Temptation: Fighting the Urge

disclaimer: I am still editing this note before an official publish.
There is a lot of Scripture I need to add...

What I have written below has been taken from one of CCEF's small booklets of resources for personal change. I haven't copied it word for word, and much of the booklet is left out. I highly recommend getting your hands on this if temptation is something you find to be overcoming you and really hindering your walk with the Lord.

I found it to be very helpful for myself and felt the need to share it on my blog so that others might be helped as well.
This is a topic that each and every one of us struggles with daily.
Please take the time to read it.


"I can resist anything but temptation" -Oscar Wilde

How many times have you tried to change a behavior or attitude only to find yourself doing the same thing again?
Each of us faces some kind of temptation every day. And, even though our temptations are different, our struggles are similar. We all have daily battles with temptation that stretch into monthly and yearly wars.
Can these battles against your particular temptation be won? God, in His Word says, "Yes."

You can't win a war against an enemy that you don't understand.
Soo...
Where do our temptations come from?
It's easy to think that our temptations come from our circumstances...
James tells us in his book that we succumb to temptation because of what's inside of us(what we want, desire, don't want, fear, etc...) not from what's outside of us(our circumstances).
In the first portion of James chapter one, James tells us that God sends circumstances into our lives to test us, so we will grow in grace. James also says that God never sends these circumstances to trap us.
So what makes the difference? It's the inner condition of the person in the midst of the circumstance.
JAMES 1:14

No external circumstance makes you sin. You sin because what you want leads you into sin.

What are the elements of temptation?
-The world
-The flesh
-The devil(1 Peter 5:8)

Be aware of your enemy and his schemes. The way the devil works is quite simple. He uses the external world and your sinful inclinations to trap you into sin. Then he accuses you of being a helpless case.
Thankfully the Spirit says something completely different.

Understanding all the elements of temptation is critical in helping you fight temptation.

STAGES OF TEMPTATION
Another important truth about your temptation is that they don't just appear in your life- they come in stages.

from James:

first stage is seduction- "He is dragged away and enticed"
...begins with your desire life.
You want something more than you want Christ.
You believe you need something in addition to Christ to be happy, satisfied, or okay.
It could be ANYTHING.

second stage is conception- "after desire has conceived"
When temptation moves to this stage, the initial desire is lodged deep in your heart.
What you want is becoming more important to you than your relationship with God.

third stage is birth- "it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death."
The end result of your desire for something besides Christ is being caught in full blown sin, both in attitude and action.

At any time during these stages, you can run to Christ and repent and learn from your failure how to stand against temptation instead of giving in to it.


Practical strategies for change.
Fighting against temptation begins by noticing what's happening underneath the surface of your life every time you give in to temptation.

Here is an important truth to remember as you struggle with temptation:

You don't behave your way into sinful responses, so
you can't behave your way out of sinful responses.
You worship your way into sinful responses, so you
must worship your way out of sinful responses.

Worship has everything to do with our temptations because whatever we worship(whatever is most important to us)changes our behavior.

In moments of sin, something else is more attractive to you than God and His love for you.
You are worshiping something or someone besides God.

Admit to God that your behavior is the result of forgetting your identity in Christ and finding your identity in what you believe you need besides Him.
Don't be discouraged...Name what it is that has captured your heart instead of Jesus, confess your sin to God, and ask for forgiveness. Remember 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Remind yourself that even though you have loved something more than God, Jesus is still completely committed to you. He lived, died, was raised, and sent His Spirit for you. Right now He is praying for you, and one day He will come to rescue you completely. You are not a slave to sin; instead, you belong to Christ. He is far more committed to you than you are to yourself.
He is far more satisfying and attractive than anything else in this world.

Christian change only happens in relationship with God. So getting to know Jesus as your friend, brother, and Savior will change your desire life and give you the power to resist temptation.

A fall into sin develops over time.
Every day a ware is raging for your heart and affections. In any given hour of your day, there are many things that can take your gaze off of Christ. Be vigilant in the little moments of your life. This is where the battle will be won or lost. Your goal should be to cultivate a normal, regular, moment-by-moment awareness of your relationship with God and your need for His grace and power.

So live wide awake.

Knowing Jesus better will lead you to live a vigilant, hopeful life as you face temptation every day. Genuine fighting of temptation begins as you take your eyes off yourself and readjust your gaze on Jesus and what He has done and is doing in your behalf.
Don't lose heart; look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith(Hebrews 12:2).