FOUR STEPS TO OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

How do we overcome sin? When tempted to give in to the flesh, how do we resist? Most people desire to do the right thing but find themselves doing the wrong. No matter how much we try in our own strength to resist sin and promise ourselves and/or God that we will not do it again, we always sin again. This article is going to give you four steps to help you never give in to sin again. If you follow the instructions here, you will find yourself walking in the purity and holiness that God intended.

Understand that you must be born-again before you can take the four steps to overcoming temptation. Jesus died on the cross to take away the sins of the world. Without the blood of Jesus Christ washing away your sins, you can never be free. Without the Holy Ghost living in you (by being born-again), it is impossible to resist sin. If you are not born-again, CLICK HERE to do so today.

Most people that go to church are well aware that it is wrong to sin. We hear from the preacher what our sins are and we feel conviction so that we may repent. However, one thing that I have never heard a preacher teach on is HOW to repent, how to turn away from sin forever. I always agreed that it was bad and wrong to sin but I waited and waited for the end of the sermon expecting him to tell me how to stop sinning. But the sermon just ends with no instructions, only conviction and often self-condemnation. I used to get so frustrated because the preacher just makes it seem like all you have to do is just stop sinning. However, if anyone has ever tried to “just stop sinning” on their own, you find out that it is impossible and leads only to frustration. I do not believe that that is where God wants us. He wants us to be free from sin and He has shown us the way in the Word.

Jesus did more than take away the sins of our past, He taught us how to walk a sin-free life both now and forever. He overcame all the power of sin. He never once sinned and He is our example. He is the way God intends for us to be because God said:

Lev 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

I do not believe God would tell us to do something that we could not do. I know He expects us to do this and so there must be a way. For God to tell us to do something that we cannot do would be unjust and our God is not unjust. God's Word gives us clear instructions and that is where we will find our freedom!

 Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

Spirit, Soul, and Body

We start by looking at who we are and what we are dealing with. You must understand that you are a spirit that has a soul and lives in a body . Without knowing this, you might think you have split-personalities because one moment you intend to do the right thing and the next moment you find yourself doing something terrible. Realize that you are just like everyone else, human.

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse proves we are a three- part being. Many Christians just think we are a two-part being, spirit (which they call the soul) and body. However, we see clearly from this verse that the spirit and soul are two different things. The spirit-man is the real you that contacts the spirit realm. The soul is your mind, will, and emotions that contacts the mental or intellectual realm. The body is your covering that contacts the physical realm. When your body dies, your spirit and soul continue on to another place since they are no longer bound to the physical realm.

 

The Four Laws of Romans 7 and 8

Romans chapters 7 and 8 speak of four laws that will help us understand sin and the problems with overcoming it on our own. I encourage you to read Romans chapters 7 and 8 to fully understand the context of what Paul is talking about. It is a good idea to go back and mark each place a law is mentioned and notate whether it is law one, two, three, or four that Paul is speaking of so that you do not get mixed up.

LAW 1: The Law of Sin and Death

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh , the motions of sins , which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Rom 7:14 … but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing …

Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin .

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

When we talk about the “law” of sin and death we are not referring to a written edict but rather a constant rule like gravity. The flesh has a constant never-ending pull toward sin; this is what Paul is talking about by the law of sin and death. It is evident from the above verses that the Law of Sin and Death originates from our flesh or bodies. This is the way it is and will always be. Your flesh will never stop lusting to sin and cannot be redeemed – at least not until the resurrection. To pray “God take away temptation” is to pray that God would kill you because not until your flesh is dead will you not be tempted again. The Bible says that the flesh is an enemy of God and that there is no way to fix the flesh. The only remedy to stop the flesh from lusting to sin is to destroy it. Notices that it is called the “motions of sin”, “no good thing”, “evil”, “the law of sin”, “the body of this death”, “the law of sin”, and “the law of sin and death.” Simply put, your flesh lusts to sin and always will.

 

LAW 2: The Law of God

Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law , that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter .

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law : for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Here the Law of God is called “the law” referring to the Law of Moses. It is also called “the letter”, “the commandment”, and “the law of God”. The Law of God that Paul is referring to here is the written Law such as the Ten Commandments and all of the other Old Testament ordinances and commands. This is the Law of the Letter because it has no life in itself. It is written so that we will know we have transgressed God's will and puts everyone on the same playing field. No one can say that they did not know it was wrong to kill or steal because the Law clearly says not to do it. (For those nations that did not or do not have the written law, it is represented in their conscience or spirit-man which says it is wrong to do this or that.)

