Repent and resist...

James 4:7-10 gives us these instructions. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (NIV)

If you want to win the battle against sin, it starts with making God your ruler. You do that by trusting in Jesus and choosing to follow him. You do that by humbly confessing your sin to God as you turn from it. You do that by standing firm against temptation when it comes.

Listen to God’s word! 1 Corinthians 10:13 is for you. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (NIV)

The temptations you face have been faced by countless others. You aren’t experiencing anything new. Others have overcome with God’s help. Trust him to help you escape!

You want some more encouragement from God’s word? Hebrews 12:1-3 is great! “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (NIV)

Resist the wrong that has become your habit. Turn away from it. Replace your sinful behavior with right behavior. Let Jesus, who faced temptation and won, change your heart.

Sign up to receive messages like this in your inbox. Send a blank email to knowthetruth-join@freegroups.net.