Do you find yourself doing things you desire not to be doing? Do you fall into temptations? Good news, there is wisdom for overcoming temptation! This post explains how you can overcome temptations and do the right things at the right times.

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak - Matthew 26:41 (NKJV).

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man - Ephesians 3:16 (NKJV).

Living 'The Faith' should not be a struggle for Christian believers. However, many Christians say it's difficult to live as Christians on earth and so are always in despair each time they fall into sin or temptation. They truly desire to always do the right thing, but their flesh will always compel them to do the wrong thing. The temptation to say, think or do the wrong things will surely come, but you don't have to enter into it. God has made provisions for you not to fall into temptation. It's left for you to take hold of the wisdom given and access these provisions.

Jesus and Peter

In Matthew 26:31-46, 69-75, Peter was too confident that he would not stumble because of Christ; even when Jesus told him that he would deny Him thrice, he still declared that though others deny Christ that he wouldn't do so. However, when it was time to back up his bold declarations with prayers, sleep didn't allow him to pray. The temptation to deny Christ came and Peter succumbed to it woefully. Peter's spirit was willing but his flesh was weak.

It is not enough to desire to live above temptation; you must ensure that you don't fall into it. You must ensure that your spirit has ascendency over your flesh. The spirit and the flesh are ever warring against each other, so whoever has the upper hand determines what you do per time. Therefore you need to consistently strengthen your spirit, the inner man, with might through the Spirit of God (Ephesians 3:16).

The Wisdom for overcoming temptation

Jesus Christ gave us the wisdom for strengthening our spirit man, which is to 'watch and pray'. Watch and pray that you don't enter into temptations, that is, you must be alert spiritually and prayerful. Being prayerful and full of God's word empowers your spirit, thereby enabling you to say NO to temptation and sin.

If you say you don't have time to pray, then you surely have time to enter into temptations. Your flesh will never allow you to do the right thing. The only way to overcome the flesh is to subdue it in prayers. In prayers, you commune with the Almighty God, sharpening your spirit man (Proverbs 27:17).

Christ at Gethsemane

Jesus desired to do the will of God, which was to be crucified and die on the cross. But His flesh was pulling on Him to do otherwise, so the more He agonized, the more He prayed. By the time He rose from prayer, He was set for whatever that was to come His way, ready not to fall into the temptation of quitting and displeasing His Father. Truly, He went through the great ordeal and died on the cross as was ordained by God, and then He got the victory!

In conclusion, what do you choose:  victory or defeat, to pray and overcome temptations or to sleep and be consistently defeated by the enemy? Chose to watch and pray today and overcome all temptations of the devil.

 

 

Ngozi Nwoke is a teacher, speaker, counselor and author of "Peace Money Can't Buy" and "The Man Jesus: What You Need to Know About Christ". She has a passion to teach people how to enjoy peace, God's love, and Christian living for a more fulfilling life. Want a more fulfilling life?