DEFEATING TEMPTATION

Voice of Eden (episode 181)

Mon. 6th July 2020

   

 #DEFEATING TEMPTATION

Key scripture: 1Corinthians 10:13 KJV

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.

Dear friend,

Every time you are tempted, the expectation of the tempter is to see you fail and never amount to anything. However, if we must arrive at our predestined end, we must learn to defeat every temptation we face on our way there. Knowing that we are not only tempted by the devil but also by people and ourselves, would be of great help. Even though he (the devil is the mastermind behind every temptation). 

Every temptation is only a suggested path.

Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself? That is the power of suggestion. 

We naturally move toward whatever we focus our attention on.

You may sometimes feel that a temptation is too overpowering for you to bear, but that's a lie from the enemy. No matter how weak you feel or how many times you may have fallen, never conform to the pattern or take as a way of life what was once a temptation. God has promised never to allow more on us than He put within us to handle. However, we must do our part by practising four biblical keys to defeating temptation.

Scripture says there's one thing the spirit of God teaches us to do to every temptation; say No. Saying No my friend is not just about uttering out a word. It must be learnt. 

Ways to say No:

1. Refocus your attention on something else.

It may surprise you that nowhere is the Bible are we told to resist temptation. Accept that we are all being tempted, but resisting the devil by bringing down every negative thought is key to overcoming temptation. We cannot resist a thought, you can only refocus.

Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it deeper into your memory. By resisting it, we actually reinforce it. You don't defeat temptation by fighting the feeling of it. Since temptation always begins with a thought, the quickest way to neutralize its allure or say No is to turn your attention to something else or walk away.

Do not fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and focus on something else. This is the first step to saying No. The battle of sin is won or lost in your mind.

There's nothing wrong with being tempted. In fact, something is wrong with not being tempted. Remember, the test and temptation grows on the same soil. It is necessary that we are tempted but very important that we learn the act of saying no to every form of temptation.

To be continued...

#voe

#keepgrowing

#goodmorning