 

LAW 3: The Law of the Mind

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind , and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The Law of the Mind is another law that is not a written edict but rather a constant urge or compulsion to do something. It is referring to the conscience or spirit-man which always wants to do the right thing. Your conscience is the part of you that agrees with God and His written Law. It is the part of you most like Him in that it always desires to do right. So already we see the conflict; our flesh has a constant urge to do wrong and our spirit has a constant urge to do right.

This is what Romans chapter 7 is all about. Paul recognizes this conflict between our flesh and our spirit. Our flesh has law 1 always striving to sin. Our spirit has law 3 always trying to obey law 2, the law of God. The fact that we have this conflict is no big deal; the problem lies in the fact that law 1 will always win. We will always sin. There is no exception to the rule, every man has sinned, broken Law 2, and come short of the glory of God. Paul explains that he too battled and fought against his flesh but time after time he had given in to sin….except that he found a new law! He found Law 4!

 

LAW 4: The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is what makes us overcome our flesh. Law 2 is dead but Law 4 has the Spirit of God infusing us with the life of God so that we can walk in the newness of this life in Christ Jesus. We will talk more about the Spirit of Life in Step 4 below.

Notice that this Law 4 does not help me keep Law 2, the Letter of the Law. It goes far beyond that by putting us into a freedom from the Law that kills into the Law that abounds in life. Because Jesus fulfilled the written Law perfectly, as long as I am in Him I too have fulfilled the Law perfectly. Our righteousness is of Him; it has nothing to do with what we have or have not done. In God's eyes we are just and in right-standing with Him because of the cross of Christ. Is that to say I am now free to do anything I want? Certainly not because that would not be abiding in Christ. We abide in Him by doing His will and obeying His Word. We are free from the dead letter of the Law but now we are bound to a higher law which is the Law of Love.

It is the Law of the Spirit of Life which really holds a higher standard and that is to love the Lord thy God with all your heart and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. It is to love each other as Jesus has loved us. We are even to love our enemies. Did Jesus come to change the written Law so that it would be easier to keep? No, by no means. He kept the written Law in place and fulfilled It. Then He told us to keep an even higher Law but He also showed us the way to do it.

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

We have they Holy Spirit of God to help us fulfill the Royal Law of Love. If we walk in love, we will perfectly fulfill any other law. But we do not do this alone or in our strength, we do it with the very power of God by the Holy Ghost.

 

STEP 1: GIVE UP!

We must first completely and utterly give up trying to not sin, trying to defeat sin, and trying to be good. Only until you give up and die to such futile efforts will God be able to move upon you to be victorious. You must first die to yourself before God can resurrect you. You cannot stop sinning and you never will in your own strength. No matter how strong you think your will is, it is not enough. No matter how strong you think your mind is, it is not enough. Jesus said it this way, the only way to stop your hand from sinning is to cut it off (my paraphrase). The flesh is that corrupt.

Many Christians have not come to a place of giving up but they continue to try to be good and to try to not sin. Therefore, God lets them continue in their own strength until they see that they cannot do it. When they truly understand that it is impossible for them, in their own strength, to beat sin, then God can come and show them Jesus. Jesus was the only one that could and did beat sin. He alone will get the glory for victory over sin. None of us will be able to stand before God and say, “look at how good I was.” If we were good, it was the Lord Jesus' goodness and not our own. But in ourselves we are like filthy rags. We must come to a revelation of ourselves as the Word reveals:

In myself, I know nothing 1 Cor 4:4

In myself, I can do nothing 2 Cor 13:8

In myself, I have nothing 2 Cor 6:10

In myself, I am nothing 2 Cor 12:11

However, the good news is this, if you are born-again, you will never be in yourself again! You will always be in Him and will have access to all of His benefits. We need to let Him do it for us. How? Take the next step…

 

STEP 2: THE WAY OF HUMILITY AND SUBMISSION

How do we resist temptation, sin, and the devil? Humble yourself before God that He may give you grace.

Jam 4:6, 7 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The above verse in James really says everything you need to beat every temptation but for now, we will only focus on the humility, submission, and grace parts. The word “grace” refers to God giving you something. He administers or imparts something to you that you did not have before. What He gives is of Him and nothing of us. It is unmerited and it is good. Putting the context of this verse into play, God is giving us something specific to resist the devil. He is imparting His ability to resist the devil. How do we get it? By humbling ourselves and submitting completely to Him.

