Facing Temptation

Temptation is a universal human experience — even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. When sinful desires pull at you with seemingly irresistible force, know that God has promised a way of escape with every temptation. You are not fighting alone; the Holy Spirit empowers you to resist. These passages provide both strategy and strength for the battle: hiding God's Word in your heart, resisting the devil, walking by the Spirit, and drawing near to the God who draws near to you.

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Category: Spiritual Growth
Passages: 5 key scriptures

Key Passages

No Temptation Beyond What You Can Bear

1 Corinthians 10:13

God promises that every temptation comes with a divinely provided escape route, and He will never allow testing beyond what we can bear with His help.

T¹³here 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.

Resist the Devil

James 4:7-8

Resist the Devil offers biblical truth for the situation of facing temptation. The verse points us to God's character and invites trust in the midst of real life.

S⁷ubmit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Hide God's Word in Your Heart

Psalms 119:11

Hide God's Word in Your Heart offers biblical truth for the situation of facing temptation. The verse points us to God's character and invites trust in the midst of real life.

T¹¹hy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness offers biblical truth for the situation of facing temptation. The verse points us to God's character and invites trust in the midst of real life.

T¹hen was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

² And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. ³ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ⁵ Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. ⁷ Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ⁸ Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; ⁹ And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. ¹⁰ Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ¹¹ Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-17

Walk by the Spirit offers biblical truth for the situation of facing temptation. The verse points us to God's character and invites trust in the midst of real life.

T¹⁶his I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Did You Know?

Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. The difference between temptation and sin is the response of the will.

God provides a way of escape in every temptation. The promise is not that we will never be tempted. It is that we will never be tempted beyond what we can bear with the escape He provides.

The best defense against temptation is not white-knuckled resolve. It is a heart so satisfied in God that the offers of sin look like the empty husks they are.