THE WAY OUT

Overcomming Temptations


TURNED AROUND
Have you ever been turned around in a mall and lost track of where you entered? You want to leave and return to your car but don’t know the way out. Similarly, have you ever been lost in a repetitive sin and could not find the way out of that sin?


God is never surprised by our struggles. Since Adam and Eve, people have struggled with sin. The good news is that God has given us a way out of the sin dilemma.


“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


BACK TRACING OUR STEPS
“How did we get into this sin in the first place?” is a good first question to ask. For me, overeating is a recurring sin that I can trace back to childhood. I grew up in a poor family, where mom and dad struggled to put food on the table. There was not much of it, and we routinely finished everything on our plate. Me and my younger sister and brother tried clever ways of giving away the vegetables we did not like. We tried hiding them under an overturned potato skin, which often did not work. A surefire solution was to slip the food under the table to our black beagle, Gypsy, who was a willing culprit in our caper. We, kids, shed tears at the table as we were demanded to finish everything on our plates. To this day, this is my custom. Hungry or not, wanting the food or not, I finish everything. And then, sometimes going looking for more. Of course, dessert is also a factor, and I crave those empty calories more than I care to admit. Some of you have a sweet tooth. I have a whole set of “sweet teeth.” Once I start eating anything with sugar in it, I find it hard to stop until my belly is full. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, my belly is much bigger than it ought, with plenty of room for unneeded “sinful” sustenance. 


What is your recurring sin? Can you perhaps trace it back to something in your childhood? It does not matter how the apple got eaten. We can blame Eve. We can blame Adam. All that really counts is that it was, in fact, consumed against God’s will. They rebelled, just like we still do to this day. But God has given us a way out of this rebellion. When we are tempted, we do have a solution.


FINDING THE WAY OUT
The first step in getting out of the mall is to look for the exit signs. We can also ask for help, or stop and look at a map. So, too, there is a way out of our recurring sinful behavior. God has given us a solution. It is up to us to “want” to find the way out. If we still desire to stay and shop, even though we know we should be leaving, our half-hearted effort to find the exit will probably not be successful. And even if we locate the way we came in, plenty of stores nearby can call our name, tempting us to stay a little while longer. So, the first step in escaping my sinful behavior is to desire it truly.


It is not easy for me to want to give up sweets. I know that is the right thing to do. I have learned this lesson dozens of times over the years. Once I start eating them, I don’t want to stop. The temptation of having them in front of me is very difficult to bear. But watch out. Once I take that first bite, I am off to the races and my “diet” is a distant memory. I must truly come to a place of genuine desire to resist the temptation. Then, I need to ask for help from the right source.


ASKING FOR HELP
I can tell you that the wrong source of help is my wife, who loves to shop, buys delicious sweets for the family, and fully expects me to be a grown adult and limit my intake. Patty wants me to demonstrate the same self-control she and the family have in abundance. For example, a gallon of ice cream can last in the freezer for a month, until I think to look inside. Making that discovery is a great joy, followed a few days later by remorse as the ice cream is gone, and my scale tells me I’ve gained a few pounds.


Patty and I just came back from an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. It was heaven because sweets were everywhere, and it was “all you can eat” all the time. So of course, I did. No, I did not ask for help, because I did not want it. I would have gotten funny looks from the resort staff if I tried to garner their support. After all, why do you come to an “all you can eat” place to eat just some of what you can eat? When we returned home yesterday, and the scale delivered the bad news, I asked the right source for help. Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is the way out. His death and resurrection paved the way for His Holy Spirit to dwell inside each Christ-follower. We have a way out if we call on the Holy Spirit for help.


“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 NIV


By earnestly turning to the Holy Spirit in prayer, we open ourselves to divine assistance that surpasses our human limitations. It's not merely about exerting more self-control or willpower but recognizing our dependency on the Spirit's power to transform and renew our minds and hearts.


RELYING ON THE SPIRIT
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 NIV


The Holy Spirit produces qualities that are not attainable through human effort alone. Self-control, one of the fruits of the Spirit, is critical in overcoming temptations and sinful habits. This supernatural self-control is a gift, cultivated as we live by the Spirit and yield to His leading.


RENEWING OUR MIND
The battle against sin is often fought in the mind.


"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 NIV


 By renewing our minds with God’s Word and truths, we align our thoughts and desires with His. This transformation is pivotal for recognizing the way out when faced with temptation.


PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
Equipping ourselves with the armor of God is essential for spiritual warfare. 
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV


This includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. Each piece of armor provides protection and strength to stand firm against temptation.


MAKING NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH
To avoid recurring sin, we must be proactive about not making provision for the flesh.


“Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness." Romans 6:12-13 NIV


This means avoiding situations, habits, or environments that tempt us to sin. Instead, we offer ourselves to God, seeking to live in righteousness.


CONCLUSION
Finding the way out of temptation is not a journey we undertake alone. It involves a sincere desire to change, reliance on the Holy Spirit, transformation through renewing our mind, spiritual readiness with the armor of God, and practical steps to avoid temptation.


Self-discipline is a big part of the “way out” for me. Yes, I rely on the Holy Spirit, but Christ wants me to do my part. In the words of the Apostle Paul:


“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV


In Christ Jesus, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, including the way to resist sin. Through His grace and power, we can overcome and live in the freedom He has won for us.


Your aspiring servant and fellow runner Daniel M. Let’s run to win!
April 05, 2024
POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate conversations with Christ.