“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When temptation knocks at your door, what do you typically do? Do you open it to see who’s knocking, or do you avoid answering the door and wait for them to go away?

What if temptation broke through the door and intruded upon your home uninvited? How would you respond? Would you defend yourself and confront the enemy, or would you run and hide because you knew you were helpless to defeat it?

In many ways, we might rationalize this scenario by saying, “Well, it depends. How bad is the temptation? Am I equipped to handle it on my own? What are the potential risks if I choose to stay and fight vs. run away?” Granted, those are valid questions, but are they truly the questions we should be asking or does God want to us to respond differently?

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Temptation is inevitable this side of heaven. No matter how hard we try to live for Christ, temptation always seems to knock at our door, wanting nothing more than to step inside the entryway of our minds and take permanent residence in our hearts.

That is why we must be careful not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and assume we’re strong enough to resist temptation. We’re powerless to subdue the enemy all by ourselves. Our knowledge and personal experience are limited apart from the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, so why would we ever confront temptation without properly planning our strategic course of action and contingency plans?

STRATEGY:

No soldier goes into battle without properly assessing the terrain, evaluating his enemy’s capabilities, considering his own skill set and resources, and properly strategizing both a plan of attack and contingency escape routes in the event of emergency. If he doesn’t, he’s likely better off planning his funeral instead!

The same principle applies spiritually. If we’ve never taken time to consider both our offensive and defensive strategies, how will we ever be properly equipped and trained to endure whatever temptation the enemy inflicts upon us?

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).

“Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31).

If we’re honest with ourselves, far too often we walk blindly into spiritual warfare and assume we’re properly equipped for battle without ever putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to train our minds with the tools necessary to defeat the enemy. We think we know how to defend ourselves but knowing and doing are two completely different issues.

For too often we become lazy in our spiritual disciplines, spending little to no time praying or reading God’s Word yet assuming we’re adequately prepared for battle each day. We rely on logic and common sense because they feel more tangible, but honestly it’s because leaning on common sense requires less discipline and training in righteousness.

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Proverbs 24:3–4).

However, personal experience can only get us so far in life. What feels right might not be the wisest course of action. Our knowledge is limited, so we can’t always lean on logic as our most trusted strategy to resist temptation. We need something concrete to bind our hearts to, which is why anchoring our hearts to God’s Word is so vital to survival.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24–27).

SELF-PROTECTION:

Paul reminds us that “no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man,” which should encourage us mightily. Oftentimes, we feel like we’re the only one struggling with a particular issue, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Keep in mind, Satan knows full well which buttons to push in our minds because his tactics have never changed since the beginning of time. He has always leveraged his focus on how we are feeling at any given moment, because we often allow emotions to dictate our actions.

“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).

For example, men have a natural propensity to isolate when feeling stressed, angry, overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, etc. In many ways, it’s a defense mechanism to compartmentalize the emotion so we can cope with it better. Not to say that’s a healthy decision, but when the trials of life begin to overwhelm our psyche, we default into self-protection mode and lean on ourselves to fix the issue rather than ask for help.

It’s truly an issue of pride, but we don’t recognize that in the moment. We simply think we’re doing what is in our best interest to manage the stress as best we know how. That is why community is so vital, because we need the perspective of others to identify our blind spots and help correct our behavior when we do succumb to temptation.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).

However, we typically avoid true, personal accountability because we don’t want to face the reality of our sins. Confessing sin or struggles with temptation is a humiliating and emasculating experience for men, which is why most avoid it like the plague.

If only we would lay down our pride, we would see that God has placed unique individuals in our lives who can help us survive the seasons of life He has allowed to refine our character and strengthen our faith. For He does not want us to self-protect and isolate into the darkness, but rather live in the light of His unending grace and mercy where true freedom is found.

KNOW YOUR WHY:

Where the rubber meets the road, though, comes in our ability to recognize the exit sign God has provided and walk in faith towards it. For when we are held captive in the darkness of our minds, seeing even the slightest glimmer of light can change the trajectory of our lives.

The key is recognizing what that light is in the moment and why we should choose it. In other words, there are physical ways of escape we can choose when we feel temptation beginning to intensify but knowing why we are acting on them in the moment is critical to putting a stop gap between desire and action.

This is where physical reality and spiritual maturity intersect. For instance, if a man struggles with lust and wandering eyes, he can learn to bounce his eyes when he sees an attractive woman and not allow his mind to wander into a deeper craving to act upon his lust through sexual immorality. However, if he does not have a concrete reason WHY he is escaping temptation, yielding to sin is virtually unstoppable.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1).

“The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray” (Proverbs 5:22–23).

I have often exhorted the men I shepherd through my WILDERNESS SURVIVAL curriculum that when temptation is at its most critical intensity and we’re wrestling with the final decision of yielding to temptation, God’s Word must transform from merely “ink on a page” to “life-giving truth” in our hearts and minds.

For if we believe God has granted to us everything we need which pertains to life and godliness, including our way of escape, then we must trust His Word is true so intensely that the truth of His promise overpowers the enticement of temptation.

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3–4).

In other words, God’s Word is the only permanent way of escape we will ever need in any given situation every moment of our lives. It is the ultimate swiss army knife which can rescue us from any temptation the enemy throws our way, but it is contingent upon our belief in its validity, sufficiency, and sovereignty.

BOTTOM-LINE:

It certainly might not seem like trust in the absolute truth of God’s Word is the way of escape we have been searching for all our lives, but tangible actions such as bouncing our eyes or abstaining from whatever idol we crave, while helpful, are merely temporary fixes in the moment which will never bring us true victory.

Therefore, if we truly want to experience life-changing freedom from sin and temptation, we must reconcile in our hearts and minds whether we trust the power of Scripture. Keep in mind, God spoke creation into existence by the power of His spoken Word. Why then would we doubt His inspired, written Word as insufficient in any way?

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!” (Psalm 119:9–12).

No, while it might seem too good to be true, we are empowered by God through His Word to destroy every stronghold the enemy uses to bind our hearts and enslave our minds. Therefore, it all comes down to trusting His promises are true to meet our needs in every situation.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3–4).

That is why when Jesus was tempted after forty days in the wilderness by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11), the only thing that mattered was whether He trusted God’s Word was true and knew how to use it. For that is how He withstood the enemy’s attack, and we are wise to learn from the way of escape He ultimately chose to survive temptation so that we might do the same when our hour arrives to test our faith.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13–17).