How To Resist Sin
There is an old story here at L.I.F.E. about a man who asked us in a support group meeting what he should do about resisting sin when another man comes to his door late at night and wants to have sex with him. We said, “Close the door!” It seems funny that we do not think of the obvious but rather feel a lot of conflicting emotions when faced with such a situation.
Some people say they don’t know what they would do in such a case. We always say that if you don’t know what you would do when someone comes to you to tempt you, then your decision is already made for you. You have to resist sin. But it must be a daily resisting of sin. You cannot go along with sin in your mind and think that you will be able to resist sin. In fact, Jesus said if you look on a woman to lust after her, you have already committed the sin. So we must resist sin more than we think we do.
One of the very best ways to resist sin is to get close to God. As you spend time with God, ask Him to help you get in touch with the ungodly reactions to pain in childhood that drive you to desire ungodly sex or sexual imaginations. Most people have had hurts and name-calling that made them feel rejected and alone. This would cause you to avoid people and their painful ridicule and criticism.
The feeling brought by fantasy/masturbation, pornography or sex with another person of the same sex gives you a momentary high. But this is a short-lived sensation that brings you down further than when you started and you feel guilty and shameful as well. So in a word, a high is a lie. So you will need to write about the pain you felt when you were left out or laughed at and how it is better to go the way of godliness than to go for the high and land lower than ever.
Another practical thing to remember is when you begin to consider sex or fantasy, to put your hands on your head and pray against the demonic suggestion. State that you want freedom and not this bondage and sin. Command the demonic lies to leave you and pray into yourself the Spirit of Truth that sets you free. Receive that Spirit. Please realize this does not mean you will always be alone, but that now you need to be with God in order to be purified so you can love your brother (or sister if you are a woman) sincerely. Homosexuality is not love or friendship. Then when you have sincere love that is pure, clean and untainted from wanting to use or abuse your brother, then you can love him deeply from a pure heart. (I Peter 1:22)
Remember, when you are facing a temptation, do not say, “God help me!” This statement implies that you think that God is not helping you, and, of course, when you yield to the temptation after you have said, “God help me!”, you can blame God because you think He did not help you. But if you say when tempted, ” Thank you God that You are with me right now and You are giving me the strength to get out of here and run from this tempting circumstance. I want to go home and let You come and teach me Your truth that will set me free.” Then you go home and have some time with God and become better acquainted with Him. This is true faith in God and His unfailing love and protection toward you. ” It is for freedom He set you free. Do not let yourself be ensnared again in a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)
When you are at home alone, always have something to do to keep yourself from ungodly imagination or pornography. It is so important that we remain Christian when we are alone. The Lord wants you to have solitude with Him so you can get to know Him and recognize His Voice. We need to be assured of His never-ending love for us. We need to know who we are in Him. It is very disorienting to be one person in one place and another when you are alone. God wants you to be identifying with Him and His Word all the time. Otherwise we become double-minded and unstable in all our ways.(James 1:1-8)
God has told us there is no temptation that we have that is not also prevalent among a lot of other people as well. He says with every temptation we have He gives you a way of escape so you can bear up under it. So think of yourself as a victor and not a victim of temptation. God is with you and will show you the way out. (I Corinthians 10:13)
The book of James says that God does not tempt anyone but everyone is tempted when by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full-grown gives birth to death. (James 1:12-15)
We should think of this entire sequence when we start to give in to evil desire. Never let yourself be enticed by evil desires without going to the end of the sequence: temptation, desire, sin, death. A complete formula for Satan’s plan to steal, kill and destroy you. So stop it at its inception. Turn from evil desires and clean out the old emotions that make evil seem so sweet. You accomplish this by writing the truth until it is overlearned and becomes a part of you. You will need prayer to uproot old lies and demonic power.
Resist the devil and he will flee. (James 4:1-10) You must fight against his schemes and resist his suggestions. Remember he tempts you at your weak spot, but if you are prepared to resist his lies and suggestions, then he will flee. It is a great feeling to see him run away from you because you have joined with the God of the Universe and His truth.
One of his greatest temptations is to tell you God is not fair and does not care. If he can get your countenance to fall because you believe bad things about God, then he is filled with glee. Sin is crouching at your door, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:1-7) Practice a godly response to trouble and disappointment. Then you are ready to believe that God is good when bad things happen.
Do not desire riches because then you will fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. Be content with your food and clothing. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. This does not mean that you cannot make money and even a lot of it, but if you begin to love money, you must let it go and go back to your First Love, the Lord.
Don’t you know friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friends of the world becomes an enemy of God. Come out from them and be separate.
Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands you sinners and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will life you up. (James 4:1-10)
How To Resist Sin
by Joanne Highley