Four Ways To Win The Battle With Lust

Four practical ways to overcome temptation:

(1) Study and know yourself. Know where you’re vulnerable and devise strategies to protect yourself. Others may be able to handle situations where you will fall. Don’t go with them if it is a source of temptation for you. Develop a deep distrust in yourself that drives you to a desperate clinging to the Lord.

(2) Avoid tempting situations. If you are vulnerable to lust, don’t rent videos that are rated R or even PG-13 because of sex (Ed: Or even PG because of the moral drift!). Don’t go into bookstores where there is pornography. Don’t have unaccountable access to the internet (Ed: Covenant Eyes is strongly recommended as one of the most fool proof because it is not a filter but a monitor of every site you go to). If you do, you’re just pouring gasoline on the fire.

(3) Have a predetermined commitment to follow Christ and to flee temptation. You have to decide this before you get into a tempting situation, because when temptation hits, your emotions and the deception factor kick in. As we saw in our last study, those who receive the crown of life love the Lord (James 1:12, cp 2Ti 4:8, Ed: Knowing God is one of the most powerful impediments to lustful passions - see 1Thes 4:5 - See sermons by John Piper on this vitally important principle - This is the Will of God for you - That you Abstain from Sexual Immorality and Battling the Unbelief of Lust). Keep your love for Christ fresh and the lure of the flesh and the world will not seem so attractive (cp John 3:30, Gal 5:16 - surrender to the Spirit first and your obedience becomes a strong fortress against the attacks of lust of the flesh).

(4) Keep before you the gruesome end of temptation -- death. The world glamorizes sin. Movies and magazines portray beautiful people enjoying illicit sex or living in selfish luxury as the ultimate in pleasure. Skeletons or rotting corpses would be a more accurate picture! I’ve counseled with many that have fallen into adultery, but I’ve yet to find one that is really happy. But even if they professed to be happy now, they won’t be when they stand before God!

This is really serious because, as I said, you won't make it as a Christian if you do not learn to overcome temptation!

Recognize its SOURCE. It does not come from God, but from your own lusts.

Recognize its FORCE. It dwells within and it is powerfully deceptive, with a life of its own.

Recognize its COURSE. If you do not abort it, it leads inevitably, not to life, but to death.

Someone has said,

“Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

- Precept Austin (a well of biblical truth that feeds my soul daily!)