STRENGTH TO RESIST

How do I live pure when temptation is so hard? The sexual temptations we face

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT)
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

To the church in Corinth who faced sexual temptation all around them, and to the church today that faces the same, Paul encourages us in 2 big ways:

1. Have a sober awareness to always stay on guard! We are all just one step away from doing something stupid. Don't be too arrogant in thinking you could never fall into temptation.
2. God is with you and empowers you to resist temptation! We sometimes think, "There is no way I can resist this. It's too much for me to bear. I give up." God's Word says something different. What you face is no different than what other Jesus followers have faced throughout centuries past, and just as God has been faithful to others, he will be faithful to you.

God gives you the strength to resist temptation! Because "When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" (1 Corinthians 10:13b).

"A way out" of temptation can look like:
- Confessing scripture that combats the temptation you face
- Calling a friend or leader, telling them you're being tempted, and asking them to pray with you
- Changing your environment (this can be as practical as leaving the room you are in and going for a walk)

God offers a way out, but for us to resist temptation, we have to take that way out.