Avoiding willful sin and resisting temptation

[wiggins]

Hi guys!
How do you avoid willful sin and resist temptation? I'm having trouble with that. Please pray for me too. Thanks!

[Orange Kitten]

Cold water and a stress ball

[shooraijin]

When temptation knocks, I remember a few things:

* We won't be tempted beyond more than what we can bear (unbelievable as that may seem at times). We truly can weather the storm.

* Temptation is temporary. It may be recurrent, but it isn't never-ending.

* God wants us to give our temptations to Him. Yes, really. When I'm tempted on something I know I ought not do -- but like all temptations, it's a temptation -- I just offer it back to Him. "God," I ask, "this is something part of me really wants to do, and part of me knows is wrong, so I'm giving it back to you." Purely the act of shifting from dwelling on the temptation to asking God's help is in itself a big way to shift the target. The key is wanting the temptation to be taken, and not wallowing in it.

[Orange Kitten]

When temptation knocks, I remember a few things:

* We won't be tempted beyond more than what we can bear

That's true because once you go beyond what you can bear, you give in to temptation. And once you give in to temptation, there is no more temptation because you just DID it lol

[cbwing0]

The best thing that I have found is to recognize the sin for what it is. This works, because I find that most of the time I fall to temptation when I try to rationalize my sin by convincing myself that it is somehow not sin.

I once heard a story from the late, great Dr.Walter Martin that will illustrate the second important way to resist temptation. Mr.Martin asked a friend (who was banker) how he recognized counterfeit bills. Dr.Martin's first impression was that they employees would spend a lot of time look at the various counterfeits to determine their distinguishing features. However, this is not how they learned to spot counterfeit bills. All they had to do was study real money, and they would be able to spot counterfeits with no trouble.

This is a lot like study the bible. Whether it is sin or false doctrine, the best way to spot spiritual counterfeits is the make yourself familiar with the authentic article. Therefore, it really helps to study the bible every day.

[Rashiir]

How do you avoid willful sin and resist temptation?

Pray for help and protection. And if you can, run! Get away, look away, whatever it takes!

But also, remember this: everybody messes up. The important thing is to get back up and keep trying and never give up!

[lobsterbucket]

*God wants us to give our temptations to Him. Yes, really. When I'm tempted on something I know I ought not do -- but like all temptations, it's a temptation -- I just offer it back to Him. "God," I ask, "this is something part of me really wants to do, and part of me knows is wrong, so I'm giving it back to you." Purely the act of shifting from dwelling on the temptation to asking God's help is in itself a big way to shift the target. The key is wanting the temptation to be taken, and not wallowing in it.[/QUOTE]

That's why we say "deliver us from evil"

[Hitokiri]

What I tend to do is take away what is making you sin. And pray and turst in God.

I won't go deep into it but I had my parents ban on my computer privledges and erase my username for a while to avoid all the bad stuff on the internet.

[JediSonic]

Very true, hitoiri, the best way to stop something is often to prevent it

[Hitokiri]

Very true, hitoiri, the best way to stop something is often to prevent it

Brownie Points for me

[MillyFan]

LOL, reading this thread makes me happy to not be a man. ^^ I mean, for all my faults and all the things I don't like about being what I am. . .at least, unlike I've heard men do, I don't think of sex or things related to it every six minutes. I don't envy people cursed with that burden. Ugh.

[cbwing0]

[

.at least, unlike I've heard men do, I don't think of sex or things related to it every six minutes.

I've heard that statistic many times, and I wonder how they got it. I can imagine the lab...

"Are you thinking about sex now?"
"No"
"Are you thinking about sex now?"
"No, er, yes."
"How about now?"
"No"
"Now?"

At any rate, I don't think it is entirely accurate.

[Straylight]

An important thing I always try to remember is not to feel too bad if you do give in. Everyone gives in, because of the fact that we are humans. God recognises this and wants a relationship with you despite this. We tend to set pretty high thresholds for ourselves, and though this can be a good idea it can also make us feel like worthless Christians when we fail.

[uc pseudonym]

"Are you thinking about sex now?"
"No"
"Are you thinking about sex now?"
"No, er, yes."
"How about now?"
"No"
"Now?"

Now that was funny.

By the way, Millyfan, assuming that you sleep 8 hours, that would mean, oh... 160 times a day. Yup, that's sure realistic. I can't believe anyone actually believes this, it's a pet peeve of mine. It depends entirely on what you count. Some people would relegate some things as a thought, others as merely discarded temptations.

[MillyFan]

LOL, cbwing0's post was a riot.

Seriously, though. . .I'm happy I'm not a man. Such constant struggling every minute of the day to avoid sinning in thought or actions. . .I think I'd die if I had to live with that kind of burden for one day.

[shooraijin]

Yes, but it would also be foolish to think that girls aren't sexually tempted -- from some of my very honest female friends, it's a different type and concept of temptation, but it *is* there.

[MillyFan]

LOL, I know I'm not saying I've never been tempted or had to struggle because I have on occasion. I'm just saying it's not the constant pull of my life to think about that. . .and I'm thankful that it isn't.

[cbwing0]

Now that was funny.

LOL, cbwing0's post was a riot.

Thank you, thank you. *takes a bow*

[Saint Kevin]

Yeah I couldn't help but laughing out loud, that's pretty good stuff cb. More seriously though, I don't think I'd want to trade places with a woman either. There are enough things you all have to deal with that I wouldn't want to. Childbirth, for one.

[uc pseudonym]

Given any chance to trade with anyone else, I don't think I'd take it. Too many issues I would suddenly have to deal with. Everyone has their fair distribution of problems; I know how to deal with my own, but we'd have to see about someone else's. So I'm quite happy where I am (that is to say, as opposed to where I could be, in our theoretical situation).

[Orange Kitten]

[quote="MillyFan"]LOL, I know ]
Yes, every man has to struggle with temptation every minute of his life...he can't look at any woman without thinking what kind of underwear she might be wearing... good logic there. Don't take a stereotype and place it on everyone's head.

[MillyFan]

Childbirth, for one.

Not unless it's a miracle LOL

[MasterDias]

More seriously though, I don't think I'd want to trade places with a woman either. There are enough things you all have to deal with that I wouldn't want to. Childbirth, for one.

Heh, I agree with you. Childbirth is something I wouldn't really enjoy going through.

[Alice]

I think the thing that helps most with temptation is memorizing Bible verses and running them through your mind when you're tempted in your mind. This is hard! But it can work, it's like it zaps the bad thoughts... and enough seems like it can even sort of keep you from being tempted so often. (Like enough of the Bible, not just memorizing the Bible.)

But sometimes wanting to zap the bad thoughts, and wanting to do what I should is just as hard as anything else.

Maybe guys are tempted more than girls. If so, I pity them. I'm sorry. But I've had more than enough already!

Also, like someone here said, avoiding temptation. (Man, I'm replying to this thread late! But then I just recently joined.)

Like, I heard a sermon once that said being Hungry, Angry, Tired, and Lonely were often things that lowered people's resistence to sin. I think at least some of that is true. And you know, you have to sort of let a red flag go up. And do what you need to do, whether it's be around people so you're not so lonely, or whatever.

My opinion is that worship and praise and Bible help build you up so you're not so weak to temptation, and avoiding certain things you know cause temptation. But actually resisting temptation can take extra stuff, like leaving the situation, or running Bible verses through the head. This is just my knowledge, and I still need work!

[livewire]

Whenever I am faced with something I know is sinful I pray to God for the strength and courage to do what is right in the face of what is wrong....

Believe me, it has helped a great deal