The next few weeks or so, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I’m going to do a weekly series called Reconciliation with GOD. I think this is important for the Children of GOD to recognize the LORD GOD we serve and why it is important to serve Him. He’s all that we need and I think we need to be constantly be reminded of that. The world and its ways can bring about life struggles in our beings, but when we are encouraged, strengthened, and comforted by the WORD and truly receive the WORD, our heart changes, our minds changes, and our perspective changes. This is the time to truly lean on the LORD because He alone helps us in our weakness. I hope these posts help and strengthens you to walk this narrow path that we children of GOD are called to: a path of life in Him, joy, peace, righteousness, truth, and holiness. Share this with friends, family, someone that is in need to hear of these topics.

---

James 1:13-15 (NIV), When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

There are times when I can stand on some days and there are times when I am weak. I am sure you can relate. You sometimes see or feel that one day you have a good day, and then the next, it seems like you may have had a bad day. Let’s remember that GOD is the only one that makes us strong in times of weakness. 2nd Corinthians 12:9 says that my strength is made perfect in your weakness. 

That’s the same thing when we do and don’t fall into sin. When we do not fall into sin it is a, if I can say, a good day; but if we do fall into sin, it is not a good day, especially if you have the conviction of knowing that you should not have acted on the behavior that led to sin.

The bad behavior that leads to the sin is called temptation. Let’s break down briefly what temptation is. 

Temptation, according to the Webster Dictionary is to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain.

The Greek word for tempted is peirazo, a verb, which means to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin.

So the temptation is negative by this definition. Some examples of temptation that we see in the bible are when Jesus was tempted by the devil and Matthew 4, which Jesus overcame. Another temptation, and it led to sin, and death, is David and Bathsheba, which I wrote a post about by clicking on this link.

What do these temptations have a common? If we go back to the definition of temptation, David and Jesus were tempted or enticed to do wrong by the promise of pleasure or gain. 

Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, was tempted by the devil as the enemy questioned His identity, and attempted to lead Him away from abiding in the Father, our GOD.

David was tempted as he continued looking upon the woman, who was already married to another man, bathing in the night, and decided to sleep with her. In this story, David is led astray, leading him to kill the man’s wife. Consequently, the first son he had by Bathsheba died because of the murder he placed on Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, as well as sleeping with another man’s wife. 

Looking at these two stories, we can see that one overcame temptation while the other did not. We can also see that Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, built a boundary line that guarded him from being tempted. David, on the other hand, did not utilize the boundaries he had that could have prevented him from falling into temptation and sin.

(Question: What are some boundaries David could have built to prevent him from falling into temptation and sin? What are the boundaries Jesus Christ used to overcome these temptations? How can you utilize these boundaries in your own life?)

So this leads me to the first point of how to overcome temptation:

Saying No, Building Boundaries

It’s easier said than done, right? To build boundaries is to first know who you are and what you value in life. Do you value living right for GOD, since you are a child of GOD? If you do, what are some things that GOD desires of us? Honesty? Kindness? Faith? Purity? So when we know what we should value as a Child of GOD, we then know what boundaries to make so we won’t fall into temptation. 

Words are also powerful things, especially when speaking the WORD with our mouth. The WORD says in Proverbs 18:21 that the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. So, boundaries that could be spoken out of our mouths can be found in the bible such as these verses you decree with your mouth:

• “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 NIV
• “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of GOD, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

So say no to the things that do not belong to GOD. To also know what does not belong to GOD is to know the WORD. When reading/studying/meditating on the WORD, with the Helper, the Holy Spirit, you are building boundaries that will say no to the devil and say yes to righteousness.

Jesus Christ, our LORD, and Savior built a good boundary line that He stood and defeated the enemy with the WORD, sharper than any double-edged sword. When you have the WORD in your life and live in the WORD, you are building boundaries. 

Another point I want to mention in order to overcome temptation.

