Breaking the Stronghold of Addiction
How Can we Cleanse Our Way?
(Part 5 of 5)
Avoiding Temptation
One of the keys of remaining pure is to avoid temptation. If you have a weakness, you do not surround yourself with the things that tempt you and try to resist. An alcoholic does not walk down the liquor isle or visit a wine shop to look around. He would be a fool to surround himself with alcohol and then try to resist. If he left bottles of wine in his house and just tried to resist it, he knows that it would only be a matter of time before the temptation overcame him. The same is true with any temptation. If we leave it in our lives and then try to resist, we have set ourselves up for failure. I know men who struggle with pornography but subscribe to movie channels that air this type of material at night. HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and most other movie channels air sexually based programming at night – not to mention the scenes that are in most of the mainstream movies today. If it is convenient, temptation will always be calling. You can lie to yourself and say that you will avoid it at night, but if it is readily available, temptation will always be knocking. It is your responsibility to remove the things out of your life that hinder your spiritual life.
Let me reiterate again the necessity of wisdom. Wisdom teaches that we remove our paths far from evil. Remember that wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom and while getting wisdom, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). This is a foundational verse in scripture. Take the teaching of this passage and build the foundation of your life on it. You must have wisdom to overcome. Without wisdom, you are destined to walk as a fool. A fool is someone who makes decisions that are short sighted and builds their life on the flesh. A fool looks for the here and now and spends this life walking in the flesh. A fool also sacrifices eternity for the temporary pleasures of this life that will soon be gone. Get wisdom and never forsake it. Look at this passage in Proverbs 4:4-9
4 He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you."
I have underlined the promises that you are given when you walk in wisdom. Consider the men entrapped by the call of foolishness. Were the men walking in wisdom when they were caught in their sin before the whole world on national TV? We also have walked in foolishness but by the grace of God, He has called us away from these things. If you reject His call, foolishness will lead you into a snare as well. The call of sin promises deception and will deliver shame to your head, while wisdom promises to preserve you, keep you, promote you, bring you honor, be an ornament of grace on your head and deliver to you a crown of glory. Sin promises death, shame, judgment and destruction, but wisdom leads you into the paths of life, righteousness, and all the good and eternal ways of truth. Wisdom is founded upon the word of God and His commandments. If you do not know the instructions of God, you cannot hear the instruction of wisdom. It is vital that you get wisdom and once you have found it through prayer, seeking and the word of God, you never forsake wisdom. Wisdom does little good if you hear God’s instruction but then you refuse to turn away from the flesh. Never forsake wisdom and it will preserve you and keep you on the path of life. This passage explains this well. Look at Proverbs 3:21-23
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes -- Keep sound wisdom and discretion; 22 So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. 23 Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble.
You will NEVER fall if you keep the things of God before your eyes. If you set your heart on pursuing the wisdom of God and you never let it depart from the focus of your life, you cannot fall. What is temptation? A person is tempted when they are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed (James 1:14). Satan knows your weaknesses and he will stand just outside the path of righteousness calling for you to turn aside. If you are pursuing righteousness, temptation will lose its grip. If you are looking around and ‘window shopping’, you will be drawn away. Look at Proverbs 4:25-27
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
This is a decision you have to make. Your eyes will not look ahead if you are not looking expectantly at truth and pursuing the righteousness of God. The Bible says to look to Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. We are also warned not to even look down the path of temptation but turn away and depart immediately Proverbs 4:14-15
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.
If you never look down the path of the wicked, you will never be tempted to walk down it. The Bible teaches that a wise man sees evil and hides himself but the foolish continue on and are punished. If you see that something may be leading you toward sin, you must choose wisdom and hide yourself from it. Remove your path from it. Don’t look and see if it will lead to temptation. Don’t let curiosity draw you into ‘just seeing if something is tempting’; at the first realization that you are being lured, turn away and set your eyes on wisdom. Do not let wisdom depart from your eyes. If you keep this always in the front of your mind, you will do well. In order to be tempted, you must be drawn. If you never allow yourself to be drawn, you cannot be tempted. You are first drawn with your eyes, then your mind, then your actions. Stop temptation at its source by keeping your eyes on your goal – to stand before God complete and holy so that you hear Him say, “Well done, you were good and faithful”. If you do these things, you will overcome and you will be accounted righteous before God. All who abide in Christ are made righteous in Him. Do not let yourself be drawn away and enticed.
