The Battle with Temptation and Sin

We are in a war. Sin wants to have us, but we must master it (Gen 4:7). The following is an outline for how a Christian might engage the enemy in an all-out war with temptation and sin.

• Read Luke and study what the requirements are for becoming a disciple of Jesus and then be one. Give your life over to being a Christian and then be one. (Hmmm, is being a disciple the same as being a Christian? Yes!!)
• Be immersed in the Word of God. Read your Bible at every break during the day. Read it at lunch, if you can. Read it in the evening, when you are alone. Get alone and read it in the evening.
• When you read your Bible, I’m not talking about reading like you’re reading a manual. It’s reading like you’re having a conversation. You are relating, conversing, listening, talking to, and walking with God. He is your best friend. He is the one without whom you would die.
• Make a decision before God and with God that you are not going to indulge in or play with your particular sin ever again.
• Read extra Biblical literature on the specific topic. Make sure it is written by people who know God and are leading you into righteousness rather than into psychology—or something else. If there are questions at the end of the chapters, keep a log and answer those questions.
• Pick a verse or passage of Scripture that applies to you and write it out on a “3 X 5” card. This is a prayer card. Take your prayer card with you everywhere, and pray that God would apply your passage to your life, all the time.
• Pray all the time. If you can’t think of anything to pray about, thank God for everything. Praise him for his presence in everything. Walk with him, talk with him, constantly, and all the time.
• Hang with, and surround yourself with Christians who will be good examples to you of what it looks like to live a victorious life. Avoid people who call themselves Christians, but who don’t live like you know Christians are supposed to life.
• When you talk with anyone, pray for opportunities to talk about God with them. Then when an opening pops up, go for it. Share Jesus with everyone you know, and don’t know.
• When the temptation nears, anticipate what will happen when it comes. Prepare yourself for battle. Read the Word. Know before hand, what God wants you to do in this situation. Like a soldier knows how he will respond if attacked, you need to know that you are being attacked and what to do when it happens. Study how Jesus responded and avoided sinning (Mt. 4:1-11). Notice that he isn’t quoting scripture to Satan as if Satan should apply it. He is quoting it to himself to apply and then he does.
• Rejoice all the time! The battle is one of love, not of hatred. The enemy does hate you and wants you to suffer and to die. But God is on your side and wants you to succeed. He loves you and sent Jesus to die for you, so that you could and would walk with him.
• If you do sin, confess it, and get back to what you know you should be thinking and doing. Again, remember that this is not about doing things, it is about relating to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is about walking with the Living God. He will give you victory and he will give you freedom.