How to Fight Temptations

Let’s walk through a typical daily battle. More than likely, you are being tempted with food when you come home from work or are home alone. There you are in your house, and there is no one around… so the battle begins. The lies come in…

1. The first strategic move is to get out of the location of temptation—someplace where you can be alone to gather your thoughts in order to pass this test.
2. Note the time you begin this battle on your watch.
3. Immediately identify the lies of satan. Quote the truth versus the lie. Remember, as Jesus was tempted by satan to eat something God had not provided, he answered these temptations with truth, “Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 The truth is that indulging is not something we deserve to do. Food, drugs, alcohol, and overspending all make us feel worse, not better.
4. Read strong Scriptures that have moved you in the past. For example: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Romans 6:1-3
5. Get on your knees and pray to God that He provides a way of escape and delivers you from this temptation. Ask Him to fill you up better than that food can. Be specific. Ask Him if He can make you feel better than lust, a binge, tobacco, gossip, shopping, alcohol, etc. God will come in and make you feel better than anything you can imagine.
6. Fill up your time with finding what the Spirit wants you to do, and then put it into action. Or the Spirit may lead you to write or call a Saint or godly friend to encourage them—or see how you can serve others around you. Make plans on the calendar. Maybe the Spirit will lead you to read more in the Word or maybe the Spirit will lead you to worship of Him.
7. Use your remaining strength to determine that you are going to do exactly what the God who made you wants you to do—that you are not going to indulge until it is inside God’s boundaries.

The problem with our battles is that we feel so confused and emotional while we are fighting them. But if you follow these steps, you will see that the layers of confusion disappear. You will then start to feel your prayer being answered or the magnetic force of worldly things ending, to the point that you do not even want to eat. You cannot even imagine wanting to eat the food when you are not hungry. God has heard your prayer and has taken the desire for food away, and your heart starts feeling happy! Now, note the time on your watch. You can expect your battles to become less time-consuming as you become more practiced in submitting your will. Write these steps down on your bathroom mirror or on your refrigerator and memorize them for life.

Read more in Weigh Down Works!