Overcoming Temptation

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren" (James 1:13-17).

How do you respond when you're tempted? Are you quick to run as Paul stated to Timothy? Or do you stay around seeing if you're strong enough to overcome? Such thinking is folly when you consider that all sin is against God (Ps.51:1-2). Therefore why do we want to play with something that would cause us to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph.4:30). There are two things that I want you to remember today. They come from a puritan preacher named George Downame. He writes: "The Christian soldier must avoid two evils—he must not faint or yield in the time of fight, and after a victory he must not wax insolent and secure. When he has overcome, he is so to behave himself as though he were presently again to be assaulted. For Satan's temptations, like the waves of the sea, do follow one in the neck of the other."

Remember part of the battle is fleeing all temptation, even those things that might not be sin but may give that impression. Satan's assaults "do follow one in the neck of the other," therefore we must always be ready.