{"id":48580,"date":"2021-09-10T18:11:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T22:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=48580"},"modified":"2021-09-14T11:15:49","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T15:15:49","slug":"temptation-to-sin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/temptation-to-sin\/","title":{"rendered":"Defeating the Temptation to Sin: The 4 Actions to Take"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How do you deal with the temptation to sin? Do you know how to overcome it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Temptation is simply part of life. Even Jesus dealt with it when he was on Earth. Temptation is actually part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spiritual-evolution\/\">spiritual growth<\/a> process, you just need to understand its pattern and know what specific actions you can take to overcome it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to learn how to deal with the temptation to sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Resisting the Temptation to Sin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may think that temptation is an <em>obstacle<\/em> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/choose-your-own-path\/\">your path<\/a> to becoming Christlike, but it\u2019s actually a valuable learning opportunity. <strong>God puts you in situations where you\u2019ll want to act in <em>direct opposition<\/em> to the qualities Jesus possessed, such as love, patience, faithfulness, and self-control. <\/strong>When you make the choice to stick to Jesus-like qualities in these situations, you develop the strength of your character.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most crucial aspect of these temptations that God creates is that there\u2019s a <em>choice<\/em> to make. Your character is like a muscle\u2014it needs resistance to develop and strengthen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>For example, you don\u2019t develop your integrity while taking an exam in a supervised setting, as there\u2019s no opportunity for you to cheat. You <em>do <\/em>develop your integrity when you\u2019re trusted to take an unsupervised exam and have the opportunity to check your answers against your textbook, but choose not to cheat.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Pattern of Temptation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you can effectively resist the temptation to sin, it\u2019s important to understand what it <em>is<\/em>. <strong>Fortunately, temptation is incredibly predictable<\/strong>\u2014the Bible reveals that Satan always relies on the same four-part process to lead believers astray:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) Satan identifies your desire and urges you to fulfill it. <\/strong>These desires might be evil, such as the desire to get revenge on someone, or they might be legitimate <em>but only when exercised at the right time for the right reason<\/em>, such as sexual pleasure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It\u2019s important to realize here that temptation comes from your mind, not your environment. No situation has the power to tempt you if you keep hidden desires out of your mind.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2) Satan makes you doubt God\u2019s Word.<\/strong> He plants questions in your mind such as, \u201cDoes God really say this is bad?\u201d or \u201cWouldn\u2019t God want me to do this and be happy?\u201d Remember that God\u2019s Word is never wrong and his guidelines will never fail you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3) Satan lies to you about the consequences. <\/strong>This is dangerous because he sounds authoritative, but he\u2019s always lying. He\u2019ll tell you \u201cNothing bad will happen. No one will find out. This isn\u2019t a big enough sin to follow me. It has to be fine because others are doing it.\u201d But, everything you do has eternal consequences\u2014giving into temptation and sinning shows up on God\u2019s radar.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4) You act on the thought.<\/strong> Satan\u2019s suggestions, coupled with your internal questions and doubts manifest in sin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Defeat the Temptation to Sin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing the mechanisms of temptation puts you on the offense against it, rather than defense\u2014<strong>it\u2019s always much easier to <\/strong><strong><em>stay away from temptation <\/em><\/strong><strong>than it is to <\/strong><strong><em>get out of <\/em><\/strong><strong>temptation.<\/strong> There are four key actions you can take to keep your mind alert to the risk of temptation and ready to overcome it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Action #1: Rethink Your Vulnerability to Temptation&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There are two crucial ideas to understand about the temptation to sin: It\u2019s <em>normal<\/em> and it <em>doesn\u2019t go away with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/grow-spiritually\/\">spiritual maturity<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) It\u2019s normal.<\/strong> Many Christians feel that temptation is a sign of failure or weakness on their part, and they can be discouraged from their efforts to develop their spiritual maturity\u2014this thinking misses out on three key points about why temptation happens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Temptation is a signal of your faith, not weakness. It means that Satan\u2019s recognized you as his enemy, and is trying his best to distract you from your belief and service to God.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Feeling temptation is a <em>good sign<\/em> because it means Satan hasn\u2019t won you over. If he had, you wouldn\u2019t wrestle with temptation at all\u2014you\u2019d simply give in to it.&nbsp;<\/li><li><em>Having<\/em> temptation to sin isn\u2019t sinful\u2014<em>giving in<\/em> is. Your character strengthens every time you feel temptation, but choose not to act on it.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2) It doesn\u2019t go away with spiritual maturity. <\/strong>You might hold the false belief that you\u2019re spiritually mature enough not to be vulnerable to temptation anymore. <strong>Keep in mind that <em>even Jesus dealt with temptation to sin throughout his life.