Resistance to Temptation
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation because when he stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James1:12
Human beings are to face temptations daily. We are prone to sins also .The desire is in us to have or to do something wrong. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak..
Any thought or speech or deed against the commandments of God is sin. Man has a free choice of being faithful or unfaithful to God.
Temptation is not a sin but yielding to temptation is sin. we should be vigilant to stay away from tempting situations. Everyone will be dragged into temptation by the devil or by our own evil desire.
Adam and Eve were victims of the temptation. David was another victim of temptation. They failed to resist the temptations and so they were punished. Devil attempted to lure our Lord Jesus by offering worldly power and honour and authority.
But Jesus drove away the devil through the word of God.Devil was defeated by our lord Jesus. He taught us how to resist temptation and how to tackle the devil using the word of God. The temptations can be resisted by implementing the following strategies.
We should meditate on the word of God daily specially in morning hours.
Turning to God in early morning is a good way to fight against temptations.
We should ask guidance and seek strength from God to resist temptations.
In Luke 22:39-40 our Lord asks us to pray that we will not fall into temptation.
Luke11:4 our lord asks us to pray that we are not led into temptation
Hebrew4:15 tells us that relying on Jesus can help us resist temptation
1corinth10:13 proclaims that God wont let people be tempted beyond they can handle.
We should submit ourselves to God. Then the devil will flee away.james1:12 stresses the need of seeking forgiveness with genuine heart.
We should seek forgiveness when we fail in the temptation. We should flee away from tempting situations just like joseph who fled away from the wife of his master who compelled him to commit adultery
In my life I didn’t seek the guidance of God when I was tempted by the devil and fell deep into the pit of sin. And led a sinful life for many years and I lost the hope of salvation
Lost all the blessings in my life. lost my father who was so upset about my life. Relatives and friends became enemies. I lost all my properties and had to face so many difficulties . Once I thought of suicide also .However I sought forgiveness of God. By the grace of God I came out of my sinful life and our Lord forgave me and accepted me as His son .Now He leads me in all aspects.
If we resist the temptation and stood the test God promises us the crown of life.Let us be blessed to receive this crown .Amen
Sol.Subramaniam