Temptation is something that we all go through regularly, and many times, it happens on a regular basis. Some stories of temptation can be funny like children who are tempted to eat cookies when their parents have forbidden them from eating the cookies. While a situation like that may be funny, the temptation of a recovering addict being tempted to "fall off the wagon" is not funny. Nor is it funny when a man or woman is tempted to view explicit images or videos on his or her computer. Since we all struggle with temptation to sin, we need a strategy, an escape, from that temptation. How can we overcome temptation?
In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Three times Satan tempted Him to sin and three times Jesus resisted Satan's temptations. The writer of Hebrews wrote that our High Priest, Jesus, was tempted like us but He did not sin (Heb 4:15). How did Jesus overcome His temptation? His interaction with Satan becomes a model for us to follow (as best we can). Again, I ask, How can we overcome temptation?
First, we must understand temptation. There are three basic types of temptation. The temptation Jesus faced was similar to the temptation Eve faced in the Garden of Eden. Yes, what those two faced is what we face on regular basis. The three temptation areas are lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. Satan will tempt you to fulfill the desires of your flesh through chemical substances like alcohol and drugs, sexual gratification, and, yes, even food just as He used against Jesus. The lust of the eyes is just as bad as the lust of the flesh. Satan showed Jesus all He could have if He would only worship Satan. Pornography is a means to gratify the lust of the eyes. Even some commercials are a means to gratify that desire. The pride of life involves your self-perception and the way others view you. We must be careful that we don't allow pride to creep into our lives.
Second, to overcome temptation, we must be prepared to counter-attack. What did Jesus do when Satan tempted Him to sin? To begin with, Jesus was led by the Spirit to this encounter with Satan (Luke 4:1). I would just point out that to overcome any temptation, a Christian needs to be led by the Spirit. Additionally, He countered Satan's temptations with the Word of God (Luke 4:4,8,12). The writer of Psalm 119 wrote, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." I encourage you to read, know, and follow the Word of God. In other words, memorize! memorize! memorize!
We can overcome temptation because Christ overcame temptation. We can have victory over temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, and by Him guiding us. We can have victory over temptation by the ministry of the Word in our life. When we can recall Scripture in the moment of temptation, we will have a defense. Don't get discouraged if you continue succumbing to temptation. There is no simple cookie-cutter approach to overcoming sin, but following Jesus' example is a good start.
-Thomas
