Taking Steps to Conquer Temptation

It’s been repeated many times since, but it was probably Irish poet and dramatist Oscar Wilde who first declared, “I can resist everything except temptation.” Kind of like stating, “I’m not tempted to eat anything except food.”

 

This witticism carries with it a ring of truth. We’re not inclined to do or say something we know we shouldn’t, except when the opportunity to do so presents itself. For instance, if we’re among the many who are frequently tempted to give someone a piece of their mind they can’t afford to lose, the only time they risk doing exactly that is when they’re around other people. Or perhaps, responding to someone’s post on social media.

 

Temptation is a universal problem. There’s no one that’s never had to deal with temptation. Even Jesus, the Bible informs us, confronted it at times. Hebrews 4:15 candidly states, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

 

As I’ve met with men in mentoring relationships, one important understanding I’ve emphasized is the distinction between temptation and sin. As I’ve explained, temptation is encountering or being presented the opportunity to sin – sin is when we act upon it, deciding it seems like a good idea.

 

James 1:14-15 affirms this: “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Clearly, yielding to temptation – in whatever form it takes – ignites a destructive, potentially fatal process.

 

What steps, then, can we take to conquer or overcome temptation before it transforms into sinful behavior? Recently I learned of an acronym that could help us, especially in times of weakness. The acronym is HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

 

Think of it – each of those states can weaken our resolve as we focus on satisfying immediate needs. Feeling hungry can make us irritable and impatient. Anger can provoke verbal or physical responses we would later regret. Loneliness can prompt us, as the old country song warned, to go “looking for love in all the wrong places.” And tiredness and fatigue could cause us to do any of the above.

 

Even with safeguards we erect and the best of intentions, temptation can still sneak up when we’re least expecting it. Perhaps this was why the apostle Paul conceded, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). If even Paul struggled with temptation, what chance do we have of conquering it?

 

Thankfully he responded to this question in another of his letters, the first that he wrote to followers of Jesus in ancient Corinth. He asserted, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

When confronted with temptation, whatever it might be, there are times when good intentions aren’t enough. Instead, we need to face it through the power of Christ, made available to us through His Spirit. “The way out,” or as another translation expresses it, “the way of escape,” is to turn away from the sinful “opportunity” and look instead to the Lord, trusting Him to empower us to overcome whatever is threatening to take us down.

 

In another epistle, Paul summed it up this way: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

 

Trying to overcome temptation on my own, I might experience failure – as has been the case in times past. But through Christ and His power, each of us can enjoy victory instead.

The Deceptive Danger of Dabbling With Sin

The other day as I was driving, I drew near another car that seemed a bit unsteady on its course. As I passed it – as quickly as legally possible – I noticed a young woman with her eyes looking downward, obviously engaged in texting. Too bad her driving was interfering with her texting, right?

 

We’ve had laws for some time to prohibit texting while driving – they say it can impair drivers as much as driving while drunk – but this woman apparently didn’t think those restrictions should apply to her. She might have rationalized, “I’ve never had an accident while texting!” If so, we might respond, “Not yet!”

 

This could be a metaphor for any of us who’ve flirted with sin in whatever form. We start by tiptoeing around it, kind of like sticking a finger inside a cage inhabited by an angry dog, convinced we can remove the finger in time. In a similar manner, we might try dabbling with the sin – just a bit. We reason, where’s the harm in that? We try a little more; still, nothing bad happens. 

Then one day, surprise! The sin that seemed so harmless smacks us in the face. Perhaps the texting person has a sudden encounter with the bumper of the vehicle ahead. The individual who found lying to be a convenient option is shocked when a serious deception is uncovered. The guy who “innocently” submitted to a seductive photo online, then gazed at a few more, finds himself ensnared by pornography.

 

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” Ironically – and sadly – one Christian leader credited for making this statement on numerous occasions was, after his death, scandalously exposed for not heeding his own warnings. I’ll not mention his name, but he failed to recognize the danger of dabbling with a sin that apparently became his consuming vice.

 

Without question, the enticements of sin are all around us. They’re like the woman in Proverbs 9:13-18, described as, “loud…undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city calling out to those who pass by…. ‘Let all who are simple come in here!,’ she said to those who lack judgment….”

 

Whenever I think of the power of sin, the first biblical passage that comes to mind offers this assurance: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

I remember the friend who admitted that despite his diabetic condition, driving past the Krispy Kreme donut shop presented a constant temptation. His “way out,” or “way of escape” as another translation phrases it, was simply to keep driving straight ahead rather than turning into the Krispy Kreme parking lot.

 

As someone has said, “If sin wasn’t fun, we wouldn’t want to do it,” so in the absence of consequences, we’re inclined to flirt with sin even more. Even until it becomes a habit. James 1:14-15 ominously declares, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

 

The remedy, therefore, is to take preventive steps before sin results in serious, even tragic consequences. As James writes later in his letter, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded…. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:7-10).

 

We have a choice. We can be like the woman texting in her car while driving, presuming that since she’s not had any mishaps thus far, everything will be okay. Or we can recognize the deceptive dangers clamoring for our attention, quit dabbling in them, and turn to God for the strength to do what we know is right. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).