Is it really possible to overcome temptations?
How can i really say no to the devil?
Can i really discipline my body to not obey my flesh?
Now I know this questions and many more may be going through your head, but today we are going to be tackling this topic with the help of the holy spirit.
What is temptation?
Before we proceed, let’s see what temptation really is. Temptations are tools in which the devil uses to lure believers into sin. So from this definition it is clear that temptations can lead to sin.
There is no sin without temptation. Every sin committed started with a temptation from the devil.
What are the aims of temptations?
Now those temptations we are always faced with are meant for two things;
- To stumble us
- To build us
The first aim of temptation on the list shouldn’t shock you, because we all know the reason the devil tirelessly invest his time in tempting us is actually to make was stumble/fall. The end product of temptations becomes sin only when we allow it…yes only when we allow it. We can either choose to say yes or no to every thing the devil brings to us,this is because the devil only offers his goods to us, it’s then our choice to either buy or reject that offer…hope you are getting what I’m trying to say?
Now the second aim of temptation is growth…yes you heard me right… growth can also become the end product of a temptation only if we allow it. Whenever we say “no” to a temptation,we automatically build ourselves, growth is produced only when we discipline ourselves enough to say “no” to that temptation. Temptations builds our endurance and stamina.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Now,we all know that the thoughts of God towards us are always of good and not of evil,the holy spirit plans for our lives are extremely good,but here the same holy spirit is driving Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…. sounds strange right?…but what I’m driving at is that the holy Spirit knew that leading Jesus to be tempted by Satan will actually build Jesus up,he knew taking Jesus to that wilderness to be tempted will actually produce a positive result if Jesus could say no to the devil’s offer.
So the truth is that the temptations we face day after day, also has a positive side to it only if we can be disciplined enough to say “no”
How can i really say “no” to the devil,how can i overcome this temptation?
Alright,let’s get to the main point.
- Receive the holy spirit
You can’t overcome or say “no” to temptations without the holy spirit,the same way you can’t watch TV without electricity. so the first step is to get filled with the holy spirit by simply asking God for the holy spirit.
- Walk in the spirit
Now after getting that right,the next part is to walk in the spirit.
Galatians 5:16: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Yes, just walk in the spirit and the spirit will empower you to say no to the devil.
“How do we walk in the spirit?”
You walk in the spirit by doing the things of the spirit i.e by praying in tongues,by studying your Bible,by listening to Godly messages,by reading Christian books,by being present in church always and by doing every other thing that is related to the Christian life. Doing this things consistently will make you walk in the spirit and be in the spirit,and next time that temptation comes you will have enough spiritual energy to tell it “no”.
- Prayer
If you really want to reign over sin,then you must pray.. yes,pray until prayer becomes an addiction. Pray in the spirit,pray in tongues inorder to feed your spirit with enough spiritual energy. If this part is missing in your life then you will continue to fall for the tricks of the devil…hope you get what I’m saying.
Jesus said; watch and pray so you wouldn’t fall into temptation
The scripture above is self-explanatory,right?… getting this scripture right,will change your life forever.
If you are really serious in getting power over temptations,then you must make prayer a responsibility and a lifestyle. Pray and you wouldn’t fall, as simple as that 👌
Jesus said; men ought always to pray and not to faint.
Jesus didn’t say pray 3 times in a week,he didn’t say pray when you got problems…no..he said pray always. You must get this.. because it is only men that pray constantly,i.e one sign that you are a man in the spirit,one way to become a spiritual giant is to pray consistently, and trust me…it is only a spiritual giant/man that can overcome temptations.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says; pray without ceasing,
Lastly;
-
Say “NO”
As simple as that 👌…just tell the devil “no”. The steps mentioned above are just meant to train and fill your spirit with enough energy to overcome the devil but you must discipline yourself and tell the devil a big “NO” whenever he shows up.
The Bible tells us of Joseph who was faced with the temptation of lying with his master’s wife but he overcame by saying “no”
Now let’s study how Joseph overcame his temptation…
When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife;
First,he recognized that he was in the midst of a temptation and he saw ahead that doing such a thing will lead him into great trouble with God and his master.
Genesis 39:7-9; And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
So you must become conscious and aware anytime you are faced with a temptation,become aware and prevent it. According to the above scripture you must also be able to see the future consequences of what you are about to do. Focusing on this things will trigger you into saying “no” to that temptation.
The next thing Joseph did was to tell his master’s wife a resounding “no”…so you must tell the devil a big “NO”,shout it if possible…
Say no to that temptation,say no to that sin,say no to that demon,say no to that lust,say no to that sexual immorality,say “NO”.
James 4:7 says; submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
So, submit everything in your life to God and simply resist the devil by saying “no” to whatever he tells you to do.
Now,the last thing Joseph did was to “flee”
Genesis 39:11-12; But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
It’s not just okay to tell the devil “no” but you must also flee from the temptation. Tell it “no” and run because staying there is telling the devil to continue doing what he is doing. Empower your “no” with a “run”…yes run,run from that thing that makes you masturbate,run from that thing that makes you fall a victim to every temptation,leave it and run like Joseph who left his garment and fled, because your salvation can’t be compared with any thing else,you must pay the sacrifice. Run from those wrong thoughts by replacing them with the right thoughts… Yes you can replace those thoughts with the right thoughts by simply thinking about the right thing, remember you have the mind of Christ and God has given you the dominion and control over your mind.
So flee/run from those things that makes you sin, sacrifice them for the sake of Jesus and your salvation.
To conclude this;
James 1:14- 15; 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.
So there is no sin without temptation and there is no temptation without lust/desire. You must destroy it from the foundation. Kill that deire and lust because the devil will only offer you what you are interested in,he knows what you don’t like won’t attract you.
Kill that desire by fasting always, praying in tongues always(you can desire and ask God for the ability to speak in tongues because every spirit-filled believer can speak in tongues,it is your prayer language),kill that negative craving by studying your Bible always and consistently walking in the spirit.
Always remain teachable and correctable and by all means avoid pride… because all this things will become wasted effort if you allow that pride eat you up.
I pray that this,by the help of God,doesn’t just inform you but also helps you overcome every temptation 😌.
LITGOSPEL 