Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com

Victory Over Sin 53Remember, if you wait unto temptation comes to decide how you will react,you’ve waited too long. Choose beforehand to claim God’s promises for whatevercircumstances you expect to encounter.2. Obey the Holy SpiritDuring the day, learn to obey the first promptings of the Holy Spirit. If you aretempted to enjoy a sensual fantasy, deal with those thoughts immediately. [Each of usknow when we let our minds skip across that invisible line into forbidden territory]. Themoment we do so, we sense we are violating the purity that the Holy Spirit desires forus. That is the moment to say, “I reject these thoughts in the name of Jesus.” And thenquote the passage of Scripture you have learned for that temptation. With time, yoursensitivity to the Holy Spirit will develop.3. Turn Your Mind To GodMost important, learn to switch topics on the flesh and the devil. Remember theexperiment of not thinking of the number eight? We couldn’t stop thinking of thenumber eight, no matter how hard we tried. Only switching to another thought couldaccomplish this result.We can do this with any temptation we face. Simply use our temptation as analarm system --- signal to give praise to God. If, for example, you fear some particulardisease, use that fear – or worry – as an opportunity to give glory to God. Quote, forinstance, Romans 8:35-39, or read Psalms 103, 144, or 145. Then thank God for all theblessings you have in Christ. Thank Him for forgiveness, for His sovereignty, power,and love. In this way, your stumbling block will be changed into a stepping-stone.You’ll be praising rather than pouting.One way to victory over temptation is to respond by using the desire as areminder to read a passage of Scripture of praise to God. Rather than your mindconcentrating on the desire to sin, you focus on God and His power. Eventually, youwill learn that you do not have to yield to this temptation; the very struggle willbecome God’s way of building discipline into your life.If your problem is gluttony, decide that your hunger pangs will be a reminder todivert your attention to God’s Word. Memorize a verse of Scripture; pray for amissionary; sing a song. By outlining and following a specific strategy to resisttemptation, you can eventual be free from its grip.4. Determine Not to Get DiscouragedFinally, do not be discouraged by the frequency of the same temptation. If youhave lived a long time with sinful thought patterns, the strongholds of yourimagination will not be easily toppled. Furthermore, you must recognize the possibilitythat you are not merely confronting yourself, but satanic forces as well. Satan’s most