The Battle of Temptation
The Apostle Paul once wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15, NIV).
You know the feeling.
Those moments where your heart is pumping, your veins coursing, your temperature rising. In your heart you know it’s wrong but in your head, you think it could be right just this…one…time.
Somehow, we justify in our minds that the very thing we hate, we should do.
It’s the feeling that gnaws on you while you sleep. It nags you in your dreams. It’s there when you wake up in the morning and lie down at night.
That feeling is temptation.
Temptation is this desire, craving, or longing we have to indulge the flesh.
The flesh?
Think of it as Bible language for doing what feels good to us. If we want to get technical, we can talk about brain chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine that are released during “pleasurable” moments.
Think winning the lottery, scoring the winning touchdown, or answering right during a spelling bee.
It’s a good feeling, one that we crave. Temptation is a process where we elevate this feeling over everything else that is good, true, and right. It’s when we give into actions that we know our wrong in search of that elusive high.
It’s in that moment that we have the opportunity to make a choice.
Do we give into temptation in exchange for the pleasure that it’ll give us, or do we walk away?
In Paul’s words, do we do what we know we should do? Or, do we do what—deep down—we hate?
I love the imagery that King Solomon provides when he says, “can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?” (Proverbs 6:27, NIV).
Can you?
Do you believe the lie that Satan is imparting into your head that somehow, you’re different? That somehow, you can keep the sin in your life at bay? That the evil you secretly desire can be held in check?
Search your heart. To win the battle against temptation, we must begin with gut-level honesty about where we currently stand.
Are you winning or losing the battle of temptation? Your honest answer to that question is the first step.
No matter where you’re at in the fight against temptation, I want to give you 4 practical truths that I hope will help you this week as you seek to live the life God’s called you to—unhindered by sin and shame.
1. God’s Not Tempting You
I’ll just put it bluntly: to blame God for our own sinful habits is lazy. Rather than taking responsibility for our poor choices, we try to pin the blame on God—as if He’s the one who told us to steal, cheat, or lie. In our heart of hearts, we know this is just a defense mechanism to shield us from the guilt, pain, and shame we’re feeling.
So, if you find yourself blaming God for the consequences of sinful choices in your life, may I gently encourage you to reconsider? What if your inability to be disciplined and make right choices is causing the suffering that’s occurring in your life?
I’m not saying that is the case, I’m simply posing the question.
The Apostle James puts it this way,
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (James 1:13-15, NIV).
If you find yourself repeatedly giving into the same, sinful desire over and over again, at some point, you have to ask yourself, “what patterns or habits am I engaging in that’s leading me to making destructive choices?”
When you answer that, then you can begin moving in the right direction. However, blaming God for temptation is a sure-fire way to stay stuck in it.
2. Know Your Enemy
That’s not to say that it’s always just us driving the thoughts or feelings that are leading to giving into temptation. the Bible clearly states that Satan—the devil—tempts us.
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13, NIV).
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10a, NIV).
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).
Our job is to discern where our thoughts and feelings are coming from. At the end of the day, we are the ones acting our those thoughts and feelings and we must take responsibility for that. However, we can recognize that the initial feelings or thoughts flowing through our brain may not be our own. As children of God, we are also called, “children of the light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Because of that, our thoughts should mirror the character of God, not the character of evil.
A good way to test whether the Enemy is putting thoughts, feelings, or desires into your head that are driving towards temptation is to get curious. Ask yourself:
“Is this feeling causing me to want to hide?”
“Is this thought something I’d want to share with others?”
“Is this desire something that those close to me would support?”
Questions like these can help us discern whether we’re living out our identity as children of the light, or if Satan is attempting to secure a foothold in our hearts.
Know your enemy.
3. Prayer is Your Weapon and Defense
We’d be wise to pay attention to the words of Jesus. I think often times, we pick and choose the verses we like and miss out on other moments where Jesus is really trying to get us to grasp something. Temptation is one of those topics I think we gloss over. Jesus clearly gives us our weapon and defense against temptation on multiple occasions. Take for instance, in Luke,
On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:40)
Or during the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ (Matthew 6:13)
The common theme is prayer.
Prayer provides us the protection necessary to override our sinful desires.
Perhaps you’re struggling even with how to pray. Can I point you back to Matthew 6:13? That’s a pretty good place to start. I’ve found that attempting to pray this long, complex prayer in moments of temptation is really difficult. So, why not start with a breath prayer instead? Why not simply begin praying, “lead me not into temptation.”
Just repeat that over and over again and see what happens. I think you’ll begin to notice the feeling of temptation dissipate.
When you’re trying to choose between what’s right and what feels good in the moment, you’re at a disadvantage on your own. However, when you pray, you invite the Holy Spirit into your situation. And the Holy Spirit has the power to rescue us from moments of temptation.
Which leads me to our final truth…
4. You Can Win
With our identity in Christ secure, the war has already been won. We have to frame our perspective when temptation comes our way. In the moment, it may feel like the temptation we’re facing is unbearable, but remember this truth from Paul in 1 Corinthians,
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).
The Apostle Peter says this in his Epistle,
The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials (1 Peter 2:9a).
We serve a God who has proven victorious again and again. And the same power that rose Christ from the grave now lives in us. We—by the power of the Holy Spirit—have the ability to fight and overcome temptation every time.
Remember that God is on your side, know the enemy is doing whatever he can to distract you from your calling, keep in mind that prayer is our weapon and defense, and know—beyond the shadow-of-a-doubt—that you are victorious in Christ.
Be encouraged.
