area seems more than you can bear, think about this Scripture:
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.
I Corinthians 10:13 KJV
Everyone is tempted; it is a very common occurrence. But when Satan
starts to put thoughts in your mind like “I can't stand this; I will have to
give
in,” tell him he is a liar as the Bible says he is. Remember that God
will show you the way out. Lean on Him and let Him help you.
Anytime you find yourself in trouble, cry out to
God for help. You don't even have to speak out loud. Talk to God in your heart.
If you are born again, He lives inside of you. Your heart has become His home,
and He hears everything you say.
Those of us who endure temptation and don't give in to it will receive
rewards from God. (James 1:12.) One of the rewards we will receive is the inner
peace that comes from knowing we have done the right thing.
A guilty conscience is a hard pillow to try to sleep on. Making right
choices is the only thing that can give peace, which leads to true joy.
It seems that today there has arisen an entire generation of people who
are seeking peace. At least we hear a lot of talk about peace. But at the same
time, many of the same people who say they want peace are making all the wrong
decisions.
Violence, abortion, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, premarital sex,
popularity — none of these things will give you peace; they will, in fact, add
to the pressure in your life.
Seek peace in the right place, which is in the will of God. That is the
only place you will find it.
For we do not have a High Priest
Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our
weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One
Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Hebrews 4:15
The words “Jesus understands” bring great comfort to me. When nobody
else understands us or what we are facing in life, Jesus understands. He
understands temptation because He was tempted in every area in which we could
possibly be tempted, and He successfully resisted each one of them.3 He did it
for us. He came to earth for us, not for Himself. He left His position in
heavenly glory to come to earth in the form of a man to help us. He needed to
experience what we experience in order to relate to us.
Yes, Jesus understands!
When you are tempted, you don't have to feel like some miserable,
no-good failure. You can know that Jesus understands, and because He
understands, you can run to Him for help in your time of temptation, as we are
told in Hebrews 4:16:
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.
One of
the reasons we give in to temptation is that we are so hesitant to reach out
for help.
You can share with the right friend what you are going through. Getting
it out into the open will begin to reduce its power over you. Hidden things
have more power than those exposed.
Satan wants us to keep things hidden; therefore, he tells us that nobody
will understand but will judge us critically and reject us. We end up
frequently keeping things to ourselves and fighting our battles alone, which is
a mistake. Our strength is multiplied as we join forces with those around us
who love us.
Don't isolate yourself. Open your heart to those who desire to help you.
You can run to Jesus. He understands. Go boldly to His throne in prayer,
and let Him give you the help you need before it is too late. Don't keep making
the same mistakes over and over in life — get the help you need!
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