Overcoming Temptations Through Christ

Overcoming Temptations Through Christ

Sara Sam, Toronto

As Christians, we are expected to live a life that is continuously holy and pleasing to the Lord. It is always in our best interest to ensure that we live for God and show our outwardly love for him to the world and non-believers. Though it is required, it can be extremely difficult now to do so. The world we live in surrounds us with unholy temptations and pleasures that weakens our faith and relationship with God. As children of Christ, it is important to maintain a healthy and genuine relationship with the Lord.

Repent to the Lord 

As children of God, one of the first things we learn is to repent when we make a mistake. Repentance allows us to spiritually grow and strengthen our relationship with God. When we honestly speak to the Lord about the temptations that we have faced/fallen into, we are showing our genuinity, and that we are hoping to not make the same mistakes again, to become better children of Christ. Repenting quickly can save our spiritual lives and relationship with the Lord. According to James 1:15, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” This is a clear indication that if we let our temptations grow, and pile onto each other without repenting, eventually our spirit and passion for the Lord will die, and we will live lives filled with sin. This is why repenting to Christ is extremely important in overcoming temptations. 

Be alert and of sober minded

Understand When You are Being Tempted It is important to understand how easily we can be tempted by worldly pleasures. Sometimes, we forget how simple it can be to fall into sin, and by letting ourselves go, our natural desires tend to take over. The devil waits to attack when we let our guard down, which is why it is important to always stay spiritually awake whenever we are faced with temptations. As mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

Reading the Bible 

The Lord can speak to us through this word and allows us to grow and gain more spirit-filled knowledge. As seen in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” With the word the Lord has provided us with, we will be able to understand what temptations are and how important it is to stay away from them. The Bible protects us and our faith. With God’s guidance and love, we can stay away from temptations and continue to walk in the path that he has set out for us.