Let’s be honest: we all struggle from time to time with different sins, or maybe not even necessarily sin but just a temptation towards a certain distraction that might not be of any good value to us. How do we overcome that temptation? Are we forever bound to that distraction? First of all, we must know the Word of God if we’re going to have the victory over temptation. Not only must we know the Word of God and what it says, but also the Word literally has to be who we are as people. As the Psalmist stated, “Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11, KJV).
What this tells me is that the Word is the answer to defeating the tempter. The Word is our most powerful weapon. We have to study scriptures for depth and clarity and memorize them so that we have the authority of God to speak boldly against sin and tempting distractions that try to dominate us. As Christians we have to wake ourselves up from spiritual slumber—we must be aware that at all times there is a real spiritual war going on for our souls— and recognize that God has given us access to the power of His Kingdom as our advantage in the battle. He tells us in the book of James, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, KJV). This was one of the scriptures that helped release me from the chains of sin and set me free.
I remember times of quoting this scripture while feeling tempted. Each and every single time that I decided to fall on my knees and pray; quote and read scripture to help deliver me, God showed up and gave me the authority to say NO! Now if only we could remember to do this every time we feel the enemy trying to take over us. Instead of relying on our own power to fight off temptation and dealing with the internal war, the going back and forth in our minds telling ourselves that we know we shouldn’t do it but we’d really love to; why not drop straight to our knees and pray to the one, true, living God of Heaven and earth? Why not open up the Bible right then and there and empower and encourage ourselves through God’s Word? Why not quote scriptures aloud to claim our victory over the enemy? Always remember this: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, KJV).
Jeoff Moore says
August 15, 2016 at 7:46 pmPowerful Message, Anthony. Thank you.