When the temptations are too strong to handle

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I went to a men's conference this past weekend, and it really opened up my eyes of what I've been missing out on all of these years.

A pastor led the conference, and with his 35 years of experience leading ministries, building orphanages and spreading God's word, he articulated things that made so much sense.

One of the biggest topics he hit on was on the subject of temptation, and how easily men can be so consumed by it.

Temptations can lead to destroyed relationships, bankruptcy, addiction, spiritual (and sometimes physical) death. And it's something literally everyone faces.

I know what tempts me the most. I know what my mind wants to default to when I'm feeling weak, isolated, and in private. And whenever I give in to those temptations, the very next set of feelings I get are shame and guilt.

For anyone reading this: more than likely there are temptations in your life that you need to battle with every day. Even if it's the smallest thing.

But those small things can compound into something sinister and wicked, to the point of no return.

So if you find yourself easily giving into temptation, whether that's through alcoholism, doomscrolling on social media, p*rnography, video games, gambling, or anything—you can use these steps to overcome these demons.

The majority of what I'm about to say is based on scripture and biblical principles (and practical applications and experiences I've personally had). If you believe that it's going to conflict with your own set of beliefs, you do not need to read further. But if you're comfortable, I encourage you to dive in.

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~MOVE THE LINE~

"The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."

Psalm 16:6

Most people live their lives without guardrails, or at least, guardrails that hug too closely to the edge of temptation.

We think this gives us freedom to roam, to explore life, and have good pleasure. But what it really does, is that it leads to a spiritual death.

Imagine you were driving right next to the edge of a cliff with no guardrails to protect you from falling. All it takes is one tire to lose contact with the ground, and you could be descending toward your own death.

Yet this is how many people live without even realizing. We justify being so close to temptation, because we see no real harm done in the moment.

Here's a practical example:

You stumble across a social media post with a woman in a bikini.
You look at her profile, scroll through more pictures and videos.
Then you open up her other socials to see more of what she shows.
You find more explicit photos and videos. Now you're hooked.

All of a sudden, the sexual temptation takes over you. And all it took was ONE picture to plant that seed in your head.

This is why we need to place boundaries far from the temptations. Before we even can get to that picture, we need to create a line that prevents us from stumbling there in the first place.

If social media tempts you, block the apps, remove it from your phone, and put on a passcode.
If alcohol tempts you, don't bring it into your home in the first place.
If gambling tempts you, cut ties with the "friends" that invite you.

Move the line.

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~MAGNIFY THE COST~

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Proverbs 14:12

There was a story that the pastor shared that really hit this lesson home:

He had a close friend some decades back. Amazing job with good financial standing, beautiful wife and kids, etc.

Seemed like he had his life figured out on the surface.

But there was one small bit of temptation that entered into his life.

He wanted to find some ways to make some extra income. So he started looking into penny stocks.

It seemed innocent at first, but in reality, he was using it to rip people off even if it was small.

As time naturally passed, this small activity became his obsession. He was making bigger risks, ripping people off more. Then the IRS got involved and looked into these activities he dug himself into.

Because he was now seeing the real consequences of his actions, he made the decision to flee the country and abandon his wife and kids.

Years later, it was discovered that in the country he fled to, his body was found in a car with gunshots inflicted on him.

It all started with some penny stocks. That was it.

What seems innocent in the moment can put is in a dangerous situation that we never want to face.

People don't understand the cost of the actions they do today, because we want that instant gratification and dopamine release. It feels so good, so why not keep doing it, right?

But when we look back at all of the things we've done—both good and bad, we can clearly see the outcomes from those decisions.

A piece of candy we ate when we were 7 led into obesity at 27.
One hit of a cigarette at 16 led to lung cancer at 36.
One sip of alcohol at the 21st birthday party led to depression and addiction at 31.

It always starts off small. And that's how it pulls you in.

We shouldn't just understand the cost associated with our actions. We need to magnify it and see the worst case scenario if it gets carried out.

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~PLAN YOUR ESCAPE~

Joseph faced many strong temptations according to the Bible, that most men would be eager to fall into.

He was sold to Potiphar at an Egyptian market because his brothers loathed him. As Potiphar's slave, he was tasked to be the head of the household. There, he was caught in the glimpse of his master's wife.

"Joseph was well-built and handsome in his appearance. After a while, his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me.' But he refused. He said: 'With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from my except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

Genesis 39:6-9

Throughout each day of Potiphar's wife seducing him and even threatening him to lay in bed with her, he still refused.

Joseph was only 18 years old, mother dead at 9, his father thinking he was dead, brought into a foreign country and sold as a slave to a master. He faced incredible loneliness and stress for such a young age, and he had every reason to be resentful and give in to these temptations and pleasures to relieve his stress.

Yet still, he refused. Why is that?

He already had plans for his escape. He decided well in advance he would dedicate his life to God, even in the midst of temptation, no matter how strong.

So when he was faced with Potiphar's wife, he was prepared. He knew his own escape to avoid the sin that he would have inevitably committed had he not planned in advance.

When I am faced with temptation a lot, I will admit, there have been countless times where I have gave in. And in the world we live in today, we face distractions in every corner with the internet, social media, TV, and ads.

But there is a lesson we can learn from Joseph here.

We need to plan well-in-advance how we approach temptation when it ever arises. Because they will come.

Plan your escape.

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Hope this helps someone out. Because I know how easy it is to give in to the worldly temptations we face every day.

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