Spiritual Fitness: Resisting Temptation

I Corinthians 10:13 – 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.  

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

I heard a story of a man who was on a fast.  He had committed to not eating for a certain period of time, and in order to show the devil how strong he was in his commitment he went through the drive thru at Mcdonalds.  He purchased a Big Mac, and then set the sandwich in front of himself for the endurance of the drive home.  He could not overcome the temptation however, and broke his commitment! 

Why would anyone tempt themselves????

I use that story as an illustration of what temptation is.  Most commonly temptation is brought before us as a means used by the devil to get us to sin.  Temptation seeks to appeal to our natural appetites (hunger, acceptance, relief from pain, etc.) and cause us to go beyond the boundaries set by God.  God is the answer for all of our needs – but the enemy wants us to find temporary relief somewhere else.  He wants us to lie to gratify that need of acceptance.  He wants us to fulfill our lustful desires for sensual gratification.  He wants us to disobey to satisfy that curiosity.  But we can win against temptation!

Here are a couple of things you need to know about temptation:

• God doesn’t tempt us to sin. Satan does.
• God does make a way out of the temptation as our Scripture above states.
• Submitting to God’s way is the first step in avoiding the pitfalls of temptation.
• Resistance is the next step!

There is grace and forgiveness when we do mess up.  But we do not have to mess up!  We can win against temptation!  God’s grace ensures that!