Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. -Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

It is all too easy to fall prey to temptation and end up in sin. After all, we are living in a fallen world. Does that make it OK? Very often, believers will say (after repeated failures in any given area) that they are just too weak in the flesh and perhaps even cite the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 when he writes about doing “the things he hates.” Paul wrote what he did not to enable the modern day believer to continue in sin but rather to thwart any effort from the evil one to make us feel completely ineffective for Christ -and perhaps even doubt our own salvation.

The Bible offers us some comfort in the promise of a way to defeat the pitfall of temptation: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. -1 Corinthians 10:13

One of the biggest problems [at least for men] in the family of God today is that of the ready availability of pornography. A couple of quick clicks of the mouse and your computer can take you to a realm of pornographic temptation while the devil whispers in your ear that “it’s no big deal because you’re not “hurting anyone.” Remember: the devil is the father of lies.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. -1 John 1:7 There are some in the church who have developed programs of accountability to help fight the challenges that a robust sex drive coupled with a sin nature can bring. Of course, to my knowledge, most or all of these come with a price to be paid for the service. I cannot speak to whether or not they work well; I would guess they do help stave off the problem –at least for a while. What I do know is this: God’s Word provides a definite solution to the issue of lust and acting out in it. Scripture makes it perfectly clear. Of course, the Bible also insists on a ‘buddy system’ of sorts: a fellowship of like-minded believers who love Jesus and are also concerned with your well-being as a brother or sister in Christ. Praying for each other is absolutely vital for success in this area (and every other in life).

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.  -Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

I dealt a lot in this post with one particular type of temptation, that of pornography because it is so prevalent). But this is applicable to any type of temptation that can lead us into sin. Perhaps the issue is food or gambling –or some other compulsive behavior. Maybe you spend too much money? (Over-spending is an issue that I’m focusing on at the moment). Whatever it is, my hope and prayer for you is that you take the matter to the Lord in prayer and ask others in our family to help with their prayerful support and encouragement. Please remember John’s words in 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.