Complete this sentence: “I cannot say NO to (fill in the blank).” We all have one major thing we struggle with repeatedly. What is it for you?
I wonder why I continue to battle with the same sins. Don’t I trust God or pray enough?
John Piper, author, pastor, and theologian said, “We sin out of pleasure-seeking. And the only reason we opt for a sinful action is because the devil and our own nature has promised us that action will produce pleasure, satisfaction, fame. Whatever your idol happens to be, the promise is that it will succeed.”
Pleasure, satisfaction, and fame. We cannot say no to temptation when we doubt God’s goodness and His ability to satisfy our deepest desires.
So how do we say no to temptation?
Know who you are
We became new creations when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV). We are no longer defined by our past temptations and sins. Our identity is in Christ.
What does it mean, “in Christ?” We believe Jesus paid our debt so that we can approach God through Him. We abide with Jesus, which means we have a relationship with Him. And the Holy Spirit transforms us into new creations.
Know the Word
To say no to temptation, we must read, study, and meditate on God’s Word. Know the truth because Satan twists it to confuse us and make us doubt God (Genesis 3:1). Just like he questioned Eve with the line, “did God really say…?”
Reject Satan’s lies. He tries to define us by our past mistakes. But our past mistakes are forgotten because Jesus’ sacrifice triumphed over death.
Believe the Word
The Bible says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV).
Stop giving your temptation power over your thoughts. Believe you always have a chance to say no because God is faithful. He promises to supply a way to resist temptation, but you must accept it.
Put on the Word
The description of the armor of God is in Ephesians 6. (It’s too lengthy to describe here, but please read it later.) Let’s concentrate on the one offensive weapon.
We are on the battlefield, fighting “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV). There is no other offensive weapon against temptation except the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” Ephesians 6:17 (NIV).
God supplies the armor, but we must dress ourselves for battle and pick up our swords.
Follow the example of Jesus when He was tempted in the wilderness before beginning His earthly ministry. He picked up His sword and used the Word to counter Satan’s temptations (Matthew 4:1-11).
Plug into the power
To say no to temptation, we must plug into the power of the Holy Spirit because our willpower will always fail. As believers, we have the Spirit inside of us that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).
One name for the Holy Spirit is Helper. Phylicia Masonheimer wrote in her book, Every Woman a Theologian, “You have a Helper. Let Him help.” 1 Such a simple thing to do, but how often do we forget we can pray directly to the Holy Spirit for help to say no to temptation?
Final words
Here are practical steps to say no to temptation.
- Read, study, memorize, and meditate on scripture. One of the first verses I ever memorized was Psalm 119:11. It reads, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (NIV).
- Go on the offensive with the sword of the Spirit. Get dressed for battle. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help.
- Take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Say this out loud, “I reject that thought in the name of Jesus.”
What is your favorite scripture to recall when saying no to temptation? Let us know in the comments.
References
- Masonheimer, Phylicia, Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously, (p. 113). Thomas Nelson Pub, 2023.
