In the next few pages, we will shift out focus to the next step of salvation, sanctification.  How do we stay with Jesus once we have come to Him? How do we live holy lives that are consistent with our Christian commitment? Knowing how to avoid and resist temptation is a very important component in this experience.

Part 2: Living Like Jesus
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“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” –Ephesians 6:10-12

Breaking the Chains of Temptation

   One day, a young skylark discovered a fox that would trade him worms for his feathers. The deal was one feather for two worms. The next day, as the young skylark was flying high in the sky with his very wise father, his father said, “You know, son, we skylarks should be the happiest of all birds. See our brave wings! They lift us high in the air, nearer and nearer to God.”

   However, the young bird did not hear him; all he saw was the old fox with worms. So down he flew, plucked two feathers from his wings, and had a feast of worms. This went on day after day, until eventually autumn came and it was time to fly south. But the young skylark could not fly anymore, having exchanged the power of flight for worms. The next time the skylark was seen, he was hopping through the snow, trying to outrun the fox.

   We are constantly tempted to exchange our wings for worms. The Bible warns us to flee temptation (see 1 Timothy 6:11), but many of us only crawl away, hoping it will catch up with us. Worse, sometimes temptation comes through a door that we have deliberately left open.

   Suppose that you accidentally spilled gasoline all over your clothes, and somebody nearby lit a match. Where would you go? As far and as fast as you could possibly go in the opposite direction! That should be a Christian’s attitude toward temptation. Paul said, “Flee fornication” and “flee idolatry” (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14, KJV). Its good advice: Flee from sin, and do not leave a forwarding address.

   Aurelius Augustine observed, “The devil is like a mad dog that is chained up. He is powerless to harm us when we are outside his reach. However, once we enter his circle, we expose ourselves again to injury or harm.”

   So do not miss this: When you run from temptation, head toward God. When you do, the devil runs from you (James 4:7). “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8, KJV). When you know something is sinful, do not banter with the devil, because he is the master of rationalization-that is how Eve fell!

   It breaks my heart when Christians try to justify their sins. There is no limit to the arguments with which the devil can supply you. As soon as you know something is wrong, flee! The brave run from temptation; fools flirt with it. Joseph fled when tempted by his master’s wife, and he became ruler of Egypt. If we would live and reign with Christ, we also must learn to flee from temptation. Dwight Moody opined, “Excuses are the cradle… that Satan rocks men off to sleep in.”

   All temptation can be categorized into three main areas: “All that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are all the same classes of sin that took Adam and Eve when they fell in the Garden of Eden. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6, emphasis supplied).

   Jesus successfully faced these same three categories of temptation in the wilderness. The power that humans lost in the Garden is the power that Jesus found in the desert.

“The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns.”

-Proverbs 15:19

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

-Romans 12:21

Stay Busy Serving

   An Italian proverb warns, “He that labors is tempted by one devil; he that is idle, by a thousand.” Many people hate to be idle. That is because God created us for activity. You have heard the expression “idleness is the devil’s workshop.” That is not a direct Bible quote, but Ezekiel 16: 49,50 comes close: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and the abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters…. Therefore I took them away as I saw good” (KJV).

   The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not simply perversion and sexual immorality. The valley of Sodom was lush with vegetation and abundant with food. Life was easy for the inhabitants. Lot moved there because it offered him a life of leisure. However, when a person does not have anything to do, chances are the devil will help the carnal heart concoct something evil. An idle person tempts the devil to tempt him. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16).

   Sin begins in the human mind, which is designed to concentrate mainly on one thing at a time. If we stay busy-especially focused on doing something good, like witnessing or helping the poor-we do not have time to think about evil. A wise spiritual advisor once noted that the best way to gain strength to resist evil is through aggressive service to others. One of the ways to stay out of trouble is to be aggressively involved in serving Jesus. When, after the Fall, God told Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,” He intended that “curse” to be a blessing, by keeping people busy and so keeping them out of trouble (Genesis 3:19).

   We also sometimes leave ourselves wide open to compromise when we do not fill the vacuum left by evicted demons and forsaken bad habits. I have known people to gain victory over one addition only to replace it with another because they did not find a positive substitute. Jesus warned about this:

   When an unclean spirit goes out of man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first (Luke 11:24-26).

   If you are struggling with an eating disorder or food addiction, you cannot simply give up eating. The secret is to learn to “eat what is good” (Isaiah 55:2). If you have a problem of nibbling chocolate throughout the day, buy some grapes or almonds. Have you thrown away those cigarettes? Get a box of toothpicks or some sunflower seeds-but not chocolates! “Overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21)!

   If someone has insulted or cruelly used you, do not retaliate with evil, but respond with kindness. When a hawk is attacked by kingbirds, it does not counterattack. Instead, it soars higher and higher in ever-widening circles until the tormentors leave it alone. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink” (Romans 12:20). Stay active doing good, because although a good opportunity might knock only once, temptation constantly bangs on your front door.

