How does a Christian handle temptation?
Well, there are several ways to
do it. First, how receptive are you
to discipline? If you don't like it,
then the best way is to consider the
consequences on both the spiritual
and physical planes. God doesn't
want you to fall into sin through
temptation, so He will always "urge"
you to resist. If you don't, then
the "urgings" and conviction of
having done something wrong will
increase.
Then, there is the physical
consequence, which depends entirely
on what you did wrong. Either way,
there are consequences to be dealt
with. As to how best to resist
temptation, Scripture tells us,
"resist the devil and he will flee
from you." To help with this, God
has given us His Holy Spirit to
remind us of what is right and
wrong, and to strengthen us to
resist. There is also the "armor" of
God, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians
6:13, which is so that we might, "be
able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand."
Sins to flee from:
1 Corinthians 6.18: "Flee
fornication. Every sin that a man
doeth is without the body; but he
that committeth fornication sinneth
against his own body."
1 Corinthians 10.14: "Wherefore,
my dearly beloved, flee from
idolatry."
1 Timothy 6.10-11: "For the love
of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many
sorrows. But thou, O man of God,
flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, meekness."
2 Timothy 2.22: "Flee also
youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the
Lord out of a pure heart."
Youthful lusts can encompass more
than sexuality. For example, more
than one movie has portrayed a young
Midwest teenager stepping onto a
Hollywood bus platform, looking for
stardom. Often, those young people
are gobbled up and spit out─even if
they do "make it big." Youthful lust
blurs the vision of inevitable
trouble and its consequences. The
examples could go on and on.
Temptation and the remedy:
James 1.14: "But every man is
tempted, when he is drawn away of
his own lust, and enticed."
1 Corinthians 10.13: "There hath
no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man: But God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to
be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape that ye may be
able to bear it."
Hebrews 4.15-16: "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."