How To Overcome temptations

Temptation is one thing every child of God must face at one time or the other as long as he/she lives on this corrupt earth which is under the control of Satan. You should not let your mind be troubled because God has made provisions for you to overcome every trial that will come your way.

Temptation is one of those things that remind us of the challenges of the heavenly race, the presence of the devil, and the need for us to remain strong and committed as we await the second coming of the lord Jesus Christ. It also makes us conscious of the fact that Jesus loves us; and that makes the devil jealous of us. However, God has made provisions for us to overcome temptations as they come our way. Some of the things we could do to over come temptation includes:

1.Study God’s word: When you study God’s word, it helps you to over come each time you are tempted. A good example is seen in the scriptures: When Jesus was tempted by the devil, the only weapon he kept using to gain victory over the devil was the word of God; hence the use of term, “It is written….’’ (Matt.4:4, 7, 10).
When your heart is filled with God’s word, you become fully equipped to overcome the devil and his antics.

2.Pray always: One other way we can overcome temptation is to pray always. Prayer makes us spiritually strong: It is a very potent weapon against the devil and his devices. Jesus advised his disciples to pray so they wouldn’t fall into temptations. (Mark14:38; Luke 22:40, 1Thes.5:18). In the same vein, we are expected to pray always as we are facing the same devil that the disciples faced in their time.

3.Be On Your Guard: You must be on your guard; you must be at alert and know when your friends want to lure you into things that will destroy your spiritual life. Avoid friends that are potential sources of temptation – smokers, thieves, drunkards, womanizers, rascals etc.

4.Control what you watch: Controlling what you watch also means controlling the rate and manner you are tempted. Your eyes and mind are very good instruments through which the devil could gain access into your life and tempt you. If you avoid things like pornographic films/magazines, crime novels or movies, etc, you would also be able to minimize your exposure to the sources of temptation, and so you easily overcome temptations too.

5.Resist the devil: One other sure way to overcome temptation is for you to resist the devil. How do you resist the devil? Simply take an example from what Jesus did when he was tempted by the devil – he just kept rejecting whatever suggestions the devil presented to him. When you refuse to accept whatever suggestions the devil gives you, it means you have resisted him. When you resist him he will leave you alone. (James 4:7).