We must come to a place in our heart that we are willing to completely surrender to God and His will. We leave nothing for ourselves. If you are serious about God and are trying to resist sin, you will leave nothing around that is ungodly. You will leave nothing that would tempt you again. You would cut off the temptation by ridding yourself of the object of temptation or staying away from the environment of temptation. Only the humble that has been completely broken can make such a decision. It is not a light thing. It is done in tears and brokenness on the floor for most people. But you will arise a new person radiant with the presence of God upon you. Humble yourself and give your whole life to Him and He will empower you with the grace or ability overcome temptation. But notice He also says to resist the devil. How do we do that? We take step 3…

 

STEP 3: RESIST WITH THE WORD OF GOD

When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, how did He overcome every temptation? By God's Word. He did not argue with the enemy. He did not consider the words the enemy had to say. He just said, “it is written”, “it is written”, “it is written.” He is our example and He clearly has shown the way to resist the devil. We too often try to fight the devil and reason with the thoughts he brings but that will never do. We must be full of the Word to put It in his face when he comes with the temptations. It is literally true that man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We will not survive temptations unless we know the Word and can use is like a sword against our enemy. The devil must submit to the Word of God when it is used but the Word also does something for us.

Psa 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Word of God has the power in itself to resist sin. The more Word we have in us, the less Satan can tempt us. There is something special about the Word that gives us the strength to resist. It is the Word that truly sets us free as we apply It.

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I am not saying that you have to understand every doctrine in the entire Bible to make the Word work for you. However, you must stay in the Word for It to work.

Josh 1:6-8 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law , which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Remember, our goal is to not disobey by sinning but to obey God's Word. We see from these verses that we must meditate in the very Word of God we are to obey for it to work. Meditating in the Word gives you the strength to obey It! Do you see the revelation of it?! God is giving Joshua the secret to obeying the Law…keep meditating on It day and night. By so doing you are obeying the Lord and then He empowers you with the ability to keep It. Obedience shows your submission to God and His Word. As we learned in step 2, submission allows God to give you grace to resist sin. It all works together!

 

STEP 4: LET GO AND LET THE HOLY SPIRIT DO IT FOR YOU

Lastly, we must be led by the Holy Spirit of God. In all that we do, we must allow Him to be the leader. In even the smallest things, we must submit our will to Him and let God truly be the Lord of our lives instead of us. The Holy Spirit is the One that will take the Word of God you have obeyed and spoken and put It to work for you. He can see into the spirit realm and will force the devils tempting you to submit to the Word. How do we lead a spirit-led life? Praying in tongues is the key that hooks you up to the Spirit of God. This is the answer to helping you overcome the flesh. Pray in tongues everyday.

We simply need to live a life of faith and enjoy the rest. We rest because we do nothing. We enter into the rest of Christ because we know we could not help even if we tried. It is this rest that the writer of Hebrews is talking about in chapter four.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

We are to cease from our own fighting of sin and, spiritually speaking, kick back and let the Holy Spirit do it for us by the power of the Word. This is what Paul discovered and spoke of in the book of Romans. It is the Law of the Spirit of Life.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

That very Spirit of Life is in us just waiting for us to believe, act upon, and speak the Word so He can go into action on our behalf! Glory to God! He is all we need for He is God.

1Jo 4:4 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.

 

Is It Really Possible?

I have equipped you with the knowledge to be sin-free. There are many good Christians that do not believe it is possible to be sin-free. However, that only tells me they do not know the Word.

Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee : go, and sin no more.

I do not believe Jesus says things just to be saying them. I believe when He told her to sin no more that it must have been possible. To say that God only delivered us from the sins of the past is an injustice to work He did on the cross. He certainly did deliver us from past sins but He also empowered us to resist for future sins.

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh , the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

It is not to those that give in but to those that overcome that receive the prize. Repeatedly the book of Revelation shows us that Jesus gives the rewards to those that overcome. This is what God expects of us. He would not have told us to be holy if we could not do so. We can do it as we follow the Lord Jesus and obey and use His Word.

I do not say it is something you may do immediately. I also do not say you will get to a point where you do not have to resist any longer. But you can be victorious and stay there no matter how often and with what temptations your flesh and the devil may bring. Be encouraged that it is possible and God will bring you there. Do not get discouraged if you mess up. Just keep confessing your sin when you miss it, He will forgive you (1 John 1:9), and try again asking God to show you the way.

More Scriptures proving it is expected and possible to live sin-free:

1Jo 5:3, 4 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments : and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith .

• By faith is the way to keep His commandments. Because people have been taught it is impossible to live sin-free, they have no faith in such a lifestyle and thus do not overcome. Some may not even try. Who can blame them if that is what they are taught and believe.

1Th 5:23, 24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it .

• The Bible teaches we are to be sanctified wholly including our body. How? By God who will do it!

• We can be faultless spirit, soul, and body.

1Co 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.

Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more , lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

• Simple question: would Jesus tell someone to do something that they could not?

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

1Pe 1:14 - 17 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Luk 1:74, 75 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

END

 

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