If there is one thing we are always exposed to, it is temptation. It almost feels relentless at this point. Whether it's your phone, job, streaming, food, or even your spouse - Everything is tempting you into it.
On top of the temptations, often if you succumb to something, we tend to overdo it - overspend, overeat, and overwatch. I am not even 30 yet, but 15 years ago, the idea of binge-watching a 24-episode TV show in one or two settings was laughable. Today, we find that this is normal. How times have changed.
Today, we will focus on temptation in the Bible and show how even some of the most well-known characters of the Bible struggled with temptation. Using their lives as a guide, we will then show 9 strategies to overcome temptation.
Let's go!
Judas & Moses Set a Precedent
We all know the story of Judas, who betrayed Jesus for some money, but do you think he was always like that?
Personally, I don't believe he spent 3.5 years with Yeshua plotting against him. He probably started out excited to follow God. He was part of the chosen few.
However, he was tempted by money. How many Christian's fall into this category today? I am sure a lot. Christians sometimes lie to themselves and say they do not care about money. Let me tell you, if any of these statements below apply to you, you are being/have been tempted with money:
- Believing you don't have enough money.
- Working harder for more money.
- Arguing in a relationship about money.
So Judas loved money, and he betrayed the Messiah. Do you know what Moses' temptation was?
Moses led Israel for 80 years in Egypt & the wilderness (A fancy name for the desert). He led them through battles, quarrels, receiving the Law, and many more events. Surely he deserved to enter the promised land? He had been so faithful to God through it all.
But God said no.
Moses had a temper. We see clues of this throughout Exodus, where he broke the original 10 commandment tablets, cursed Israel multiple times when they sinned, and the event that sealed his denial of the promised land—the rock & the staff.
Num 20:11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Num 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
God originally instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but he instead took the anointed staff of God and struck the rock twice. Instead of trusting God, Moses' temper flared up. Just before this, he insults the Israelites:
Num 20:10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
And so Moses fell into temptation - he was tempted into using his own wisdom instead of waiting patiently on God. He died in that Wilderness.
There are many more examples of GREAT leaders of the Bible, but they all fell into some sort of temptation. Falling into temptation can destroy everything in your life, so let's learn how to overcome.
How You are Tempted
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under temptation because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Jas 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
Jas 1:14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
We can derive a lot from these 4 verses. Let's go verse by verse and summarise:
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under temptation because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
- Temptation is unavoidable & experienced by all.
- By extension, Jesus faced temptation. This is also confirmed in Hebrews - Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
- If temptation is unavoidable, then you are expected to defeat it instead.
Jas 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
- Temptation is never from God.
- Note - Temptation does not equal testing! God did not tempt Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
- In fact, you should desire to let God test you, as did David in Psalm 26. Psa 26:2 Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
- By extension, temptation comes from the devil. We have a full teaching on defining the devil in our Heaven vs Hell Series.
- Interestingly, God says to test Him - Mal 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
- I can see many people quoting Mat 4:7 now:
- Mat 4:7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
- However, if you translate the word 'test', the proper word used here is tempt.
- I can see many people quoting Mat 4:7 now:
Jas 1:14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
- Each temptation is unique to the individual ('their own evil desires').
- Blame is put on the believer in this verse.
- The devil tempts you by enticing you.
- Note, no sin is committed here! If you are enticed, it is OK to be attracted, but it is important not to fall into it!
Jas 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- 'Desire has conceived' implies you have taken the bait laid out by the devil.
- You then sin.
- This indicates there is a pattern to temptation & sin.
So in summary:
- Temptation is unavoidable & experienced by all.
- Temptation is never from God, by extension, it comes from the devil.
- Each temptation is unique to the individual.
- There is a pattern to temptation & sin.
Now that we know the blueprint on how the devil causes us to fall into temptation, we can give 9 strategies on how to deal with it.
9 Strategies to Defeat Temptation
Strat 1 - Be Born of God
I love quoting anything from 1, 2, or 3 John. It is so direct and to the point, and this direct communication is common with Jesus and His disciples. In my experience, it often helps the person on the other end more than it hurts.
1Jo 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
1Jo 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.
1Jo 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
John says exactly what to do - You must be born of God (i.e., A born-again Christian). This does not mean going to Church makes you born again. A born-again Christian has the Holy Spirit inside of them. John says we know who the children of God are if they are born again.
John gets even more practical and says a good way to tell if you are born again is if you begin to love others. It is so easy to retaliate in this world, but the Holy Spirit shows us how to walk in love and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (E.g., Gentleness). I would also like to add another good indicator - You can speak in tongues.
Strat 2 - Avoid the lure.
You should take time to reflect on what the lures are in your own life. It can be a time, place, object, or person. You then need to actively avoid the lure, or you can fast from the lure for a period of time.
Avoiding is quite a common response in the Bible (E.g., Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife).
Strat 3 - Fight With the Sword of the Spirit
Tolerating the temptation will 90% of the time cause you to fail. Sticking to a diet becomes impossible when you know an ice cream is chilling in the freezer. Willpower is overrated.
The main weapon we fight with is the Word of God. You need to find scripture about your situation. A big problem I see is that many Christians cannot quote the Scripture. The Word of God often takes a backseat to song lyrics, player stats, and other things of mammon. You cannot be illiterate in Scripture if you are to resist temptation!
Each time Jesus was tempted by the devil, the first words out of His mouth were 'It is written...'. You are food for the devil if you do not know how to quote Scripture.
