Some Christians make the wrong assumption that when we start walking in Christ, the devil would step back and stop tempting us.
Sadly, that's not the case. In fact, the more we walk with God, the more the enemy will try to tempt us to turn our backs against God and turn back to a life ruled by sin.
Temptation is something that we will all experience as long as we walk this earth. It will be hard, but God does promise us victory. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man..."
We can—and will—overcome if we equip ourselves the right way.
Our Lord has given us the right tools and weapons to fight temptation. Here are five spiritual weapons that God has given us to protect ourselves when we face temptation.
1. God's Word
God's Word is the best countermeasure against the temptation of the enemy and of this world. When faced with temptation in the wilderness, Jesus used scripture to battle the lies and deceptions of the devil. Ephesians 6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
2. Faith
Another important tool in fighting temptation is faith. It won't seem like we can always win against temptation, given the many times we've failed before. But faith gives us hope that we can and will be set free from certain struggles that we may face later on. Faith gives us assurance that God's work will carry on to completion, including our sanctification.
3. The Joy Of Our Salvation
When David fell into temptation with Bathsheba, one of his first prayers in Psalm 51:12 was for God to "restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."
The joy of our salvation will cause us to desire the satisfaction found in our new life over our old life of sin.
4. The Presence Of the Holy Spirit
When we walk in God, He gives us access to His Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit there is power not just to perform miracles, but even power to overcome sin and struggle. Galatians 5:16 says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Scripture also tells us that a facet of the fruit of God's Spirit is self-control.
5. Prayer
Jesus said in Luke 22:40, "And when he came to the place, he said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.'"
Prayer puts us in a position to receive help from God in times of trouble, including times of great temptation. The more we come into God's presence through prayer, the easier it will be to win against temptation and against the schemes of the enemy.