If you have failed miserably and feel like you have failed God, take heart and know that His mercies are great and His forgiveness is available. The Bible says that God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). God does not look upon you based on who you are or the righteousness you have. You cannot be righteous by your own efforts, in fact, Isaiah 64:6 tells us that all our righteous acts are filthy rags in His sight. There is nothing you can do for God that will make you righteous. The Bible states Romans 7:18a
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;
The flesh can only produce things of the flesh and can never produce the things of the Spirit. The flesh can never accomplish anything that is acceptable to God. By faith, we are made righteous through the completed work of Jesus Christ. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Psalm 103:10-13 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
All of this has been given to us through Jesus Christ. If you surrender your life to Jesus and obey the truth (fear Him), God no longer looks at you as a sinful man or woman; instead God looks at you as one who has the robe of righteousness which is Jesus Christ. He looks at you as you will be when you stand before Him in righteousness, not as you are groping in the darkness. Only those who reject the word of God will stand before Him in shame. Today, you have the privilege of turning from the destruction of sin and to the path of righteousness. You will overcome if you obey the truth.
In Conclusion
I would like to wrap up this study by putting it all together. The first principle you must realize is that all things come through Jesus Christ alone. Jesus explained that He is the door and that anyone who tries to find another way in are thieves and robbers (John 10:1-7). Also look at Matthew 7:13-14
13 " Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
The gate and the door are the same, Jesus Christ. He is the narrow gate and the way of salvation remains narrow as we pursue the path of life. The way is narrow and difficult. Narrow because the path of righteousness does not allow us to deviate from the word of God. Difficult because our flesh will never cease in its attempt to draw us after the things outside of the path of life. The flesh will grow weak in its grip over our life, but if we grow complacent, it will lure us again. If you do not know Christ as your Savior, this is where life in the Spirit and the path of righteousness begins. He is the Author of your faith and the finisher of it. You begin with Christ and you end with Christ.
In your daily walk, one thing is certain, if setting your heart to seek God and living in the Spirit is not the highest priority of your life, you will not find the truth that is hidden before you. The glory of God is to conceal a matter, but it is your glory to search and find it (Proverbs 25:2). God has promised that you will seek and find Him when you search for Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). If you are not serious about finding wisdom and walking in God’s ways, nothing I or anyone else teaches will profit you. Sometimes the first effort in our quest for truth is to seek a seeking heart. Ask God each day to give you a heart that seeks Him and hungers and thirst for His righteousness. I still pray this prayer continually because I never want to lose that desire to seek God. Complacency is your enemy.
Wisdom is a principle thing and you must seek and find wisdom to overcome the flesh and live victoriously in Christ. To walk in the Spirit, wisdom must always be before your eyes and you must pursue God daily. You must hunger and thirst after righteousness and by this you will feed your spiritual life with the word of God. Get in the word; stay in the word. You should not let a single day go by that you do not apply your heart to know God. You should not let a month go by that you do not read the entire New Testament and the book of Proverbs. Sprinkle the Old Testament into your studies as you go along.
Depart from the flesh by walking in the Spirit. You will not overcome the flesh by resisting temptation. You will overcome the flesh by walking in the Spirit and staying there. If you abide in Christ, all things are possible and all the promises of God are yours. The power of God overcomes the flesh, not the power of the will. As you walk in the Spirit, God empowers you to overcome. Remember the words of Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Christ living in you overcomes the world. Also take to heart 1 John 5:4-5
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Who overcomes? The one who has faith in Jesus Christ. If you walk by faith, you will seek the things of God believing that they are for your good and available to you. We seek by faith knowing that we will find. The Spirit of God within us will overcome our flesh and all that is in the world if we walk in the Spirit. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Walk in the Spirit and you will have victory. Galatians 5:16 explains:
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
You overcome the flesh by walking in the Spirit and you learn to walk in the Spirit by seeking the word and applying your heart to wisdom. Do not neglect prayer for this is how we build our relationship through fellowship with God. We petition God and He answers our prayers; we speak to God and He speaks to us. Learn to pray by using Matthew 6:9-14 as your guide. Renew your spirit daily. Daily choose to lay down your life in this world and take up your cross to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-24). Each day you must purposefully apply your heart to wisdom and set your heart to seek God. Complacency is your enemy.
