How to overcome temptation

Today we’re going to look at a very helpful tool to overcome temptation.

ANTHEM-

A- Avoid

N - Say ‘no’ to sin

T - Turn to God

E - Enjoy God

M - Move

This can be used for any type of temptation.

Sexual temptation, pride, hate, covetousness etc.

The first letter is A- Avoid.

Romans 13:14 (ESV)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Provision, means to care or provide for.

Usually, we refer this to God taking care of the world and every person so that they would praise HIm.

But here, Paul tells us to not be providential towards sin.

To not care for, or provide a place for sin to thrive.

If you keep getting wasps

around your home

the only way

to get rid of them

is not killing them

one by one.

But by destroying their nest.

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Some temptations

are so powerful

that God tells you to just flee.

To avoid them completely.

This doesn’t apply only to sexual temptation

but some people are strongly tempted by some things

others are not.

For example a Christian who used to be an alcoholic

may find alcohol far too strong of a temptation

and so needs to just avoid it.

What are things we can do to avoid unnecessary temptation in your life?

Avoid websites and apps that are not helpful. Click ‘do not suggest’ when you get bad content.

Now you can’t avoid everything.

You’re not to run away

and make your own society

like the Amish

because you are called to be a light to the world

which is a dark place.

So you will always be exposed to things.

So when you are actively avoiding temptation

but they come up anyway

remember this.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

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 the rest of these points

will be showing you

how you can escape.

Avoid slide

Next is N which means ‘say no to sin’.

James 4:7 (ESV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

What does it mean to resist?

Whenever you have a temptation or any wrong image or thought in your mind.

You need to say no immediately.

Within 5 seconds say no!

Reject it!

When you let wrong thoughts stay in your mind

you are letting them grow in you.

You are letting them stay rent free in your mind.

So you have to say no.

Don’t give wrongful thoughts any room in your mind.

Jesus also does this.

Matthew 4:8–11 (ESV)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Other than telling Satan what the scriptures say, what does Jesus tell Satan to do?

He tells him to be gone! He rejects Satan!

When Satan tempts Jesus, he says no to Satan!

Students you must also say no to any wrong idea in your mind.

Have you ever thought about rejecting sinful thoughts that come to mind? If so how did it help you? If not, how do you think it will help you?

The next one is T- Turn to God.

You see saying no is not enough.

Jesus did not just say no.

He also turned to the Scriptures,

God’s Word in order to overcome temptation.

Saying no is playing defense

and Turning to God is playing offense.

To this you must pray and look at God’s promises for your life.

Remember that God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle.

Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

According to this verse, how do we turn to God?

You must come to God

turn to Him in order to overcome temptation.

One powerful thing you can do to fight temtpation

especially visual ones

is to fight images with images.

Look here.

Galatians 3:1 (ESV)

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

Why does Paul mention the ‘eyes’ here?

Because the Galatians saw Jesus crucified.

But interesting they weren’t literally there in person.

They saw it through the preaching of Paul.

You have to be very careful

about making images in your mind.

In fact one of the ten commandments is to not make a graven image.

Some people will advise people with past trauma

to imagine themselves in a past traumatic event they experienced

and then picture Jesus helping them get up.

And that’s not supported by God’s word.

But the one instance where it is biblical

is the crucifixion. uoY

You see yourself in the midst of the temptation

picturing Jesus on the cross,

and you about to stab him with the spear

if you give in to the temptation.

Will you do it?

Will you stab Jesus who gave his life for you?

No!

The next letter is H- Hold His Promises.

We often will turn to God

but we don’t hold on long enough to him.

Does anyone know the story of God and Jacob wrestling?

Jacob wrestled with God for an entire day, and would not let go until God blessed him!

You must also wrestle with God

persist in prayer

until he blesses you!

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When you keep praying, God will bless you with peace,

but you need to hold on to Him until He blesses you.

Remember that He promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

Remember that He is using all things for your good.

The next letter is E- Enjoy Him.

You must turn from false pleasures: sin

and actually enjoy true pleasures.

If your body is hungry

and you avoid something healthy.

Good, but your body is still hungry.

You need to feed it with something healthy.

So feed your soul by Enjoying Jesus.

How do we do that?

Come to student worship and you will learn about that as we continue learning How to Enjoy God.

Psalm 34:8–10 (ESV)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

This is when you begin to actually rejoice! You thank God for who He is and delivering you from temptation!

And the last letter is M- Move.

Now that Jesus has delivered you from temptation

you must now move on to do something productive.

David fell into temptation with Bathsheeba

because he was idle and lazy.

When you are doing nothing that’s when temptations come more frequently.

Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV)

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Don’t lay around doing nothing.

Clean your room.

Throw the trash.

Organize your computer.

Do your hobby.

God has created you to do manage and take care of the world, so go do something.

Move.

How does moving help you fall into temptation?