How to Resist

Matthew 4:1-11

In yesterday’s challenge, I mentioned this passage for us to use as a blueprint on how to resist the temptation to sexual sin, but it is truly applicable to any temptation to sin. Have you ever been tempted to take something that didn’t belong to you, or something that wasn’t yours to have at the moment? I sure have and it is not a good predicament to be in. Maybe it was legitimate; something you thought you deserved, or felt you just had to have, and you knew this might be your only chance to have it. After all, it looked so interesting and inviting—and even though you had been warned about it, you thought, “How could this possibly do any harm?” You know the drill. As the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he used all kinds of reasoning and tricks to try to convince Jesus that he should have certain things or do certain things. But, thankfully for us, Jesus never gave in to temptation. He saw through Satan’s lies and pushed away those temptations by recalling God’s words to us in Scripture. We too can resist temptation—by the power of Christ’s Spirit in us. We may be curious about what we see in front of us, but, like Jesus, we need to let it go and move on. He endured temptation so that he could pass the test for our sake, and now we have his example of how to resist. Just like the verses we studied yesterday, we can trust that God will always provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Questions for further thought:
1. In what ways have I put my trust in my own ability to resist temptation?
2. How can I think ahead and use Jesus’ example to combat temptation?

Challenge: The next time sexual temptation comes lurking (and it will), use Jesus’ example of quoting memorized Scripture, or reading the Bible itself, or engaging in prayer. Watch the enemy flee as he cannot stand against it.