Hear the instruction of wisdom and turn at God’s rebuke. If you turn at His rebuke, God will pour His Spirit out on you (Proverbs 1:23) and it will be life, guidance, peace and will lead you to the paths of righteousness (Proverbs 2:9-11, Proverbs 1:33). If you refuse God’s instruction, you will eat the fruit of your own ways and reap the consequences of sin (Proverbs 1:24-32, Galatians 6:7-8).
Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it comes the issues of life. Your mind is the gateway to your heart; therefore, serve God with your mind and apply your mind to the things of God. Make changes to your life to protect your heart and mind from corruption. Remove the things out of your life that hinder you. Don’t go places that stir up the fleshly mind, don’t listen to things that glorify the world and sin, don’t watch things that appeal to the flesh. Arrange your life so that you give the first fruits to God. Set God first and you will see a change in your life. Put hobbies and entertainment after you have sought the Lord with all your heart. When time demands a sacrifice, put God first and He will reward you. If you sacrifice your time with God, you will waiver on your pursuit of godliness. If you lack the desire to put Him first, begin by praying for a heart of passion for the things of God. Ask God to give you a heart that seeks Him above all else. Pray until you get an answer.
Submit yourselves to God. You were bought with a price. When you come to Christ, you are no longer your own but have been purchased by His blood on the cross. God has the right to your life and He has the right to change anything or everything in your life. He will test your faith; He will try you; He will purge you; He will chastise you to lead you into righteousness. Recognize the value of God’s work in your life and its eternal benefits. This life will end shorter than you think and all in this life will be lost. Nothing can be taken and no earthly accomplishments will be trophies in heaven. Invest your life in eternity and allow God to shape you into perfection. Sometimes it will be painful, but it can still be joyful if we keep our faith and remember that all things are for our good when we walk in His calling. God rewards loving obedience. Even more important, we should remember that God is our exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15:1). There is no greater reward. Don’t seek what is in God’s hand, but seek Him.
Finally, find a partner in the faith. The Bible teaches that two are better than one. A friend will lift up his companion when he falls but woe to him who falls alone (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). I had a pastor friend tell me that he finds two people who are not impressed with his position to hold him accountable. This can be very difficult for pastors for a secret revealed can cause great embarrassment and even destroy a ministry. We must pray that God would bring into our lives someone that can be trusted. If we are confided in, we should also take great care not to reveal the confidence of another. We should never reveal what someone has said in confidence. Not to another friend or even our spouse. Unless a person chooses to make something public knowledge, it should never be repeated. One person telling one person can create a wildfire that cannot be stopped. Trust betrayed can be devastating.
If you follow the principles of God, you will overcome. As I said at the beginning of this study, I have often asked God how can I explain to another person the way to overcome. The path is narrow and the way difficult, but it can be followed. Even explained, according to scriptures, there are few who will find it. The reason this is so is because each one must choose to forsake this life to follow Christ. The principles can be explained but their application to your heart cannot be. Spiritual things cannot be grasped by the carnal (or fleshly) mind. You must walk in the Spirit to know spiritual things; therefore, you must apply the principles of God before you can fully grasp them. God reveals Himself to us as we seek Him and walk in obedience. Until you begin walking down the narrow way, you will not understand the deeper spiritual things.
I have poured my heart into this study hoping that many will follow the same path God has revealed to me. I did not begin with understanding, but God has revealed things to me as I walked with Him. Each time I look back on my life, I am amazed at how much God has revealed to me. When God removes the veil and opens my eyes to something, I am amazed at how little I knew before. I also have grown to realize that I am only at the beginning and that there is so much more to discover. With the scriptures discussed in this study, you have everything you need to seek the Lord and overcome the flesh. This is not the accomplishment of the Christian life but a step in the journey. You must get out of the flesh and into the Spirit. This will only happen if you are willing to die to yourself and seek God with all your heart. For God so loved you that He gave; therefore, it is certain that God wants you to receive. God’s plan for your life is to walk with Him in loving fellowship. This is only possible by walking in the Spirit.
God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness and if you do these things, you will never stumble (2 Peter 1:3-10). I pray that this study will be a tool to help point you in the right direction through God’s word.
Review these other important passages that I did not include in this study but I feel are beneficial on this topic:
Romans 7:14-23
Colossians 3:1-7
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Galatians 5:22-25
Ephesians 2:1-10
Romans 7:18
1 Peter 1:13-22
Proverbs 7:1-5
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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