Avoiding Temptation

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” - Matthew 26:41 
 
Are you struggling with sin? Is there a sin in your life that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to overcome it? We have spent a lot of time discussing obedience recently. You might have followed along with us and thought something like this:  

“Pastor, I want to be obedient. I am doing my best to love God and love others. I am trusting God with areas of my life that I used to not be able to. I am doing all that...but I just can't overcome this one sin. It has a grip on me, and I don’t know how to be set free.”
 
Now, you can read all the books, devotions, and even Bible verses you want to. You can read all about freedom and that Jesus died for your sins so that you would be set free. And that is truly a great thing. Without Jesus dying on the cross, we would have no hope. But just knowing we are set free doesn’t always prevent us from falling right back into the same pattern of sin.

So how do we escape the pattern of sin that has held us hostage for so long? We must avoid the temptation. Matthew 26:41 says, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
 
Your spirit is willing, but your body is weak. Our human nature is ready to give into sin any chance we get. The key is not to just say no when the temptation comes, but instead to avoid the temptation coming altogether. If you can avoid being tempted, you will set yourself up for success and be able to remain obedient to God.

What does avoiding temptation look like for you? What habits or practices can you put into place right now that will help you avoid temptation so that you will not fall back into the same pattern you have so many times before? Jesus has set you free. But to stay there, you must avoid temptation in order to remain obedient to God!