Shalom steemians! Be blessed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
The carnal nature of the human being leads him to manifest desires which are themselves influenced by temptation, which affects Christians as well as non-Christians. So what should we do when temptation comes? Should we satisfy the desires of our human nature or should we affirm our nature as a child of God? We will see some biblical passages related to this problem in the following of this article.
What is temptation?
Temptation represents all forms of envy that voluntarily or involuntarily incites us to commit certain acts that are often bad and regrettable.
Temptation can take different forms; it can be physical, moral, psychological, etc.
It gradually invades our thoughts, like the water that fills a vase and eventually overflowing, finally pushing us to satisfy our most unconfessed and repressed desires.
Temptation strongly influences our flesh, that is, our human nature. The more one is subject to temptation, the more likely one is to succumb to it.
The devil who has understood this weakness of the human being, uses temptation to bring him to fulfill the desires of his lusts so that he sins by disobeying the divine commandments.
From then on, human nature is vulnerable to temptation and can not resist it. We must have a nature superior to the human nature that is acquired when we become a child of God, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our soul.
How to react to the factors of temptation?
1. Run away
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But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
The flight remains the best reflex to adopt when one is confronted with the factors of the temptation. This is not a sign of weakness, but a predisposition of safety not to risk falling.
2. Resist them
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Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ephesians 6:13-16
Given the weakness of our human nature, we can only withstand the factors of temptation for a very limited time. But by equipping us with God's weapons, we can hold even longer.
3. Abandon them
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Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better or thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Matthew 18:8-9
The most effective way to avoid temptation, by not giving it any chance, is to get rid of everything that can possibly be an opportunity to fall, namely its factors.
How can we affirm the nature of God's child to be free from temptation?
1. To repent in case of fall
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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
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
It may happen that, although we are children of God, our connection with our carnal nature make us vulnerable and leads us to fall if tempted. In such a situation, we must sincerely repent and find the reason for our failure so that we do not make the same mistake.
2. Rely on the help of Jesus Christ
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For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Hebrews 2:18
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16
As human being, we need someone who can understand us and help us. Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ being both the All mighty's son and human being's son, is the person best suited to rescue us, because he has experienced all kinds of temptation without ever giving in.
3. Asserting victory and supremacy
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Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:37
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4
As a child of God, we must know that whatever forms of temptation we face, we will always have victory through the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ who lives in us.
Conclusion
The struggle against temptation is a perpetual struggle who outcome depends on our attitude. To have the advantage of this fight, the child of God must seek the help of Jesus Christ and let himself to be led by the Spirit of God not to fulfill the desires of the flesh, in orde to dominate the temptation (see Galathians 5:16)
Put into practice by prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I am a weak human being and unable to resist temptation by my own strength. I need your help and assistance. May your Spirit dominate my carnal nature so that I may perform works that conform to your will. Thank you Lord that you release me from the grip of temptation, in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
Testimonial : addicted to X
This is the testimony of Remy, a young man who suffered the harmful effects of X.
Remy's addiction on X began as a teenager. Initially, he was attracted by the charming images he found in magazines, CDs and watched over and over again. Tired of watching these same inanimate images, he wanted something more exciting. He began to frequent the cyber cafes where he began to watch videos on X websites. As he visited these sites, he began to taste more and more. At the age of majority and still having no girlfriend, Remy did not want to be a passive spectator, but active. He the tried to have fun through the videos of X websites by onanism.
By dint of that, he ended up being a slave and suffered in silence.
Yet Remy himself was a Christian and came from a Christian family with a pastor father, but he could not get rid of his addiction to the X. So aware of his situation, Remy sought to turn to God because he wanted to change.
One day, as he meditated on the Bible, he fell on the passage pf Mathew 11:28, which says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
From then on, he implored the help and assistance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the Lord told Remy that the factor of temptation in his case was his thought, for whenever he had obscene thoughts, he let himself be led by them, which brought him to the fall. Thus, Remy asked in prayer to Christ, the means to overcome the obscene thoughts so that they do not manifest anymore. Then he answered him in thought, when you are tempted by bad thoughts, you must cal me for help according to what is written in books of Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16, then assert your God's child nature by taking authority over obscene thoughts to drive them out of your thoughts.
Shortly after, Remy was tempted to go and consume X content on the Internet, and there he remembered the recommendations he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ, which he began to apply immediately. Directly this sudden desire left him, and he was like discharging a burden; it was his first victory against temptation. Later, he was still the target of many temptation cases, but with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, he would remain steadfast.
Today, it has been at least two years since Remy was no longer in contact with any content X and now seeking to live a healthy life and to marry.
In reality, Remy is a fictional character whose story is inspired by real events. Whatever the case may be, Remy's testimony must challenge us, so that everyone can find the path to freedom in the face of temptation. And this way is none other than Jesus Christ (see John 14:6)
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
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