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Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22, NIV).
After saying “yes” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our ability to say “no” will determine how fast (or even if) we mature in Christ.
All of us endure spiritual weakness. I like to say, “We all have one temptation that keeps coming back, and we need to learn to say ‘no.’” Consider for a moment, what do you deal with constantly? Is there one area of weakness in your life? Fill in the blank in the following sentence. . .
God, set me free from _____________!
Now, since you’ve identified your specific weakness and asked God for help, let me give you four steps that will enable you to say “no” the next time you are tempted.
One: Ask
Ask God to set you free. Make it a continued prayer request.
With life issues and rooted sin, regular asking not only brings the request before the God of our sanctification*, but it releases God’s grace, or the supernatural help that we all need.
As Paul writes, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Two: Memorize
Scripture is steady state!
With a temptation, we concoct all sorts of reasons to indulge our desires, especially with a rooted sin (a pattern), which is why we say we won’t and then we do. Often our weak moments come after a victory in our lives as we justify a “yes” as compensatory or that we deserve this indulgence just one more time.
James understood the need for verses as antidotes for sin when he wrote, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21).
Let’s realize that memorized verses sit in the back of our minds, fending off our dumb rationalizations.
Three: Take Captive
We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5b).
Thinking, “This thought, or idea, isn’t from God,” becomes our best defense against our lifetime sin. I say this all the time, as I have particular temptations that I’ve dealt with for 50 years.
Here’s what I’ve found: Once you get something under control, it creeps in from a different direction. Our tempter constantly plots our downfall, and when we achieve victory by closing one window of temptation, he comes in through another window that we’ve left open.
Often, it’s the same temptation in a different form. If we lust after a car we can’t afford and say no, then perhaps we purchase a cruise package that we can’t afford.
Four: Don’t Quit!
When we struggle, God’s objective is always to strengthen. If we grow weary, stop, and give up the fight, while still saved, we don’t obtain the faith needed for a fulfilled life.
As Paul encourages Timothy (and us). . .
The Lord will rescue me [us] from every evil attack and will bring me [us] safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy 4:18).
Let’s learn to say no: ask, memorize, take captive, and don’t quit — an easy-to-learn formula for sainthood!
*Click this link for an in-depth look at sanctification.