So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
No temptation will overpower you because Christians are no longer slaves to sin. We have the freedom to choose what is good. In addition to this, God is faithful to provide us with a way of escape out of the temptation and give us the strength to say no to sinful enticements. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to withstand the temptation and pass the test.
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. – 1 John 2:16
The world promises to satisfy legitimate desires in illegitimate ways through the lust of the eyes. Secondly, the world temps your mind through what your eyes see. Thirdly, the desire to live to impress others with what you have. If you ever want to break addiction to anything you have to be watchful of what you are allowing into your eyes, what you are thinking about and how you see yourself.
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character. – 1 Corinthians 15:33
The Corinthian believers needed to stop hanging out with those who were promoting false doctrine, denying the resurrection and living a sinful lifestyle. You cannot make unbelievers your constant, intimate companions and think you will escape unscathed. If you are struggling with breaking addictions of any kind, look closely who you are hanging out with. More than likely, they are struggling with the same things as you.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
Submitting to God is to recognize your weakness, and to stop fighting and surrendering to God as your final authority. Satin has been practicing his craft for thousands of years. There is only one way to resist him. It’s the same way the Jesus resisted him in Matthew 4:1-11. Stop trying to win the battle over addiction by yourself. Submit to God.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God – Matthew 4:1-4
Jesus used the written word to deal with the enemy. This is one of the reasons why we have the bible, so that we can remember the scriptures and speak them when we face troubles or temptations. Before the next time you feel pressure to give in to an negative addiction, plant some bible verses in your heart and commit them to memory so that you can speak them out loud when you need them.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41
I include this verse in this episode because we need to remember to watch out what we are doing and where we are going. If we know that going to a certain place or hanging out with certain people will cause you to sin and fall into your addictive habit, then pray that God will direct you away from those situations. Your flesh is weak. Don’t think that you will be able to use will power to overcome a temptation when you walk into a situation that is not in your favour to overcome.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
To rest means to put your burdens in Gods hands and enjoy his provision of forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus did not say that you wouldn’t have that burden any more, but he did promise that it will be lighter if you yoke yourself to him.
When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” – Matthew 12:43-45
If you try to clean up our life with self-righteous and religious activity, you’ll only make yourself worse. Without submission to the Lord and the presence of the Holy Spirit to fill the void, you’re simply opening yourself up to greater demonic influence.