Having a support system 

Ecclesiastes 4:12, Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

There was a week when I felt down. Well, the LORD spoke to one of my sisters in Christ and encouraged me saying that the LORD was seeing me, letting me know that He was watching over me and He cared about me. Long story very short, my brothers and sisters in Christ prayed for me as the LORD was ministering to them about me. This increased my faith and led me to truly know that GOD was comforting me through his servants, His children. 

I am grateful to the LORD that He placed people in my life and me in theirs to pray and intercede for each other, and the LORD comforts us.

So you see, when you are surrounded by a community, a Christian community that encourages you in the LORD, they also can help you and prevent you from falling into temptation.

Maybe you may not have community, and I did not as well, for some time. But I chose to spend time with the LORD, which was a great big comfort and it led me to grow close to Him and grow in the knowledge of Him. 

The choice you make, specifically how much and long you spend time with the LORD will determine how much you withstand temptation. Because the more you spend time with the LORD, the more He transforms you and the less you won’t be in the wrong things you used to be.

So, currently, if you do not have a community, let the Holy Spirit be your community. And soon enough, the LORD is going to surround you with people who are going to be what you need for the season, for your life.

This leads me to the next point.

Prayer is Important

Matthew 26:41, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Prayer is a powerful thing because it availeth much; it is powerful and effective (James 5:16). We are shown in the WORD that prayer is essential and it also changes situations. Jesus Christ, our LORD, always prayed, which led Him to be connected to GOD always, to cast out demons, to preach the WORD, and to prophesy to people.

The Bible tells us to never cease to pray (1st Thessalonians 5:17) as it is mentioned above so that we do not fall into temptation. I wrote a blog post about crucifying the flesh, which explains that the flesh is hostile to GOD and does not want us to pray. Temptation is linked to flesh, that is why we need to put to death the flesh daily so that we walk in the Spirit, who desires us to pray. And who also helps us to pray (Romans 8:26).

The Spirit desires us to pray so that we are connected to GOD. As Christians, we are now true worshippers of GOD, worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24). 

Here are some examples of what prayer can do: 

1. Moses interceded for the Israelites when they sinned.
2. When Elisha asked the LORD to open the eyes of his servants so that they see the armies of the LORD are greater than those that were against them. 
3. Finally, the prayer of the Acts church when they interceded for their fellow brothers Peter and John in Acts 4:23-31.

For a long time, I thought that prayer had to be special like you had to choose the right words so GOD can hear you and such. But along the way, the LORD led me to see that how I was praying, from the heart, mattered more than just praying superficial prayers. The WORD says that the LORD does not look on the outside but looks into the heart (1st Samuel 16:7). So when you pray, open your heart to the LORD and seek His face from what is in your heart. It doesn’t matter what you say, as long as it is from the heart.

Seeking GOD as Refuge

When you open your heart to GOD, it is like opening a package of yourself to Him, but the good thing is He is our refuge and He will never steer us the wrong way. Like the bible verse above from James 1:13-15, GOD does not tempt us, He leads us in the right path for His name’s sake. 

Psalm 91:1, Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty.

To overcome temptation, you need to seek GOD as your refuge. When we pray, meditate on His WORD, and walk according to His ways and will, we dwell in Him and we will not be overcome by temptation. We will not be led by the flesh but have the LORD as our GOD who is our refuge and fortress, in whom we trust.

A great example of this is Jesus Christ, who was both GOD and man on earth, trusted in the LORD. He even said, in John 5:19, Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

Even the LORD Jesus Christ, knowing that He needed His Father, depended on and abided in the Father to accomplish the Father’s will. We too as children of GOD should abide and depend on the Father as we grow close to Him so that we overcome temptation as we lean on Him. By way of unceasing prayer and walking in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Ruach Hakkodesh.

If you’ve been walking in a season where temptation is falling upon you left and right, and maybe you fell into temptation and sinned, come to the Father and humble yourself before Him, knowing that you need Him to refresh your heart and strengthen you to overcome and say no to temptation. Ask the LORD Jesus Christ for His blood to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help and teach you how to overcome temptation. GOD is more than able!