How Can I Win Against Temptation When It Catches Me Unaware?

Sighing, I bit my lip and turned my face toward the window. This always happens. Just when I think I’ve finally overcome a weakness, something like this hits me. When will I ever be free of this struggle?

We all have natural inclinations toward certain sins. Mine is a sharp tongue which yields harsh words. Stress accelerates this tendency and on that particular morning, I lashed out at a dear friend. Only a few days earlier I published a blog post on how to choose our words so we help, and not hurt, our loved ones.

Outwardly I apologized and worked to reconcile with my friend. But inside my head a battle raged. You hypocrite! You can’t even practice what you preach. As I humbled myself before the Lord in prayer, I remembered a warning the Apostle Paul gave to the Corinthian Christians:

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV)

This verse is part of a larger teaching where Paul reminds the Corinthians of the failings of the Israelites in the Old Testament. Because they enjoyed the status of being God’s chosen people, the Israelites thought they were standing firm. Overconfident, they stopped watching out for temptations. As they fell into sin, they fell out of God’s favor (1 Corinthians 10:1-10).

Paul warned them (and us) against falling into the same trap. We stand firm in God’s grace, but we must always be on guard against temptation. The Apostle Peter said it this way:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV)

I don’t think about the devil, our enemy, until I give in to temptation, as I had that morning. Peter’s words remind me I don’t have the luxury of letting my guard down. I can resist the devil, not by coasting on my own willpower, but by holding tight to my faith. Knowing I’m engaged in a battle with my brothers and sisters fortifies my resolve. 

The Apostle Paul wrote similar words in his conclusion to the warning he gave the Corinthians:

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 10:13 NIV)

Sometimes It’s easy to think no one can understand my situation. But Paul’s words teach me the truth: no temptation is unique. Someone else has faced it, and has learned how to overcome it. And while I may feel powerless in my struggle, God promises He won’t give me more than I can handle. Even more, when I am tempted, He will provide me a way to resist it. But the key is for me to stay guarded and watchful. 

As we continue on our journeys, let’s remember the enemy looks for ways to trick us. May we stand firm in the strength of the One who leads us out of temptation.