Resisting Temptation

Part 3

Further on dealing with temptation.....

When confronting a temptation, use a Bible verse that matches the temptation. ( There's always answers for many things in the Bible, and prayer plays a big part in this.) 

You have to have the right scripture verse because the devil quoted a scripture when he was tempting Jesus. He knows the scriptures better than I and you, and he can twist them to make them something they're really not.

He also has no power to resist "It is written." (That's a very powerful sentence, and scripture is quoted right after that, just like how Jesus did.)

 

Thinking about spiritual things can lessen the fall to temptation. 

Another way to keep the devil away is to spend time with people who love Jesus. (Pick and choose your associates carefully....even in the Church. We must understand that just because someone goes to the same church as you, does not mean they have the same mindset as you, the devil can also come in the church, so be very careful!) 

Also, this is one of the easiest temptations for even Christians to fall into.

APPETITE

Food is good and something we all need to survive, but we must learn to control what we eat and how much we eat. Overeating is bad and can cause your mind to not think very clearly, God says:

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. -Proverbs 23:20-21

(This makes me think that the Lord was saying that overeating is just as bad as being a drunkard, to Him they are categorized to be almost the same.)

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. -Philippians 3:19

And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. - Proverbs 23:2 

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. - 1Cor 3:18-17



As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. - 2Tim 4:5 

 

When the pastor (Randy Skeete) was saying this at the time, I thought I was alright and with no fault when it comes to appetite. I thought that as long as I was a vegetarian or ate what God created for us ( fruits and vegetables and anything that doesn't have meat.) that I was on the safe side. But how wrong I was. I was correcting other people without looking at my own habits. I then understood that I ate quite a lot; I gave into my appetite very easily, just because my brain was telling me, EAT! when my stomach was already full. 

I am still working on eating at the right time and when it's needed, but nevertheless I now understand how easily I was tempted and how easily I fell into the temptation without realizing it. 

Also, I realized this not long ago. Most of the Christians around me that I know that are very strong in their faith would put something like this in their bio, like on instagram or blogger or other social networks. It goes something like this: "I am (random name) I love God, eating, sleeping, and just hanging out with my friends" and etc.... Friends, don't you know that that is making it easy for Satan to tempt you, first of all, putting that you like eating just doesn't sound mature, and sleeping... check out what God has to say about that : 
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. -Proverbs 20:13 

The first temptation was upon appetite. 

Eve was tempted by Satan at the garden of Eden upon appetite, and Satan must have known how easy it would have been to have tempted Eve with food. And indeed it was. 

I believe that we have all inherited that quality from our first parents... but we must remember that we have an example, and if He overcame temptation upon appetite so can we. 

Remember this? 

being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”But Jesus answered him, saying,“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” -Luke 4:2-4 

Not only was he very hungry but  he was able to say no. But here we are with plenty but still say yes. There is hope though, because our greatest example was able to resist temptation upon appetite by relying on scripture and God. We can also do the same. 

Let us have temperance in everything. 

Temperance :

• moderation or self-restraint, especially in eating and drinking.

A fun way to resist temptaion: 

♫ We will sing, sing, sing And make music with the heavens ♫ (Song by Chris tomlin)

Singing Heavenly songs is a way to overcome temptation and I think it's very fun also. And saying your not a good singer is a BIG excuse, if you can talk then you can sing. God will love your beautiful voice if you mean it from your heart. 

And remember... always read your Bible and ask God for help whenever in temptation. 

There are more temptations out there than appetite ( Immorality, oversleeping, stealing, viewing things you ought not to and more), but I just wanted to point that one out because most people don't see it as a big deal, but it is. 



This is the last part of the Resisting temptation series, and I hope it has helped . 

Disclaimer: I have nothing against meat eaters, but to me I think that if you eat meat, it should only be clean meats. 

Your sister in Christ, 

Zipporah, 

Blessings.