The best way to do this is to spend time alone in the Word. People love to check the box of going to Church. Sitting in Church does not make you a Christian, any more than swimming in a pond makes you a frog. You are in charge of your own growth as a Christian. Peter sums this up well here:
1Pe 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 1Pe 2:3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Strat 4 - Do the Opposite of the Temptation
Here is a mini-game for you to play - When you are tempted to do something, try to do the complete opposite.
Trying to be healthy, but feel the urge to buy a chocolate? - Buy apples instead.
Trying to quit smoking, and want to take a drag? - Go for a run.
Think of the most opposite thing you can do, and try that.
It is tough for the first few times, but just this small mini-game can build up incredible resiliance. I promise you the Devil will get the message not to mess with you!
Strat 5 - Do Everything to the Glory of God
This section applies if you are not sure whether what you are doing is wrong. All you need to do is read this scripture:
Col 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
And ask yourself - Is what I am about to do for the glory of God, in the name of Jesus?
If you ever read about the Gnostics, you can understand how this applies. The Gnostics were people who believed in dualism. They thought the material world was sinful and unimportant, and God did not care for it. On the other hand, they felt the spiritual world was divine and that was all that mattered.
Because of this belief in dualism, we read that they believed they were set free from the restraints of the material world, and so they partook in very ungodly things (E.g., Orgys), because they thought it did not matter. They believed that because they had the spiritual side down, they would be OK. Most of Paul's letters are actually written specifically to the Gnostic believers. If you want a teaching about the Gnostics, reach out to us in the Contact Form.
All they had to do was read Col 3:17 and ask - Is this orgy for the glory of God? Would they say 'I am doing this in Jesus' name'? Ask yourself this next time, and if you cannot agree to this statement, don't do it!
Strat 6 - Win the Battle in Your Mind
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We and God have our own parts to play - God renews your heart:
Eze 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And we are supposed to renew our minds, as per Romans 12:2.
The main way to do this is to not allow yourself to fantasise. So much of our world today is about fantasy. To escape this world and live in another. I was guilty of this for almost my whole young adult life. I would come home, and immediately want to jump on the PlayStation to become someone else, living another life (Predominantly on the streets of Los Santos and Liberty City). This is the same for watching a show on TV. You become lost in someone else's story.
Because of the way we live in an anti-Christ culture, this is permeated in all things, like the media. The more you consume, the more you are tempted away to engage in anti-Christian behaviour. You should free up your mind to think clearly by not indulging too much in media. This frees up time to spend more time in the Word.
2Co 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Strat 7 - Enjoy the Test
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
God tells us you are blessed when you go through testing, and even promises a reward to those who pass the test. This is an amazing promise.
Strat 8 - Deal with Hard Addiction
There is a very practical verse in Ephesians 5:
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
This, I believe, speaks to the hard addictions (In this case, alcoholism), and Paul is saying that to overcome such addictions, you must use the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues to yourself.
Strat 9 - Learn how to Repent
Of course, we all have slip-ups. But we serve a merciful God, and just like the prodigal son, He will welcome us back with open arms.
But there is a condition - Repentance. Repentance means turning 180 degrees from your sin, actively trying to not repeat it. When Jesus forgave the woman with the issue of bleeding, His last words were:
Jhn 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
To repent, it is quite simple, just follow this verse:
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Of course, God sees your heart - so your repentance must be genuine.
Summary of the 9 Strategies
- Strat 1 - Be Born of God.
- Strat 2 - Avoid the lure.
- Strat 3 - Fight With the Sword of the Spirit.
- Strat 4 - Do the Opposite of the Temptation.
- Strat 5 - Do Everything to the Glory of God.
- Strat 6 - Win the Battle in Your Mind (Don't fantasise).
- Strat 7 - Enjoy the Test.
- Strat 8 - Deal with Hard Addiction.
- Strat 9 - Learn how to Repent.
Conclusion
Temptation is one of the greatest equalisers in Scripture since everyone can relate to feeling it. From Moses striking the rock in anger to Judas betraying Jesus for silver, we see that even the most devoted followers of God were not immune to it. Temptation is relentless, but it is not unbeatable. As James teaches, temptation begins when we are drawn away by our own desires — and if left unchecked, it gives birth to sin, and eventually death. The pattern is always the same, but so is the way of escape.
The first step to overcoming temptation is to be born of God (1 John 3:9). Without the Holy Spirit, willpower alone will crumble. The Spirit plants the seed of righteousness within you, producing fruit like self-control and love — both of which are weapons against the enemy. Once you are born again, the battle shifts to discipline: avoiding the lure and fighting with the Sword of the Spirit. Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife, and Jesus Himself used the written Word, saying, “It is written,” to defeat Satan’s attacks in the wilderness.
When temptation strikes, do the opposite of what your flesh desires. Small, intentional acts of obedience build resilience, just as fasting disciplines the body. Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:17 that everything we do should be for the glory of God. So before acting, ask: Can I do this in the name of Jesus? If not, walk away.
The real battleground, however, is the mind. Romans 12:2 calls us to renew it daily, replacing the lies of the enemy with truth. The devil’s goal is to drag your thoughts into fantasy so that your spirit grows weak. Avoid escapism, and you will be able to control your mind.
James 1:12 says the one who perseveres under trial will receive the crown of life. Every temptation overcome is proof of your maturity and your love for God. For those battling extreme addiction or recurring sin, Ephesians 5:18 gives a clear prescription: be filled with the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is your greatest weapon in this case.
Finally, when you fall — because all of us do — know how to repent. Like the prodigal son, turn back, confess your sin, and receive the Father’s embrace (1 John 1:9). Repentance restores your authority as a child of God.
You overcome by standing on the Word, walking in the Spirit, and choosing holiness daily. Temptation doesn’t define your walk with God — how you respond to it does.
Be Blessed!
