Dec 19, 2011
A promise for when you are tempted
Living by faith means trusting all that God promises to be to us in Christ Jesus.
So what does God promise when we are tempted to steal from the boss, gossip about the neighbor, or drift into self-pity?
One promise I turn to again and again is 1 Cor 10:13 —
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
So what does God promise about every temptation we face?
It is common to man.
Which means that as powerful as the temptation feels, it’s not greater than what others experience.
So you are not alone. Your brothers and sisters in the body of Christ are with you in the war — tempted in ways that are just as intense.
God will not let you be tempted beyond your God-enabled ability.
Picture a conveyer belt from Satan bringing you temptations — some which are within your ability — some which are beyond your ability.
God promises to take off the conveyer belt all that are beyond your ability.
Which means the only temptations you ever face are those that are within your God-enabled ability.
With the temptation, God will provide a way of escape, so you can endure it.
In World-War II, men trapped in submarines on the bottom of the ocean could use escape pods to get to the surface.
In the same way — with every temptation God provides an escape pod.
Sometimes it’s just running from the temptation — like Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:12).
But you can change the location of your body easier than you can change the desires of your heart.
So God also provides …
An escape pod for our hearts
Every temptation says there’s more pleasure in sin than in Jesus.
That’s a lie. But when we are tempted it’s because our hearts aren’t feeling the superior pleasures of knowing Jesus.
So the escape pod for our hearts is the Holy Spirit giving us such a taste of Jesus that temptations lose their power (Matt 13:44; Phil 3:8; Heb 10:34; Heb 11:26; 2Pet 1:4).
Just like the old hymn —
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
How the Spirit does this
As we cry out for the work of the Spirit (Luke 11:13), and turn our eyes upon Jesus as revealed in the Word (Eph 6:17), the Spirit will change our hearts so we once again feel His glory and grace.
This might take some time. And maybe it would help to invite some trusted friends in the faith to pray with you.
But keep trusting — and praying over God’s Word — because God will provide the escape pod. He’s promised.
He will enable you to feel His glory so strongly that you won’t desire to sin, any more than someone with business-class tickets would desire to fly economy.
Next steps
I’d love to hear any feedback or comments. Feel free to leave a reply below — thanks.
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(The picture is from Microsoft Publisher clipart.)
“The way to overcome temptation is by fighting the fight of faith until we are so satisfied in Jesus Christ that lesser satisfactions have no pull.”
I’ll second that completely, Steve!
I had not even finished reading your post(s)
when something unexpected happened. Satan was knocking at my door and offered a rather subtle kind of temptation glancing from his conveyer belt directly to me.
I stopped reading when I came to know that someone whom I appreciate is attacked in a massive and nasty way. It is quite obvious to me that the (human) accuser of those serious accusations is lying to be sure, but I must admit certainly he did it unknowingly. I didn’t feel as angry as it is often the case when bigger temptations arise. My emotional level was much more lower than in similar circumstances. For that reason I was not quite sure whether it was a temptation or not.
Nevertheless I wanted to react, I wanted to help and to defend that person against those false accusations, but…
Looking to my heart I started praying because I felt somehow uneasy and overanxious. A few minutes later – not yet any peace in my heart – I decided to go Joseph’s way running from the possibility to falsely react. I know what would happen if I’d get mad about it. Then I would have to repent from my overreaction as always in similar cases.
I really couldn’t feel any power to overcome that temptation but I prayed on 1 Cor 10:13 as you suggested it and – IT WORKS.
Thank you so much, Steve. I love your blog posts. They are an essential addition to my spiritual life.
PS
This scripture also crossed my mind,
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38)
That’s so true, isn’t it?
Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and for giving me the strength to flee from sexual desires and for transforming my heart n ways! Praise God!
I hate my habitual sin ; at one point i refused to sin and was happy I felt relieved that I had beat this sin.. then suddenly I started sinning again slowly but surely making myself the hypocrite.. I hate sinning more than anything and I hate that I fell short again I gave in to the temptation
You are not alone this exact thing happens to me hence why I am here now, I don’t feel like I’ll be forgiven because I confess and repent and then sometime later I do it again, I wish I could either see heaven to motivate me to stop or see hell to scare me into stopping
Hi Mark –
I would encourage you to look at other blog posts on this site dealing with sin and temptation.
The fact that you sin again does not mean you weren’t sincere when you confessed and repented.
Keep pressing in with prayer and meditation on God’s word, asking him to change your heart and show you his glory.
He will meet you, and help you.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
I’m fighting a temptation a sexual one sometimes I overcome and sometimes I can’t I feel nit worth my enough when I do fall into temptation I ask for forgiveness but I still feel not worthy give me some advice.
Hi Bradley – I know what you are going through, and how difficult it can be. I find sometimes there are things you can do to “protect you from yourself,” if you know what I mean, and that can make you less likely to do it,and you’ll feel better about it. If you do do it, then don’t worry – ask for forgiveness and try again. it will get easier to overcome over time, I promise you.
As long as you have humbly asked for forgiveness, and have the belief that Jesus can heal you, and by dying for you has set you free, that is all that matters – slowly but surely everything else will fall into place.
Look to the future – there is so much that God can change in your life, if you want him to. If you wait for Him, and trust in Him, I can garuntee that, in the end, things will be better for you.
Good luck!
Thank you so much. You are really helping. I feel a little more calm now
This was so good it was straight forward. I do need to fight temptation and I will. I am asking God to deliver me from masterbation. I know he will do it!!
Why do people commit suicide if God will provide a escape for their temptations
That’s a good question, Jacques.
I think the answer is that people do this for the same reason we all sin so often, even though God provides an escape.
It’s because we choose not to trust his promises.
In Christ,
Steve Fuller