Day 16: God’s Faithfulness in Resisting Sexual Temptation
Intention
To grow our resistance to temptation by trusting God’s promise to help us.
Scripture
“No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.”
– 1 Corinthians 10:13
Reflection
As Christians, we know there is no avoiding sexual temptation.
Almost everywhere we look, the temptation to lust with our eyes is lurking, waiting to ambush us at a time of weakness.
Temptation is displayed on billboards on the side of the road, TV ads and late-night shows. Then there’s social media and mobile devices – where these images are only a click away.
Our struggle may seem constant and difficult. But 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that there is nothing unique about sexual temptation. Every temptation we face is common to mankind.
You are not the only one fighting to resist. It may feel that way at the time because sexual temptation is not something we easily or openly talk about.
But when it is secret and hidden in our lives, it makes it more difficult to conquer.
Matthew 4 tells us that before Jesus began His ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus found Himself in a hot, dry and desolate place. He was fasting and weakened from hunger. It was then that the devil came to tempt Jesus.
This was no accident or surprise. Hebrews 4:15 encourages us by revealing that Jesus was tempted in every way we are – yet, was without sin. Jesus is there for us in our times of struggle because he too was tempted, in every way we are.
All temptation is an opportunity to press into God. To turn to Him. To trust Him. It was never God’s plan for us to walk out our Christian journey on our own. We must rely on Him and depend on His strength to resist temptation.
Therein lies the answer. The struggle to resist temptation is an opportunity to press further into God and depend on Him in ways we never thought possible.
God’s character is to be faithful. His faithfulness means He will not give up on us. It means He will keep His promise to prevent us from being tempted beyond what we can endure.
Notice that we are not promised a life free from temptation. That’s critical to understand.
However, 1 Corinthians 10:13 does promise that He will never put us in an impossible situation with no means of escape. Temptation will always be within manageable limits – though it may not feel like it at the time.
God is good and faithful to His promises. It is up to us to believe this truth and partner with Him to resist and overcome sexual temptation.
But there is a purpose in the struggle. A muscle that is worked repeatedly grows stronger. Likewise, as we repeatedly resist, our resistance to temptation grows stronger and stronger.
Video
Prayer
Father God, You are good and faithful.
I know that You see every part of my life. You’re aware of every struggle and temptation I am facing. I ask You to forgive me for the times I have given in to sexual temptation. And I ask You to give me Your strength to resist sexual temptation when – not if – it comes my way.
Help me to press deeper into You. To rely on You and find strength to resist in You. Thank You, Lord, that You always provide a way out so that in Your strength, I can overcome.
Amen.
Author Bio
Greg O’Neill is a practising biblical counsellor who heads up Secret Men’s Business. Secret Men’s Business is a ministry that seeks to transform men’s lives by setting them free from struggles with pornography and sexual addictions through Christ’s power working in their lives.
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We can all be tempted. We all are sinners who make mistakes. I was once a lowly Public Servants who was propositioned by an Assistant Director of the ATO to desert my husband and small children and get a transfer to Canberra Head Office with him . He was being considered as a future Head of the ATO in Canberra . He wanted to desert his poor wife and small boys. In Canberra we would have been rolling in money and promotions ! When I turned him down, his pride was hurt and he took terrible revenge on me . I heard the Director Management say to him : “We will destroy the bitch !” To me even my bad marriage was something sacred. Yes, I was tempted, the man was young, handsome and we could have had brilliant careers but, my conscience could not let me hurt his innocent wife and small children . I was subjected as punishment to all sorts of harassment for years. I lodged the first FOI court case (Federal Court ) for access to my Personnel File. It was the “cause celebre “of 1984 .The Hawke govt was frightened that if I won the case , the journos would have access to Cabinet documents relating to the Coomb/ Ivanov Spy Affair which could possibly bring down the govt. My violent husband became a reformed man, but, tragically died young when the case started of a massive heart attack the week I was going to resign . Ken rang me from the hospital : “I will love you always !” Minutes later he was dead from a second heart attack ! The judge released my Personnel File . It showed someone had destroyed the photocopy of my university qualifications to make me unpromotable 166 times and to be underpaid for years! I won in the Federal Court , but,the stress of all those years of harassment and representing myself (not a lawyer ) in a closed courtroom against 7 men to clear my name caused me after it was all over to go into a catatonic state in which I sat staring at the TV in a dirty dressing-gown, could not speak , read even a single word or write for months ! It was hard on my young children living with a mother in this condition. I was widowed with no family support because my parents went on their annual 7/8 months holiday to Europe. My would -be lover had confessed in the witness box under my cross-examination that his Reports on me were lies. He was made to resign . I have no regrets for my decision to resist temptation despite my mental breakdown. I suspect I may not have long to live with a suspected Melanoma near my eye , but, I want people to know the suffering I endured, that sometimes even bad marriages can turn into loving ones and that it is best to resist Sexual Temptation. There is a Suppression Order on the evidence for all time . The 1984 Australian Law Report contains the factual error that I was represented by Carabelas & Co , a firm I never hired and omits all mention of my Sexual Harassment to protect” Mr. X “. Witnesses who testified in my favour that I was being sexually harssed at work were men, eg the Head of Investigations, etc. Please pray for me because I am very ill and frightened that I may go blind and die in this house all alone.