What is a step you can take to battle temptation?

¹³ The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Temptations are the same for everyone. Technology may have changed the method that those temptation get to us; they are the same ones that we have been dealing with since Adam and Eve first ate the fruit. They were there together and shared the fruit. Then later when God asked Adam if he had eaten the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he lied. What did Adam say? In Genesis 3:12 he told God, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Adam blamed the woman for giving him the fruit and he blamed God for giving him the woman. Seriously? Adam could have said no. He could have told Eve not to eat it. Instead they both fell victim to the temptation.

What are you tempted by? No need to answer here, but you and God should have a conversation about it. Confess your sin to Him and ask for His help in overcoming it. Then, as it tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 God will show you a way to endure, to get through it, to get past it, to conquer it.

We have the perfect example in Jesus. Now, we are not perfect like He was, but Jesus was a great example to us. He took on Satan in the desert with nothing to eat or drink for 40 days and He was still able to resist any temptation that Satan came up with. Jesus was tempted at the most vulnerable time being tired, hungry, and thirsty. How? By the Word of God. Jesus’ relationship to the Father was rock solid. Everything that He did was rooted in prayer and God’s Word.

This tells me that if we know the Scriptures, then we will have the strength to take on the battle against our Sin. Look what Jesus told Satan in Matthew 4:

• ⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
• ⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
• ¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

The Scriptures say … is how He addressed each temptation. Please, prayer about what ever the things are that tempt you and ask God how to get through it. Then do it. There is incredible power in the Word of God. Jesus proved that to us. We need, and although you cannot hear it there is urgency in this so let me state that again … We NEED a relationship with Jesus. We NEED Him as our Lord and Savior. We NEED to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to change us. Then, when we do, God will show us the way. People will then see the hope that you have, the love that you share, and they will want the same for their lives.