- "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
- Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
- BUT EACH ONE IS TEMPTED WHEN HE IS DRAWN AWAY BY HIS OWN DESIRES AND ENTICED."
James 1:12-14 (NKJV)
• You need to watch the thoughts and desires in your heart as a believer.
- Before somebody falls into a sin, he or she must have been thinking along the line of that particular sin.
- When a seed of thought is sown in someone's heart by the devil; if the person permitted the thought and persisted on it, then it becomes a snare—an enticement that causes his fall.
"THEN, WHEN DESIRE HAS CONCEIVED, IT GIVES BIRTH TO SIN; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
James 1:15 (NKJV)
• If you see yourself struggling with a particular sin, you check the desires of your heart.
WHAT are the things giving birth to such thoughts and desires in your heart.
- If the thoughts and desires are caused by the books you read, the programmes you watched on TV, what you listened to on radio, what you watched or read online, then you need to stop reading such materials and stop watching or listening to such programmes.
- Moreover, if the thoughts and desires are caused by association, communion with some people; then you need to break up with such persons.
• There is no curse without a cause (Proverbs 26:2).
- There is a reason for that negative desire, and if the root of the matter is not dealt with, you cannot experience total freedom.
- Enticement comes through DESIRES which later give birth to sin.
• After you have broken away from the source of that negative desire; then you begin to feed your mind with things that can give birth to good thoughts and desires.
"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow [abundance[ of wickedness, AND RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE IMPLANTED WORD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS [minds]."
James 1:21 (NKJV)
- The Word of God will save your soul, that is, it will renew your mind—to think wholesomely (Romans 12:2).
- Remember, your mind cannot be left empty, it has to be filled with something, either good or bad stuff. YOU make the choice of what you want your mind to be filled with—you are the gatekeeper to your mind: "KEEP YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
- You live according to what your mind is fed with: your mind gives birth to thoughts that are in line with what you programmed in it.
- "And He said, "WHAT COMES OUT OF A MAN, THAT DEFILES A MAN.
- "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders...
- "And the evil things come from within and defile a man."
Mark 7:20,21,23 (NKJV)
• If you do not feed your mind with things that give birth to Godly desires; the enemy, the devil, may take advantage of you and begin to inject in your mind the dirty things that defiled (Ephesians 2:1-3).
- The system of the world is contrary to God's principles.
- There are things we see daily that can contaminate our minds and birth sinful desires—because we live in a sinful and broken world.
- You can only counter those things which come to your mind through what you see and hear daily—by feeding your mind with the Word of God.
- When you stop feeding your mind with the Word of God, other things will begin to occupy your mind—sinful desires.
- "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him
- FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—IS NOT OF THE FATHER BUT IS OF THE WORLD.
- And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever."
1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)
• The antidote to evil desires is to keep feeding your mind with the Word of God—to counter the negative thoughts that come from the world.
"And do not be conformed to this world, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!