No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. – Romans 8:37 NLT
A Desire to Please God
You’re probably reading this because you want to live a victorious Christian life, and somewhere inside of you there's a desire to please God. That is an amazing and worthy desire. But perhaps you've struggled so much in a certain area that it’s hard to remember life without that cycle haunting you.
At some point, all of us have fallen into unhealthy patterns that seem to have an iron grip on our lives. This is called a stronghold. When we keep falling into temptation over and over, it leads us to a vulnerable place of discouragement or even despair. It can start to feel impossible that we'll ever be able to overcome this behavior.
So how do you fight temptation? What can you do today to prevent yourself from remaining in a place of defeat?
Before we go any further, I want you to know that being tempted is not a sin in and of itself. Even Jesus, in His humanity while on earth, was tempted—but He did not sin (Matthew 4).
However, constant temptation and patterns of sinful behavior are not what God wants for your life. He wants you to live fully in the freedom Jesus died on the cross for. In order to do that, you must be completely honest with yourself and with God. Ask the question, “Do I want to be free?” Do you want to give up the sin you’re wrestling with? If there is no desire for freedom, you will live a life of bondage. It takes courage to be brutally honest with yourself, but this is the necessary first step you must take to live a life of freedom.
It takes courage to be brutally honest with yourself, but this is the necessary first step you must take to live a life of freedom.
Redirecting Your Thoughts
The second step is identifying your triggers. This is a key way of preventing yourself from falling into sin. Is there a specific time of day you're most tempted? When you can recognize patterns in your behavior, you can more easily make a plan to beat temptation. If there's no plan or effort, there will not be victory. But I believe better things about you!
Redirect your thoughts and attention toward the things of God. Simply saying “No!” to the temptation is not enough. You need to fill your life with time in His Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers; it will lead to great joy and fulfillment. When you say no to sin, you must choose to say yes to God and His love. This exchange is where transformation takes place. There is much more to the Christian life than saying no to sin; God wants you to enjoy Him and all the gifts He gives you.
When you say no to sin, you must choose to say yes to God and His love. This exchange is where transformation takes place. There is much more to the Christian life than saying no to sin.
Will we have moments when we fail? Will there be times when we just can’t seem to shake off the struggle? Of course! In those moments, we need to remind ourselves of God’s love for us. The love of God is constant, and it's never based on how well we perform. The temptation is to think God loves us based on how much we do for Him. This couldn't be further from the truth. When you fail, run to Jesus. He awaits you with grace.
Community in Temptation
Community also plays a big role in helping us overcome temptation. Find a trusted friend you can lean on for support when you feel weak, defeated, and tempted. There is no shame in asking for help. Ask yourself the question, “Do I have a safe place to struggle?” If not, consider finding a friend you can be open with.
Make no mistake, we will still be tempted, and we will need to go to war against the enemy daily. However, as our love for Jesus grows, so do our victories. Don’t ever forget God is for you. He has given you the strength to overcome any temptation.
And finally, focus your efforts on loving Jesus. This is the most important step. As the old hymn says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus...and the things of earth will grow strangely dim." When our attention is fixed on Him, and when we're drawing on His strength and power, we're emboldened to turn away from the temptation to sin.
Make no mistake, we will still be tempted, and we will need to go to war against the enemy daily. However, as our love for Jesus grows, so do our victories. Don’t ever forget God is for you. He has given you the strength to overcome any temptation. Take heart, you are greatly loved!
Dig Deeper
1. What are two steps you can take toward overcoming temptation?
2. Why is having a godly community so important as we battle temptation?
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