Oscar Wilde once said,
”
I can withstand anything but temptation.
”
Ah, yes … I resemble that remark. Temptation is surely
humankind’s oldest problem. It goes all the way back to Adam and
Eve.
Oscar Wilde once said, “I can withstand anything but temptation.” Ah, yes … I resemble that remark. Temptation is surely humankind’s oldest problem. It goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. But even after all these years, we still don’t do a good job of dealing with it. It seems like a day doesn’t pass without our temptations getting the better of us in one way or another. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way. In the first chapter of James, God tells us four steps we can take to conquer temptation.
First, James says we must be realistic. We must face the fact that we will be tempted on a regular basis. James 1:13 says, “when” you are tempted, not “if” you are tempted. You will never be too old for it or too spiritual for it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” Temptation is something we all have in common, so don’t be surprised when it happens. But realize this: being tempted is not a sin. Heb. 4:15 says that Jesus “faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” It is not the temptation that is the sin, but the giving into it. Many Christians say, “Oh, how could I even have such a thought!” I can tell you how: you’re human. Temptation is not a sin, it’s just part of being human. So be realistic and know you will be tempted.
Step two has to do with how to respond when you give into temptation: be responsible. Don’t blame others. When we blow it, we tend to look for a scapegoat. We are even fond of blaming God. We think, “God could have stopped that from happening, so it’s His fault.” In contrast, James 1:13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me…’ for God does not tempt anyone.” And while we are on the subject of the blame-game, another person who gets far too much credit is Satan. We want to say with Flip Wilson, “the devil made me do it.” What a cop-out! Satan is a powerful being, but 99.9 percent of the time, you and you alone are responsible for the mess you’re in. Own up to it and quit looking for someone else to blame.
The third step in conquering temptation is to be ready. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 26:41, “Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.” Much of our problem in being ready is in the way we perceive sin. Most of us look at sin as a single action, but God looks at it as a process. Notice the process outlined in verses James 1:14-15, “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” By reminding ourselves that this is always the process, we can see it coming.
On a practical level, the key to conquering temptation is found in the fourth step: refocus. In verse 17 James reminds us that “every good and beneficial gift is from above, coming down from the Father.” Why does James shift from discussing a negative (temptation) to a positive (the source of blessings)? Think about it for a moment Since temptation starts with our inner thoughts, then changing what we think about is the key to overcoming temptation. One of the most important principles we can grasp and utilize is the principle of replacement. Instead of fighting a temptation, refocus your attention. Don’t resist it, replace it. Why? Because the more you fight a feeling, the more it grabs you. Dieting is a good example. When I stare at a delicious dessert and say to myself, “I don’t want it, I can’t eat it, I won’t eat it,” before long I’m saying, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”
Don’t focus on what you don’t want, focus on what do want! This is the principle God gives us in Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ”
Remember, whatever gets your attention, gets you.
