Message Library

Avoid Temptation

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Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41

We pray that we don’t enter into temptation, and we watch and be aware that our environment or thoughts are not leading us into temptation. The above verse tells us that our flesh is weak, because it’s part of the world, and sometimes seeks the sinful things from the world. We pray that our love for God is stronger than our love for our fleshy desires, then the power of God through our Spirit will give us victory.

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (James 1:14) Satan tempts us because he knows the weakness we have for certain fleshly desires. Satan spends more time observing us, than we do planning to avoid temptation. Satan knows we give in to our own evil desires, then he tempts us in that desire. We can avoid the temptation if we change our thoughts and sometimes change our location.

It’s often easier to avoid temptation than to escape temptation. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23) We watch over our hearts by controlling our thoughts through the power of the Spirit, and if we master controlling our thoughts, we will greatly reduce temptations. When a temptation first enters our mind, we have control and we demolish the thought, which is easier than entertaining the thought and then demolishing it.

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalms 97:10) The more love the Lord in our hearts, the more we hate evil. As God’s love continually fills our heart, the more we hate sin. We pray the Lord keeps us from temptation and if a temptation arises, we pray he will enable us to demolish it.

Sometimes we are tempted when are all alone, but the truth is the Spirit is in us, and the Father and the Son make their home with us. Jesus replied, Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23) Vision Christ standing with you in the physical, then it would be easy to avoid or instantly escape any temptation. But the Father and the Son are closer than the physical because their spirit is in us, and they know every thought we have, and every thought we are about to have.

Today make every effort to avoid temptations by being still inside. If we move at the fast pace Satan desires, we will be tempted with trouble escaping, because a physical fast pace can easily cause a fast-paced mind.  It’s difficult to control our thoughts when our mind is controlled by our emotions.

Prayer:  Lord guide me to slow down physically and mentally so it will be easier to avoid temptations. Help me to immediately escape any temptation that enters my mind. In Jesus name, Amen