exodus youth

by Jayson Graves

Could you use some help with resisting temptation? Do you ever struggle with temptation feeling or seeming like sin in and of itself? Well, the good news is, there’s plenty more like you, myself included. And there’s also hope and help available to you. I know I can relate with feeling like this and so can many of my counseling clients and I’d like to give you a few tips that might bring clarity and hope and free you up to live the abundant life God intends for you.

Temptation vs. Sin
For me, this started to happen once I realized that just because something was a temptation for me, that didn’t mean I was in sin. Sin (or ‘mistakes’ against God) has to do with willful actions and thoughts…not simply being presented with the idea of these things. There’s a line between thinking and doing and while the former can lead to the latter, it doesn’t have to. I have struggled with this because sometimes the thoughts can seem so real. I’ve gotten down on myself because I even had these thoughts in the first place and bought into the lie that there was something wrong with me. Sound familiar? It’s called false shame and it’s the enemy’s biggest trick.

Jesus’ example with temptation
Well, here’s a few things to think about that worked for me-see what you think and maybe you’d be willing to try them as well. First, try taking Jesus’ model for handling temptation as your own. Remember how he was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights? Well, in that experience he gives us a great example for when we’re tempted: He simply quoted scripture and chose to do the right thing. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not as simple as quoting scripture; there’s a lot else Jesus had going for him that allowed him to invoke the word of God to the point that it was just enough for him to be able to make the right choices. Not to mention the fact that he’s God.

But notice, he didn’t just quote scripture. He avoided getting down on himself for having the temptation and downward spiraling. He avoided getting into a dialogue with the enemy or himself about it-he didn’t weigh the options. He just focused on the word and kept on doing his thing. I think this is what scripture talks about when it suggests the idea of “taking thoughts captive.” We have to have something to take those thoughts captive TO.

Setting scripture goals
To that point, a cop doesn’t just walk up to a criminal and tell him he’s captive, he takes him to jail. Similarly, memorizing scripture just like Jesus did, gives us somewhere to put these unwanted thoughts and helps us in the process of overcoming these temptations. So, we can start by setting a scripture memorization goal for ourselves.

Putting a HALT(S) to temptation
Once I realized the power of Jesus’ example, I had to also start caring for my heart by asking myself “What am I feeling?” and doing a quick self-assessment using the word ‘HALTS’ whenever temptation came around. That way, the enemy could no longer manipulate me by trying to get me to meet my legitimate needs with illegitimate solutions. ‘HALTS’ or ‘H. A. L. T. S.’  stands for 9 things: hungry, angry lonely, tired, sick, sad, stressed, scared and shameful.

Once you’ve got those memorized, its just a matter of going through each one when temptation comes around and choosing to meet the need that each feeling represents and being responsible with your heart that way instead of selling out to sinful choices. Coming up with an action plan for your most common triggering feelings in advance is not a bad idea either.

No man (or woman) is an island
Lastly, we can’t do this alone. Connecting with other believers and committing to a group of people fighting similar temptation issues is really important. When choosing a group, make sure it’s a group that people are committed to attending weekly and not just “dropping in” whenever they feel like it. Also, you’ll want to connect with people who are truly submitting to accountability with each other in their group experience, not just “hanging out.” The third essential quality of a healthy group is that it’s interactive-we have to be able to speak the truth in love with gentleness and respect to one another so the idea of “no cross-talk” is just plain missing something.

Now I know doing a group can be intimidating but at least take the risk and give it a try. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And if you can’t find a or don’t feel comfortable showing up in person, try a teleconference group where you can connect over the telephone.

Boiling it down
Well, I trust this helps you and brings you hope! Remember, resisting temptation involves following Jesus’ example with scripture, responsibly meeting our valid needs and plugging into a regular accountability group. So be empowered and get connected and don’t forget: If thousands of people in recovery like me can live in victory with God’s help and the help of other warriors, so can you, my friend!