Five Truths About TemptationSample

Truth #5

Temptations precede every single sin; if you overcome temptations you won’t SIN

Now you are prepared to learn a profound truth that will help you immensely in your Christian walk:  

Every sin you have ever commit or will commit is always—and I mean always—preceded by a temptation!  If you overcome temptation, guess what?  You won’t sin!  

You must embrace this all-important fact:  

Temptations precede every sin. 

With that in mind, look at how Hebrews 4:15 connects temptations and sin:

“But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  

Jesus was tempted but He did not permit the desires He felt to find inappropriate fulfilment in any selfish or sinful act. This means Jesus felt the desire, just like all of us; He just chose not to allow those desires to give birth to sin. 

Could it be, therefore, that the great overlooked secret of overcoming sin in your life is to focus on defeating the temptations you face, and not so much on defeating the sins that are the result of your choice to give into your temptations!  Here’s the three stages working in every temptation:

Desire—(leads to)  Temptation--- (which leads to) Sin

If you tone down the intensity of your wrongful desire, then temptations flee into the darkness, powerless and defeated. Defeated temptations mean you no longer must struggle with that particular desire to sin because you exercised your self-discipline and said “no” to that straying desire.

Want more ammo against temptation. Pick up Bruce's book "Overcoming Temptations" right here at the link.