How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life

No temptation has you in its power but such as is common to human nature; and God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. But, when the temptation comes, He will also provide the way of escape; so that you may be able to bear it. - I Corinthians 10:13

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life

Wikipedias online dictionary defines temptation as: The desire to perform an action that one may enjoy immediately or in the short term but will probably later regret for various reasons: legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilt), health-related, economic, etc. In the context of religion, temptation is the inclination to sin.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temptation For the purposes of this small report, we will focus on temptation as it relates to sin; the act of violating God's will. This report is not about the 15 ways of the 12 steps to unlocking the mysteries of yada, yada, blah, blah. Frankly, I cannot stand those kinds of reports! For the most part, all they offer are pages full of fluff and filler without ever truly addressing the issue for which they were written. Most readers end up more frustrated and confused than they were before reading all those pages of nonsense. This short report is just that...short! This report is written with the intent of showing where temptation comes from, why we each are tempted and how. However, even more importantly, a simple solution is offered for overcoming every temptation in life... all based on the word of God. It is my hope, my prayer and my desire, that by reading this short report on overcoming temptation, you will be able to do just that. God bless, James G. Artre
How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life by James G. Artre

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life No temptation has you in its power but such as is common to human nature; and God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. But, when the temptation comes, He will also provide the way of escape; so that you may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13 In the battle of temptation, it is critical to understand that it is not God testing you for some mysterious reason; a reason the vast majority of us are never able to determine Why? The first step to overcome temptation is to embrace the fact that the temptation lies within us. If you are being tempted, remember this: It has something to do with you. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - James 1:17 If a thing is good, it is from our Father above, if a thing is bad, it is from the father of lies below (Lucifer; Satan, the fallen angel). Why we blame God for being tempted, or bringing something bad upon us, Ive never quite figured out. If God tested us by sending us something bad then blessed us for whatever reason, would that not make God schizophrenic? "Let no one say when passing through trial, "My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to do evil, and He Himself tempts no one." - James 1:13 God does not cause bad things to happen to people, whether they are good or bad people. We live in a world of sin, sickness and disease, with the rain falling on the just and unjust the same. If you want to overcome temptation, then remove the idea of "fair" or "fairness" from your mind. It aint fair! or That aint fair! or Why me? Get rid of it!

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life by James G. Artre

"Each one is tempted when, by their own evil desire [their flesh], they are dragged away and enticed [lured away]. Then, after desire has conceived [grown into your flesh; think "hormones"], it gives birth to sin [the physical act]; and sin, when it is full-grown [completion of the act], gives birth to [spiritual] death." - James 1:14, 15 The enemy we fight is the enemy within. The enemy of our mind, our belief and our faith in the one whom God offered up as a sacrifice for sin, which is able to deliver us from our own evil desires. Once an idea or a thought is planted in your mind like a seed, it begins to grow the more you think about it. Desire begins to increase until it gives birth to the physical act, or sin. Once the act (sin) has been committed, then it becomes easier to continue down that path until one is spiritually dead; or insensitive to their actions, or sin. "But the Scriptures show us that all mankind are the prisoners of sin, in order that the promised blessing, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ, may be given to those who believe." - Galatians 3:22 What is the "promised blessing" that releases each of us as prisoners from sin? "And now you Gentiles [non Jews] have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago." - Ephesians 1:13 The promised blessing is the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit of God as the one hovering over the face of the deep waters in the beginning of the creation of our planet; Earth. It is through this same spirit that our Father has identified us as His own, when we placed our faith in His son -Yeshua Jesus, the Christ.

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life by James G. Artre

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.' 'The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.' 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." - Galatians 5:16-26 How then do we live by the Spirit of God within us; thus, overcoming the conflict between it and the sinful nature of our flesh? "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law [the power of the sinful nature to commit sin]. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified [put to death] the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Galatians 5:22, 26

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life by James G. Artre

We overcome the sinful nature by continually practicing the fruits of the spirit, which are love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Living by the spirit is what empowers us to overcome and put to death the power of the sinful nature to commit sin. Lastly, how many conceited (pious, holier-than-thou, narcissistic, "I'll pray for you"-sarcastically) Christians do you know or have met? Lots, I am sure. This is reason why there is such division within the body of Christ; conceited Christians. Do you not know that conceit is just as much a sin as any of those listed above under "...acts of the sinful nature?" If you are guilty of being a conceited Christian, than you are not living by the spirit. This is reason why you struggle in sin: your conceit keeps you from humbling yourself, which keeps you from living by the fruits of the spirit, which keeps you from crucifying your flesh and overcoming the sin of conceit. How can you tell if you are a conceited Christian? If you read this then said within yourself Well thats all fine & dandy, but this does not apply to me. Chances are; you are a conceited Christian and this is why you struggle to live by the spirit and overcome your flesh. "...live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." This is how to overcome every temptation in life... Shalom and amen

How to Overcome Every Temptation in Life by James G. Artre