Temptation

Temptations

Temptation is a part of life. Until we no longer have a body of sin we will be tempted to commit sin. But in reality, every temptation is an opportunity to overcome and to get victory over sin! With the word of God as our weapon we can always resist temptation!

Here is a selection of Bible verses about temptation that show us how to overcome and the promises we will receive as a result of overcoming temptation!

Believe that God has a way of escape for you. Temptation doesn’t become sin until you agree with it, so the way of resistance is the way of escape. Resist temptation and be an overcomer!

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Use the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s the strength you need to resist temptation until the end:

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:16-17.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4.

Get God’s Word in your heart before you are even tempted, so that you have it when you need it:

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11.

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9.

Remember your covenant with God:

“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” Job 31:1.

Love Jesus more than your lusts:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8.

Love righteousness:

“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6.

See the sin that you are tempted to as worthless, ugly, and unbearably sinful:

“Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” Colossians 3:6.

“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 97:10.

Resist Satan in time of temptation. Jesus shows us just how we can do that: by using the Word of God:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Matthew 4:10.

Stay close to Jesus:

“… For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

Remember that it is Christ who lives in you, and you are already dead to sin! Sin has no dominion over you:

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Romans 6:11-12.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.

Pray! Go to the throne of grace to get help (power to overcome) in your time of need – when you are tempted:

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.

Follow Jesus’ example:

“Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:7.

Know that the battle is already won, if you just hold out and resist temptation until the end:

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.

Remember that overcoming leads to a deeper fellowship with other believers. We fight for each other, so that the body of Christ can be built:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9.

“… choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” Hebrews 11:25.

what does Bible say about depression?How we can overcome

In my view, I believe there are basically  three main causes to most feelings of depression: spiritual, circumstantial, and biological. A depression linked to the spiritual side of our lives might be present because something is wrong with our personal walk with God, we might feel guilty for a sin we committed, or perhaps we are even going through a season of spiritual warfare. For example, when you read Psalm 32:1-5, you can see how sin can cause us depression and thus God’s grace is the solution we need:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” While our connection with God is the true source of joy, being connected to God by the grace of Jesus does not mean you will never experience any type of depression. Another source of depression can be events and circumstances in our lives.

When you are sad about something that you should be sad about, this means your heart is working properly. If your child dies, for example, a deep depression would be very appropriate. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, a feeling of depression is natural. Even in the midst of trials likes these, however, we can still have joy in the Lord.

overcome depression biblically

Depression is the ascendancy and tyranny of our emotions over our lives. Thus, Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Often an initiating discouragement leads to sadness, which leads to prolonged grief, and then into a downhill spiral to depression. Depression is a universal problem, but no one really knows if Biblical characters had what we call depression, or if it would be more appropriate to say they suffered emotionally. However, Paul in I Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able…”. Temptation can mean trial, calamity, or affliction. Accordingly, we should understand that our present day afflictions were also common to the great Bible characters.

David was overwhelmed with grief and sadness, his heart was desolate, and his tears fell all night (Psa. 61:2, 77:2-3, 142:4, and 143:4). Jonah, Jeremiah (Jer. 15), Job, and Elijah (I Kings 19) are other examples. Whenever characters express rejection, loneliness, self-pity, hopelessness, overwhelming grief, and wish they had not been born, it seems they are expressing more than temporary sadness but classic symptoms of major depression. Paul had classic symptoms: his flesh had no rest, he was troubled on all sides, he was cast down, he had fears within, and he despaired of life (II Cor. 1:8 & 7:5-6). Hannah (I Samuel 1) had many of the symptoms of depression and her spiritual leader instantly and incorrectly accused her of a spiritual problem.