How To Overcome Temptation Before It Becomes Sin

Sins With Benefits

The Bible makes it pretty plain that the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). But it also says sin is pleasurable…for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Well, sure, there is some pleasure to sinning, or it wouldn’t be a temptation to sin. But is it worth it? Sinful pleasures are fleeting, pleasurable acts considered immoral or harmful that prioritize temporary self-indulgence over long-term well-being or moral standards. Common examples include gluttony (overeating), sexual immorality, excessive drinking, greed, gossip, and indulging in dishonesty or theft. These acts often provide immediate gratification but result in spiritual, emotional, or physical consequences. As I heard one preacher say, ‘”Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay”. Sinful actions are deceptive, addictive, and destructive. Minor, temporary lapses often lead to severe, lasting consequences. One bad choice can change your life forever.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12)

You may say, ‘But we all die’. This verse isn’t talking about dying a physical death. Ultimately, it is talking about going to an eternal hell and suffering forever, but it is also talking about a living death. Living with the consequences of a sinful choice may ruin a marriage, lose a job, have to live with an STD, go to prison and more. Choices are important.

It Is Not a Sin to be Tempted

We should probably first consider what temptation is and what sin is. First of all, let me get something straight. It is not a sin to be tempted. We are all tempted. Don’t let the devil condemn you because you are tempted. It is what we do with the temptation that determines whether it becomes a sin or not. Let’s read James 1:14-15, ”But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” What did it say? Every man is tempted. (When the Bible says things like ‘every man’ it means every man, woman and child, not just men.) And he goes on to explain. You are drawn away by your own lust. In other words, each of us will be tempted by something the devil thinks will appeal to us (2 Corinthians 11:14) . He knows he won’t be successful tempting you with some things, so he dangles things before you like bait to see what you will bite. Then it becomes desire, then it becomes sin, if we fall to it.

The Original Sin.

One need only read the account of the original temptation to Eve in the Garden of Eden by the serpent under the control of the devil to understand how one falls to temptation. You know the story, how God told the first couple they could eat of all the trees in the garden except for one. Eve’s downfall is noted in three steps of temptation that still apply to any of us when faced with temptation in Genesis 3:6, “And when the woman saw (Lust of the eye) that the tree was good for food, (lust of the flesh) and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Recognize this progression from temptation to sin and you can turn it around to your advantage and not fall to the temptation. First, she looked at it, then she started to make excuses of how it would benefit her, then she justified her actions. (If you want to read in detail what happened in the Garden of Eden CLICK HERE.)

Remember, the voice of the devil comes from outside in. (For more on recognizing the voices we are confronted with CLICK HERE.) Go with me to Matthew 5:27-28. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Jesus is trying to teach us something here. He is trying to teach us that sin begins with a thought. The temptation is before you, whatever it is, in this example, adultery. He is saying stop it at the eye, at the first thought, before it goes any farther! If you let it go farther it already has a grip on you, a foothold. You may not ever commit the physical act, but it is possible. Why? Because you didn’t take authority over it before it had a chance to take root in you. I can’t emphasize how important it is to guard your thought life! Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in his heart so is he.” The battle is in your mind. It is the battleground. It is where you win or lose. If we control the mind, we win! Resist temptation before it has a chance to control you. Have you ever heard this saying? “You can’t help it if a bird flies over your head, but you can keep it from nesting in your hair.”

Spiritual Warfare

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”. Cast down imagination before it becomes a stronghold. Paul tells us in this scripture that this is something we must do. The Bible wouldn’t tell us to do it if we didn’t have the power to do it. Let’s understand what a stronghold is. It is nothing mystical. It is any dark place the enemy can rule you from. If we are honest, we have to admit we all have them. That ‘button’ the enemy knows he can push when he wants to torment you. That weak place you don’t quite have victory over yet. But it has to come down. And the less we yield to it and do what the Word says, the less power it will have over us and eventually it will be pulled down and have no power over us at all. But the best defense is a good offense. That’s what Jesus, James and Paul are trying to teach us. Stop it before it becomes a stronghold! Stop it when it first comes to you. What do you do when you are tempted? Make a stand right then and there. Resist it in Jesus’ name. “Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). That verse literally means he will run in terror away from you. Don’t give in to temptation. Know your limitations. If you were an alcoholic, don’t go to a bar! The Word says, “Abstain from the very appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Watch what you watch on television, what websites you view, what magazines you look at. And it isn’t all visual. Don’t forget that audio pornography you are listening to. If someone is talking filthily or lustily on the radio, change the station. I am amazed at how many Christians watch various sitcoms full of sexual innuendos and fornication. You can call me a prude if you want, but I’m telling you it will take a toll on you. You will not grow and mature spiritually. You will become argumentative, rebellious and defensive defending something you know is wrong. You can’t be lukewarm. Jesus said if you were lukewarm, He would spew you out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). Why do you spew something out of your mouth? Because it makes you sick. Jesus would rather you be hot or cold. At least then you would have conviction of who you are.