&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Not only is this mindset prideful and arrogant, but it leaves you <em>especially<\/em> vulnerable to temptation\u2014tempting thoughts can more easily catch you off-guard when you\u2019re not on the lookout for them.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Action #2: Recognize Your Triggers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We know temptation is in the mind, not the environment itself. Think about what types of situations bring your inner desires to the surface. Keep in mind that Satan knows what these situations are, so you have to figure them out too if you want to stay a step ahead of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good way to think about your triggers is going through basic questioning of who, what, where, when, and why:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Who <\/strong>am I with when I&#8217;m most tempted?&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>What <\/strong>sorts of things usually tempt me? For example, food, money, desire for revenge, physical attraction, and so on.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Where<\/strong> do I frequently feel tempted? For example, at home, work, at your parents\u2019 house, or on business trips.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>When <\/strong>do I usually feel tempted? This could refer to different days of the week or different times of the day.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Why<\/strong><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong>am I turning toward desires? Often, temptation stems from emotions such as loneliness, hurt, anger, embarrassment, success, elation, and so on.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve figured out the situations that most frequently make you feel tempted, resolve to avoid them. For example, if you always feel tempted to gossip with a certain coworker on the train home on Fridays, either don\u2019t commute with her anymore or keep your conversations away from gossipy topics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Action #3: Change Your Focus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn\u2019t do you any good to fight against Satan\u2019s focus on your desire\u2014he\u2019ll always win. Thoughts of temptation only become stronger the more you try to fight against them, much like someone telling you, \u201cDon\u2019t think about a white bear.\u201d Suddenly, that\u2019s all you can think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you can <em>diminish <\/em>the power of a thought simply by occupying your mind with other topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Distract yourself with other thoughts: <\/strong>Recognize that you\u2019re feeling tempted, and consciously redirect your thoughts to something else. For example, if you\u2019re tempted to gossip about a friend, think of something that excites you and talk about that.<\/li><li><strong>Physically remove yourself: <\/strong>If the situation you\u2019re in is stirring up a thought of temptation, leave the situation. This can look like changing the TV channel, getting off a phone call, or closing your Internet shopping tabs.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Quote Scripture: <\/strong>Push tempting thoughts to the side by filling your mind with Scripture that you\u2019ve memorized.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Action #4: Ask for Help&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When faced with the temptation to sin, be humble and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/asking-people-for-help\/\">ask for help from others<\/a> instead of fighting on your own. There are two places you can turn to for help in overcoming your temptations:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) Turn to God. <\/strong>Ask him to help you and have faith that he\u2019ll give you the tools you need. People often skip this step, afraid to ask God for help for various reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Some think God won\u2019t understand their struggle. Remember that even Jesus knows what it means to face temptation.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Some don\u2019t really want help and would rather give in to the temptation. This reveals that they think they know <em>better than God<\/em> what\u2019s good for them.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Some feel embarrassed to ask for help, especially if the temptation is one they\u2019ve faced before. Remember that God is <em>always<\/em> willing to help\u2014he\u2019ll never be annoyed or bored with you.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In a way, God likes it when you deal with temptation because it strengthens both your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/maturity-continuum-7-habits\/\">dependence<\/a> on him and your character\u2014you first lean into your faith to get the tools you need, and then you become more like Jesus when you overcome the temptation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2) Turn to a friend or support group. <\/strong>Talk about your struggles with someone you can be honest with, like a good friend, your fellowship group, or your pastor. Their support\u2014which includes their encouragement, their prayers, and their efforts to hold you accountable for your actions\u2014vastly improves your chances of overcoming your temptation to sin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you deal with the temptation to sin? Do you know how to overcome it? Temptation is simply part of life. Even Jesus dealt with it when he was on Earth. Temptation is actually part of the spiritual growth process, you just need to understand its pattern and know what specific actions you can take to overcome it. Keep reading to learn how to deal with the temptation to sin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":48587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,43,6],"tags":[488],"class_list":["post-48580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-self-improvement","category-spiritual","tag-the-purpose-driven-life","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Defeating the Temptation to Sin: The 4 Actions to Take - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The temptation to sin is an unavoidable part of life. 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