The Power Behind Overcoming Temptation

If there lived on this earth one expert in the art of surrendering to temptation and justifying yourself for yielding, it was the old me.

When I felt in a bad mood and felt like being rude, I simply acted rudely. If my flesh wanted the pleasure it craves from carnal desires, I found justification to surrender to the desire. In such a situation the Holy Spirit would call on me for a pep talk, after which I repented and let it go. But to be honest, I did it reluctantly.

Then the blame game started. I have often thrown 1 Corinthians 10:13 before the Lord, which reads: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

“Why do I struggle so much with sin if this promise of yours is true?” I wanted to know. “You don't seem to care to help me to overcome.”

Hands up. Who has been there?

Then one morning I had this wonderful revelation on this passage.

Let us consider it carefully. The first part basically informs you that temptation is not from God. It is from the nature of man and it is to this nature that Satan directs his suggestions or temptations.

It is the second part I would like to discuss here though: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
  

We have the promise that we will not be tempted above what we can bear. Other translations mention that we will not be tempted above our strength. So when we succumb to the temptation and then sin, who failed; God or us? As mentioned I have often blamed God. And you, who did you blame?

The promise in this passage is that the Lord has given us strength to resist, as well as a way out of any temptation. So if we yield we actually wilfully ignore the solution the Lord gave us, do we not? We choose to sin. We already have the strength to resist as well as the way out, yet we still do it.

The passage continues to inform us that the Lord will provide with the temptation a way out. “But some temptations come so quickly,” I hear you say, “there is no time to wait for a way out.” This is where the miracle comes in. The word used in this passage is ‘with’. At the moment the temptation comes, the way out of it is already there. It comes with the temptation. The choice whether you will take it is still yours though.

The day following this revelation was an interesting one for me. During my quiet time that morning I declared this passage over my life and was ready to look for the way out. I was very tired and felt particularly down. Therefore my flesh had set itself up to snap at difficult patients and to enjoy the opportunity to be rude.

I did not feel like smiling or being friendly, yet every time I faced a patient, my mouth somehow turned into a smile and friendly words in a kind tone came from my mouth. Remember, my carnal nature was ready to be rude, but because I declared my surrender to the Lord and His Word, they miraculously determined my actions. This was God's strength overruling my weakness and His way out that came with the temptation.

God's truth protected me in another way during that time as well. The previous day a pretty woman, who worked with me, really flirted with me and I had difficulty to resist her. The following day, the day of the revelation, I was kind of scared to go back there, but thanks to the power of the declared Word of God these temptations also lost their power. I easily avoided her attentions and she quickly got the message.

The Lord's Word is true and always has the power to accomplish what it was sent for (Isaiah 55:10-11). The only times its power does not work for you is when you choose not to believe and apply it.

Remember the Lord God is always ready to back the promises of His Word for you with His power. You simply need to believe it, declare it, and put action to your faith - in other words apply it consciously and deliberately.

Lord, please teach me how to apply your Word by faith.