God is better. Fight Temptation With This Truth.

Temptation deceives us often. We imagine temptation will present itself as what it is—a lie. We think it will show up with flashing lights, warning us to stay away. However, temptation often presents itself in the form of something we like. Temptation does not show its poison in the beginning.

Usually, we only see the promised benefits, making it easy for us to be swept away. Every believer faces some form of temptation. We are all given lies wrapped in pretty bows. Though Christ said we would have many trials, he also said he had conquered the world (John 16:33). In him, we have all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We have hope as we fight temptation and cling to what is better.

Deception started in the garden.

The lie started in the garden of Eden. Eve had access to everything in the garden except for one tree. That one tree was the death of her, literally. The enemy essentially told her he could offer something better than God (Genesis 3). When reading the story, we see the lie clearly, but we must remember the enemy never stopped being the father of lies.

"Temptation will please you to abuse you, seduce you to undo you, distract you to destroy you." - Marshall Segal

We see this happened to Adam and Eve. They were seduced and therefore distracted from the beauty that surrounded them, only to be destroyed by deception. The enemy uses the same strategy when tempting us. He offers shiny desires and promises they will satisfy more than God. He is very crafty!

We fight a spiritual battle.

When discussing temptation, we cannot ignore the fact that we are in a war. We don't fight against flesh and blood, but we do fight a spiritual battle. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). 

Yet, the Lord gave us a full spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). He clothed us with Christ. We can either fight or flee temptation, but there should be no reasoning with it, though we often do so. When presented with temptation, we sometimes entertain ideas or thoughts. We ponder or negotiate with them.

We should not have long conversations with our temptations. They should not be taken lightly. It is often said, "Satan presents the bait, but hides the hook." Sin is disastrous. We can either fight with God's Word or flee as Joseph did when Potiphar's wife tempted him.

"But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house." Genesis 39:11-12

Joseph was doing his duties when Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce him. We can't know what Joseph's thought-life was like, but we see his actions. He fled. We must take the same approach to our temptations. We cannot entertain them.

We look to the example of Jesus.

God has given us many biblical examples of how to fight temptation. The greatest example is when we see Christ, our Savior, use the sword of the Spirit—God’s Word. After Jesus was led into the wilderness and had fasted, the enemy came to tempt him. Jesus fought back with God's Word. 

“And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:3-4

Jesus did not ponder the enemy's offer; he did not negotiate. He spoke God's Word to the deception. Instead of bowing to the enemy, Christ chose to obey the father. 

As we change our perspective of temptation, we are able to fight temptation with joy. Clyde Cranford said, "Every temptation is an opportunity to sin but also an opportunity to obey." If we view every temptation as an opportunity to obey, our response to temptation becomes worship.

We need God's help to resist.

If you are like me, you have given in to temptation more than you'd like to admit. We are frail and weak humans apart from Christ. In order to resist temptation, we must depend on the work of the Holy Spirit. Temptation is not fought with our hands. Temptation is fought with the truth through humility and dependence on God.

We have the power to overcome through Christ. Instead of straining and striving, we can let God help us. He has given us many gifts to aid in this battle. We have God's Word. Renewing our mind transforms the way we respond to the enemy's bait. We have the gift of prayer. When we are weak, we can call on the Almighty. We have authors and preachers. We can glean from what the Lord gave them to encourage ourselves.

We often experience weariness when resisting and fighting for long periods, especially when it is the same temptation repeatedly. One of the gifts I have used often is the body of Christ. We are not to struggle alone. Christians are to bear each other's burdens. If you are weary, go to a trusted friend and let them hold your arms up as you continue in faith.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

God satisfies the soul.

God is truly the one who satisfies the soul. Temptation may temporarily offer contentment, but it will never leave us with the fullness we find in Christ. Temptation will always leave us empty and hungry for more. Deception fosters temptation. Temptation looks good, but it is not good for us. I have found that acknowledging this lie helps me turn from the temptation back to the truth.

"The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier. No one sins out of a sense of duty." - John Piper

God will always be better, and every good gift comes from him. He was better in the garden. He was better when the Israelites chose a golden calf to worship. He is better than more money. He is better than notoriety, pride, greed, gossip, sexual immorality, social media, and anything else that we can add to this list.

God is better, and he has proven himself to be. Sin and idols have proven themselves to fail us again and again.

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” Psalm 107:9

We must watch and pray! It's easy to live life in a sleepy haze, but temptation is so subtle at times that we have to keep our eyes open. We have to pursue the truth.

Delight in God and trust he is better.

Temptation both distorts and deceives true goodness. Because of this, we have to saturate ourselves with the goodness and beauty of our God.

Feed on the more excellent pleasures of God. You will then be able to discern when the cheap counterfeit is presented to you in dazzling light. When everything in you wants to speak in an unloving manner, choose the comfort of self, or give in to whatever deception the enemy has placed before you, choose to believe God.

Choose to believe God tells the truth when he says the enemy is the great deceiver. May we pray to have greater faith in the goodness of God over anything we may find in the world or ourselves. Friend, God is better.