Better to build it right the first time than to have to repair it later.

That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect overnight, but stop resisting what the Word says. Set your heart to obey Him. Resist temptation. Don’t let it take root in you. Better to build it right the first time than to have to repair it later. It is a lot easier to deal with temptation than to deal with the fallout of a sin you have fallen to.

How can we use temptation and sin to our advantage?

But, you know what? I like to turn the devil on his head and take what was meant for evil and turn it around for good (Genesis 50:20). How can we use sin and temptation to our advantage and turn them around for our good and God’s glory? Consider this: if you are tempted to sin a certain way, it is actually revealing a weakness in you. Recognize what it has revealed to you and do something about it. Sin is a legitimate desire fulfilled in the wrong way. When you are tempted, take time to pray and examine yourself and define what the legitimate desire is at the heart of it and figure out a way to fulfill it in a non-sinful way. For example, the temptation to look at porn could be a need for intimacy.

Jesus said, in Matthew 12:34 “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” And again in Matthew 15:11, “it isn’t that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” In other words, what is coming out of your mouth is an indication of what is in your heart. You can tell a lot about a person by how they talk and what they talk about. You can also tell something about them by what they watch on TV, what they read…you get the idea. Take time to examine yourself, pray as David did in Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Pray and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you the areas in your life that need work. He is the one who reveals and convicts of sin (John 16:8). Don’t listen to the voice of condemnation or even what others are judging about you (Romans 8:1). Let God be your judge, for he loves you and has your best interest in mind. He alone lovingly convicts of sin, in other words, points out in such a way that we can correct ourselves. He wants to restore you, not condemn you. You don’t have to fall to temptation. He promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Jesus has broken the power of sin, but it is up to us to break the practice of sin (Romans 6:10, 1 Corinthians 15:57). Take time to read Romans 8, this chapter really breaks down what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and our responsibility to keep ourselves from sinning. Yes, you are going to fall every now and then (Romans 3:23), but we no longer have to live that way. He is faithful and just to forgive us of sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). According to Romans 6:2, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

So, don’t quit when you sin.

It’s kind of like being on a diet; just because you ate that Twinkie, don’t quit your diet. Thank God for pointing out your sin and for forgiveness and ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength and continue to serve him the best you can. Don’t beat yourself up about it. There is a verse in Proverbs 24:16 that says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” Seven is the number of completion. In other words, you are going to fall again and again until you are complete, but the difference is getting back up. “By shifting the focus from ‘I am bad for being tempted’ to ‘I can use this moment to prove my faith and strengthen my resolve,’ Doing so turns temptation into a catalyst for growth. Temptation can be used to improve yourself by treating it as a training tool for character, endurance, and self-awareness rather than just a moral failure. It can humble you, highlight your vulnerabilities to strengthen them, and provide an opportunity to build resilience (Tim Challies and Joyce Meyer).” James 1:14 encourages us to define our triggers, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” For example, if pornography is a temptation, figure out if there is a certain time of day or night you fall to that temptation and plan in advance some wholesome activity to occupy that time or put a filter on your internet that keeps you that blocks porn. Some find that having an accountability partner helps them.

God Wants You to Succeed!

You can do this! God wants you to succeed. Turn potential sin into something that benefits you instead of destroying you or ruining your life. God isn’t up there just waiting for you to screw up so he can cast a lightning bolt or send you straight to hell. He is the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Lean on him. We all need his help. It doesn’t come naturally. Jeremiah 17:9 states: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” It is something we have to work at. But the more you choose to do right, the more natural it becomes. He will change your desire to sin the more you resist it (Psalms 37:4) and one day you will be looking back and saying, ‘I can’t believe that used to be a temptation to me’. Keep renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) by feeding it the right things; the best defense is a good offense. It is a daily walk, but it will be worth it. Your life will be better, you will be happier and you will attract the right people and things into your life and one day you will hear his words as they say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”(Mathew 25:23)