I had just finished lunch with an athlete who had experienced victory over his drug addiction for several years. As we left the restaurant, he said, “Call me in 30 minutes to be sure I got home.” 

Noticing the quizzical look on my face, he added, “On my way home I will pass the place where I used to make my drug buys; it still pulls on me.” 

Whether we have struggled with a serious addiction or a pattern of gossip, sin habits die slowly. As a believer, it is common to assume that any temptation is an easy victory with God’s help. As believers, we are surprised how often we choose sin.

The good news is this: When a person becomes a Christian, the power of sin is broken. While the presence of sin remains, we no longer have to sin.

Satan is alive and active. He is a schemer and a deceiver. He appeals to our natural desires to offer counterfeits of what God has promised to us. 

He uses the world system around us, which is opposed to God, to draw us off course.

God has provided great help in the Scriptures. They instruct us in how to respond to various temptations. Some temptations we are to resist, others we are to flee, and others we are to fight.

God places the Holy Spirit in our lives when we become Christians. He is active in convicting us of sin, prompting us to bring it before God. He reminds us of God’s grace and empowers us to reject temptation (Galatians 5:16).

The best solution for temptation is to maintain an active and growing relationship with Jesus. Because of Him, we will never do battle alone.

Tom Petersburg  | www.catapultministries.org