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

–2 Corinthians 13:5

“Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit… and … not your own.”

-1 Corinthians 6:19

Know and Take Care of Yourself

   A Spanish proverb instructs, “Be not a baker if your head be of butter.” When people join Alcoholics Anonymous, they are first supposed to admit to being alcoholics. This admission can represent a tremendous breakthrough, because to do so they must first recognize their weakness. Likewise, one of the first steps to becoming Christians is admitting that we are “sin-aholics.”

   “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). The Bible says that we must not trust in our own strength. We must be very cautious when we begin to think we have a handle on a certain temptation and say, “it will not bother me anymore. I have the victory!” That is when we are especially liable to falling. Some Christians are even proud they have overcome, but they are only setting themselves up for the devil to knock down. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He warned Peter, “This night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times” (Mark 14:30). Jesus was warning Peter that he did not know how weak he was.

   This danger extends beyond the person with the weakness to those attempting to help them. When rescuers are pulling a person from the rushing water, they have to be careful that they do not get pulled in too. We must always be vigilant to recognize our weakness. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1, KJV).

   You will also feel more confident to resist sin if you are caring for your body and mind. Temptation often comes not at our strongest moments, but during our weakest. When we are at the limits of our strength, patience, love, and health, we are tempted to be unchristian. Beware: Jesus’ temptation began forty days of fasting. He was tired and hungry. Peter was also tried, having stayed up through the night, when he denied Jesus.

   Everything from lack of exercise to unbalanced body hormones might influence our ability to resist basic temptations. When we are sick or our reserves are drained, we react in negative ways. Most marital arguments occur at the end of the day when one or both spouses are tired and hungry. Get enough sleep and eat good food at regular times. One of my favorite authors also advises, “By the indulgence of perverted appetite, man loses his power to resist temptation.” “Excessive sweets can give you a temporary rush, only to be followed by feelings of depression and irritability.

   In the same way, it is a big mistake to think that we can go up against the devil in times of temptation without first storing the ammunition of God’s word in our mind. Jesus met every temptation foisted upon Him with the words, “It is written” (see, e.g., Matthew 4:4,7,10).

   Jesus took care of His mind by knowing His Father’s Word. If you can expect to overcome the devil in the battles of life, you need to fortify your mind with God’s truth. King David said, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

   When soldiers know they are passing through a minefield, they are very careful where they step. You might not always be able to avoid fatigue or hunger, but you can avoid sensitive discussions or demanding tasks during these volatile times. Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). This does not mean we should not try to do everything in our power to improve our health and thereby our moral resolve. A good night’s rest, a little exercise, and a nutritious breakfast can make us feel like we are ready to take on Goliath. 

“By wise counsel you will wage your own war;… in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” –Proverbs 24:6

“The disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.”

-Acts 9:25

Always Have a Plan

   We often stumble into sin because when we see temptation coming, we wait to see what might happen when it arrives. It is better to be prepared. Proverbs 22:3 advises, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”

   A wise man surveys the road for potential trouble. If he spots a band of robbers, he thinks, “I’d better hide or change routes, because I do not want to be robbed!” However, the fool says, “Wow. I think there are bandits down the road. I wonder what’s going to happen when they get here.”

   Christians often do better with temptation. We say, “I wonder if I’ll be tempted if I watch this program, read this magazine, or drink this stuff.” However, Jesus said, “If the right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable… that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29, KJV).

   If there’s a particular temptation that you know that will drag you down, take whatever measures of prevention you can, no matter how desperate, to keep from being overcome. For instance, if you want to quit smoking, avoid friends who smoke or places where you are more prone to be tempted. In the very least, plot a way of escape! If your temptation is overeating, decide to place an appropriate amount of food on your plate and to stop eating when it’s gone. Millions nibble their way into sin because they do not think ahead.

   Of course, one of the best possible measures against sinning is knowing where to run when it gets too hot to handle. When I board a plane, I make a mental note of the location of the emergency exits. I am not paranoid, just prudent. For me, the very best means for overcoming temptation is recognizing that God has provided a way of escape for every one of us. Remember this passage: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

   That is some very good news. We do not have to rely on our shaky faith; we can rely on God because He is faithful! So, when you are tempted, you can say, “God is measuring what He allows the devil to bring against me, and I am able to handle it by His grace.” You never have to say, “I cannot bear to resist the devil any longer.” By saying that, you would be calling God a liar!

   When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, they found themselves trapped. The Egyptian army was chasing them, and there were mountains on both sides of them and a sea in front. It seemed a hopeless situation. However, God had promised that He would be faithful, and He provided a way of escape.

   The Bible is full of stories like this, in which the situation seemed hopeless but God proved to be faithful. When it looked like there was no food to feed the crowd following Jesus, God multiplied the loaves and fishes to satisfy them-just as He had fed Elijah and the Israelites. He will use dramatic rescue attempts to help you too. Even the most devilish temptations at your doorstep, remember these stories and make up your mind to trust God and watch for His way of escape.

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