A Plan to Escape Temptation

Temptations come at us all the time in various forms—whether we're alone or with someone else or with a whole group of people. We're never really out of the woods in that sense. While it's not a sin to be tempted, it's important to exercise self-control over our words and actions. Only God knows the best things for us to say, see, do, etc. Yet we still find ourselves faced with having to make a decision in the moment, don't we?

Having a plan of action can help when you're standing at the crossroads of "do it" or "turn away." If you know that you're likely to get tempted by a certain thing, then it's always best to avoid it altogether. Seems simple enough, right? But life isn't always that simple.

What about when temptations can't be avoided, or if you have already found yourself inching closer to it? Is it too late? Should you go ahead with it anyway? When this happens, be ready with an alternate thing that you can do instead. Why have an alternate? If you just tell yourself "No!" then sit around and do nothing, the temptation is bound to creep up again to fill in the space. If you replace the temptation with another, healthier alternative, then you've beaten it! The longer you sit there, thinking about NOT doing something, the more tempting it will become.

Create a Plan of Action

What can you do to create a plan of action? There's a plan of action for that too: Know God and follow Him. He is your absolute best guide, and He won't lead you astray. Here's how you can get started:

Read the Bible. That sounds really trite, but honestly, the Bible is God's personal love letter to us and a guidebook for life. By reading His Word, we can learn more about His love, His justice, His mercy, and His plan. By doing that, we get to know Him better.

Talk to God. The best way to get to know a person is by having conversations with him or her. It's the same with God. To know Him personally, we can pray to Him, asking Him to show His handiwork in our lives and and change us for the better. The Bible says that if we seek God, we will find Him (Matthew 7:7). And if we allow Him to, He will transform us into new people who can understand what He wants for our lives (Romans 12:2).

Get ready to change. Be willing to stop sinful ways, letting go of pride and selfishness. As God changes us, we will learn to develop the right attitudes that come from the Holy Spirit, who dwells in all Christians (Galatians 5:22-23; John 14:17). As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, giving Him control over our lives, we will begin to trust that what He decides is best (Colossians 2:7).

Act on those changes! If our trust in God is going to grow, we must step out in faith that He is wiser than we are. We have to move out of our comfy places and take chances for Jesus' sake. One important perspective about self-control is that it is not so much about DENIAL as it is about REDIRECTING our actions to something better, healthier, and more beneficial for us. Say "yes" to literally ANY OTHER ACTION that's a healthier choice than the one you know you ought to refuse.

Fight temptation with God. Talk to God about your triggers and what you struggle with. He knows them already anyway, so there's nothing to be ashamed of. Whenever we face temptations, He will always provide a way out so that we will not be overwhelmed by it (1 Corinthians 10:13). But that doesn't mean He just whisks it away while we're running straight toward it. We need to be on the lookout for the escape route, praise God when we find it, then run to the exit as fast as possible.

Yes, temptations are a part of life on this fallen world. And 1 Peter 1:7 says God will use trials to test our faith and to make us stronger. We will be given much honor if we can stand strong and do not waver.

Make a plan BEFORE you're tempted, avoiding the things that trigger temptation, and when you DO find yourself tempted, look for your escape route, then take it. And remember: it's OK to mess up. We all do. Repent and seek God's forgiveness and He will be faithful to forgive us and restore our relationship with Him.

...if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." 1 John 1:9 (NLT)