The Christian’s success in overcoming sin and resisting temptation is dependent on and proportional to his or her diligence in learning, believing, and obeying the truths of Scripture. We have been given the Holy Spirit, God Himself living inside us and enabling us to obey Him (Romans 8:3-14). We have been given everything pertaining to life and godliness so that we “might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). We have been set “free indeed” from slavery to sin through our glorious and sinless Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (John 8:31-36). (If you are not a Christian, please see “For the Non-Christian.”)
But though as Christians we have been given the knowledge and resources to walk in victory, we often fail. We fail for many reasons, including ignorance, habit, selfishness, and lack of commitment. Are we wholeheartedly committed to victory and willing to do what God instructs us to do, or are we the kind who give lip service to God while secretly clinging to the sins that are destroying our lives and good conscience before God? Do we really have the will to gain victory over temptation? Christ’s power will enable us to be victorious, but we must diligently apply ourselves to it.
The Bible, the living and powerful Word of God, contains the keys to overcoming sin and temptation, and this booklet is an attempt to present twenty four its principles. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Biblical principles, when followed consistently and diligently, will enable the believer in Christ to walk in freedom from the bondage of sin, enjoy a clear conscience before God, be filled with the Spirit, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit. No sin need have mastery over the Christian in this life; we each can walk in the freedom and victory to which He has called us.
With so many books and resources available, why this one? There are two needs that this resource is intended to meet. First, although there are many good books available that address sin and temptation, in my opinion many do not cover the subject in enough breadth or depth. When I was preparing for a men’s Bible study on this topic, I kept seeing more and more Scriptures that address this issue; more and more principles came into view that I had never seen before because I was not looking for them. I began to realize how crucial it is to daily rebuild our relationship with the Lord and draw close to Him in order to successfully resist temptation. Knowing what to do when tempted is essential, but knowing how to live life in such a way as to avoid the temptation in the first place and be spiritually strong when it does come is equally important. Both principles are presented in Scripture.
To capture these two sets of principles, this booklet is divided into two parts. Section A is entitled, “Rebuild Your Relationship with the Lord” and outlines principles related to helping us grow strong in the Lord. These not only enable us to enjoy close fellowship with God and the many benefits that come from walking in obedience to Him, but these rebuilding steps strengthen us and prepare us for temptation as preventative and offensive measures. Failure in these Rebuilding steps leaves the door open to temptation and makes it much more difficult to gain full victory over sin. Section B, “Resist Temptation When It Comes,” outlines the defensive or reactionary measures we must apply when temptation comes our way. The order in which we apply these principles is usually not crucial, but a solid grasp of these concepts and their diligent application should enable us to confidently and effectively resist temptation.
The second reason for writing this booklet is to provide a concise, to-the-point resource with minimal verbiage. Being able to quickly refer back to the text and regain the main points is essential because we so easily forget even the most important lessons. Most books don’t lend themselves to an easy refresher of the primary points. And many of us are so pressed for time that we don’t make much time for reading. Therefore, this compact, outline format is specifically designed for quick reference and easy review to facilitate making these principles habits in our lives.
In this “adulterous and sinful generation” we must be diligent to employ every principle the Scriptures give us in our struggle against sin in order to live above sin’s enslaving grip. We must become sensitive to the Lord and victorious over the lusts of the flesh, walking with a clear conscience before God, free to think His thoughts and do His will. We must develop new habits and thinking patterns that will enable us to avoid sin and please the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9 and Ephesians 5:7-10). As we practice Biblical principles with diligence and make them a way of life, we will begin to experience the freedom and power that should characterize all who know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It is my prayer that by God’s grace this booklet would assist you toward this goal!
For the Non-Christian
The non-Christian is at a great disadvantage in overcoming temptation because unlike the Christian, he or she does not have forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14), a new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-11), and the intercessory work of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1) all working on his or her behalf. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (John 1:1-18); He came to set us free from the power of sin and the judgment and eternal damnation that it brings. Consider the following points:
1. God is holy and perfect in every way. In His holiness, God made laws for His creation, to be holy as He is holy and to avoid those things that are reprehensible to Him. The consequence for breaking His laws is to be separated from Him forever, in eternal punishment. Since all have sinned (except Jesus Christ) this presents a crisis for each human being. Everyone whose sin has not been taken away will be cast into the lake of fire.
“Therefore, you are to be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
“…the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribu-tion to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord…” (1 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds…and if anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12, 15)
See also Matthew 15:18-20, 26:41-46, Romans 2:5-6, Ephesians 2:1-3, Hebrews 10:26-31, 39.
2. Jesus Christ, God’s Son and God in the flesh, came into the world, being born of a virgin, for the sole purpose of redeeming mankind, to give an acceptable sacrifice to God so that God would overlook sins committed against Him. The blood sacrifice and death of Jesus on the cross is the only thing that God recognizes as capable of taking away sin. This is why Jesus had to die; His blood is the only appeasement for sin that God will accept. Nothing else will do. And because Jesus was sinless, He rose again from the dead, death having no claim on or power over him, thus becoming the One and only Savior available to mankind.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-18)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:8-10)
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:1-3) “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed by blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
See also Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 1:1-14, 9:22, 27-28, 10:1-39, 1 Peter 2:21-24, 3:18.
3. How can one be free from sin, given new life in Jesus, and escape the judgment to come? You can receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus by acknowledging to God that you are a sinner and believing that Jesus died and rose again to save you personally. God extends a free gift of salvation to each individual which cannot be earned by any amount money or so called “good works.” God makes His salvation free to all, small and great, rich and poor, on the basis of faith, apart from works or human efforts. Cry out to Him for mercy and salvation, confessing you are a sinner and believing in Jesus Christ to take away your sins and make you one of His children. May the Lord bless you and grant you His eternal life as you read and believe His Word and earnestly seek Him!
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His Name.” (John 1:12)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.” (John 3:16-19)
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies. And He who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ ” (John 11:25-26)
“‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ ” (Acts 16:30-31)
“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Romans 4:5) “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-20)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that His is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
See also John 3:36, 5:24, 38-47, 6:29-40, 7:37-39, 8:23-24, 20:31, Acts 10:38-43, 15:7-11, Romans chapters 3 and 4, Galatians 2:20-3:14, 22, Titus 3:4-7, 1 John 1:8-2:2, 5:10-13.