If you are serious about overcoming temptation, here are five things you must do: 1) Think about the choices you are making, and the consequences, before you make them. Wisdom always looks ahead. 2) Believe that you can resist temptation – because you can. ‘You are of God…and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4 NKJV). 3) Recall how you felt when you gave in to temptation before. Guilt, condemnation, shame. These are some of Satan’s favourite weapons. When you give in to them, it’s hard to get back on your feet again. 4) Don’t put yourself in situations where you can easily fall. If you struggle with managing your money, don’t go to the shopping centre or shop online when you can’t afford to buy anything. If you struggle with pornography, remove the source of it from your life. 5) Celebrate each victory, but be sure to give God the credit for it. You will never graduate from being tempted. It’s easy to think you’re beyond stumbling, and once that happens, you make yourself an easy target for the Enemy. God wants you to trust Him for victory in every area of your life. Sheep are defenceless animals; they have no fighting skills. When they stray from the fold, they are quickly devoured by the wolf. So, they have learned that their safety and protection lie in staying close to the shepherd. And the same goes for you. Here is a promise you can stand on today: ‘The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations’ (2 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.