Victory Over Temptation

• Jesus gives us victory! 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 8:2 reminds us: "…Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Therefore to overcome sin and the temptation to sin, we must trust in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross and have faith in God that He will let us share in the victory.
  
  
• Have faith! 1 John 5:4 says, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." We need to daily open our hearts to God in prayer and seek to draw nearer to Him and ask Him to cloth us with the righteousness that is being in Christ Jesus.
  
  
• Utilize the armor of God. Paul describes it in Ephesians 6:10-18: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
  
  
• Understand God's forgiveness when we fall. We all stumble, but we must be confident that God is sovereign and merciful and will forgive us if we come to Him in repentance and humility. 1 John 2:1-2 reminds us: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."