PART 3 – FIGHTING TEMPTATION
We all struggle with temptation, and we all give in to sin. Luckily for us, God knows our hearts, and He knows what we need and when we need it. He also knows when to show us the way we need to go, and He gives us direction. I believe that is exactly what He did when He gave me this message that I share here.
Temptation within a marriage is not something that is uncommon and as part of the kingdom marriage series, I want to explore this idea.
The temptation will come at you looking like something beautiful and desirable. It will be something that looks good, makes you feel good. It will come across as someone speaking well, someone who sounds as if they have a lot of wisdom, and it will make sense to you at that moment
Think of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent approached her and spoke to her in a way that she understood.
It made her doubt that which God had instructed them not to do. The serpent painted God in a bad light, making it seem as if God didn’t want the best for them but in actual fact, the serpent was manipulating her.
That is what temptation does. It manipulates you and makes you doubt the truth. It makes you question what you already know is the truth.
GENESIS 3 VS 6
“The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it”
When the door of temptation is opened, we allow others to become a part of it. For example, if you are married and you are tempted to cheat, you unknowingly invite that deception and temptation into your home and your marriage and this happens before you have even acted on the temptation. Your spouse also becomes tempted, a riff is caused between you and neither of you can understand where the trouble in your marriage is coming from. Temptation looks good and feels wonderful and makes you feel good. That is how the cracks are created within your life.
We need to learn to kill temptation before it seeps into our lives and affects the different facets of our lives.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT TEMPTATION
1 CORINTHIANS 7 VS 2-5
“Each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
What I take away from this verse is that it reaffirms that marriage is a 50/50 partnership between a man and a woman. It tells me that we take care of one another in every way so that we are not tempted by the world and by Satan in cheating on our spouses spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. We need to take care of each other in all facets of our relationship. That is my interpretation of the above verse.
1 CORINTHIANS 10 VS 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.”
This verse says that the temptation will come but God will provide you with way to overcome it. God gave us free-will; we have the choice to give in to temptation or fight it. The power is already given to us but the choice still has to be made.
JAMES 4 VS 7
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
1 TIMOTHY 6 VS 11
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”
The word ‘avoid’ literally means to keep away from something or to stop yourself from doing something. You can also interpret it as not putting yourself in a situation where you know that you will be tempted. Don’t go to that party, don’t have that conversation, don’t engage with that person. Avoid all these things if you know it will tempt you into unrighteousness.
MATTHEW 26 VS 41
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
This is why we fast, so that we can deny ourselves and our bodies of the things of the world. In this way, we make room for the Holy Spirit to take over. We make room for the Spirit of God in our lives. When we are tempted in any way, we should pray, keep watch, be aware of all the different types of temptations that can sneak into our lives.
2 PETER 2 VS 9
“And so the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trails.”
Simple; God knows how to help you, and He will help you; you only have to ask.
MORE ENCOURAGING SCRIPTURES
PSALM 25 VS 21
“May my goodness and honesty preserve me because I trust in you”
ROMANS 12 VS 21
“Do not let evil defeat you; instead conquer evil with good”
ROMANS 12 VS 2
“Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind, Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect”
Thanks for sharing this advice. I’ve been married for 3 months and I know a time will come so it is best to be prepared.