God has given man a free will. This free will of man is a very powerful force that can be steered in the right or wrong directions to achieve either positive or devastating results. When God created Adam and Eve, God was well aware of Satan’s presence on the earth, but that did not bother God. God created man in His own image and likeness. God created man with an independent capacity to exercise free will and dominion to overcome all of Satan’s possible temptations. God expected it of man because the ability was given.
But man was deceived by Satan and made the wrong decision. Even after the fall of man, the free will of man wasn’t taken away. Even today Satan wants to tempt you and influence your free will to do his bidding. He cannot force you but if he can somehow deceive you to make the wrong choice then he can defeat you. But he needs the co-operation of your will. Each time you decide to sin, remember, it is a voluntary submission of your will to carnal desires and Satan’s deceptions.
“If you will not have death unto sin, you shall have sin unto death. There is no alternative. If you do not die to sin, you shall die for sin. If you do not slay sin, sin will slay you--Charles Spurgeon
Don’t be deceived by thinking that sexual temptations are so overwhelming that you have no choice but to surrender your will to heed to those temptations rather than resisting them. Yes, Samson failed, David failed and Solomon failed. But Job and Joseph succeeded. Jesus too as a complete man in the flesh never gave in to any temptation. To be tempted is not sin but to give in and carry it out, is.
God wants to influence your will so that you make good Godly choices and live in perpetual victory and enjoy true freedom. The first Adam failed but Jesus the second Adam succeeded. Jesus overcame the world, the fleshly desires and Satan himself. He was tempted in every way just as we are but yet did not sin. This Jesus lives in you and has become your very life and your inner strength. You have the over-comer's blood running in you.
He has given you His precious Holy Spirit as the Helper and Counselor. The Lord’s grace is available to empower you. When you exercise your free will and align it to heed to God’s counsel and His instructions both from His Word and through His Spirit’s voice, you will find wisdom and understanding to make the right decision each time you are faced with temptation.
I want to give you 18 powerful insights from the Word of God to fortify your resolve to say “NO” to sexual sin. Take time to meditate and ponder on these scriptures. I trust Holy Spirit will illuminate your heart with wisdom and understanding.
1. Guarding Your Eye Gate
I will not behold wickedness before my eyes: Psalm 101:3 "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. Job 31:1 "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? Job made a covenant with his eyes that his eyes will not lust after woman. His confident declaration of innocence in this particular area of his life indicates that he did not stumble in his resolve.
And remember, this was in the Old Testament times, before the redemption from sins by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and before the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Job was a man who feared the Lord and had great love for righteousness. He consistently desired to do what was right in the sight of the Lord.
2. Preserving Your Strength
I will not give my strength to women: Proverbs 31:3 "Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings" In the new covenant, we are called a royal generation, purchased by the blood of Jesus our King. We are kings and priests unto the Lord. We are called to rule and reign in this life through Jesus. The lustful appetites of the flesh will be the weak spot that the enemy will exploit to render us ineffective. Each time you give into temptation, your strength is weakened. It will spiritually handicap you and destroy your life.
You may think that you can somehow remain unaffected but lust is deceitful. Remember Samson. He was anointed by the Lord but compromised continually. He eventually lost his strength. He was ultimately destroyed due to lack of self-control over his sexuality. Though the Lord was merciful to him but his lack of self control and compromise rendered a pre-mature death to his destiny in God. Character will preserve your strength and your ways so that you can fully accomplish all that God wants to do through you.
3. Not Playing Around
I will remove my way far from her: Proverbs 5:8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house. Never compromise even a little. Be far from all possible situations that can sexually tempt you. Whether it is in real life or online, be wise and don’t go near places, websites or be with someone that can appeal to your fleshly lusts. Don’t even think you can afford to play around sin or temptations without seriously or fully indulging in it. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
4. Exercising Dominion Over Sin
I will rule over sin: Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:12 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Romans 5:17 "For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. This is God’s counsel to you when sin comes knocking on your door, “You should rule over it”. Do not let it rule over you. Do not come under its dominion. Instead you take charge and dominate it. God expected it of Cain. God wouldn’t have asked of him if Cain was completely incapable of doing so.
In the New Testament, we are under abundant grace and therefore are in a very powerful position. The power of sin was broken on the cross. You have the ability to disallow sin from reigning in your life. Instead reign in life without slavery to lust through the grace and righteousness of Lord Jesus Christ.
5. A Different Response
I will treat them as my own mother and sister: Proverbs 6:25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 1 Timothy 5:2 Treat older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. This is a powerful response that will neutralize lustful thoughts. When you perceive them as your own mother and sister, your heart will maintain an attitude of respect and honor and you will violently refuse to look upon them as lustful objects.
Even if they act seductively in their mannerisms or dressing, you can carry such a heart of Christ’s love deep within that you resist lust and not let it overpower your heart. Treat them still with pure heart and respect knowing that they are daughter’s of God lost in sin. Love is incredibly powerful and mightier than the power of lust.
6. Hating The Slavery Of Sin And Loving Righteousness
I will not be a slave to sin anymore; Psalm 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good; Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Psalm 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. Romans 6:15-23 …Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness…But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
The more you get closer to God, you can’t help but develop a deep hatred of sin. You will start understanding that Lord hates all unrighteousness with a perfect hatred. You will start sensing it deep within your inner being. Become a lover of righteousness ( doing what is right in God’s eyes ) by obeying God. After making a commitment to Christ, if you still voluntarily continue to obey sin, you are Satan’s slave.
If you give place to the devil, he can mess you up very badly. It is like flies attracted to garbage. This yoke of slavery to sin will frustrate your life and will hinder your fellowship and enjoyment of God. Hate this cycle of slavery to sinful addictions. Get sick and tired of it. Envision freedom from it. You are set free from sin, but you need to believe it. You can say no to it consistently because its power is broken.
7. Not Easily Giving In To Pressure
I will endure temptation; Genesis 39:7-10 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused…How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
James 1:12 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. 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Joseph endured temptation day by day and never gave in. He did not surrender himself to his master’s wife even under daily seduction by the immoral woman. His response was incredible. He called it great wickedness and a sin against God Himself. When his master’s wife caught him, he ran immediately leaving his garment behind in her hands.
What a resolve, what an endurance against sin, what a fear of God in his life! Every time you endure temptation you are storing great reward and blessings of God. God is also faithful, that he will not let any temptation empower you that you cannot break, bear or escape. But you need to believe that you cannot be forced to give into it. You make the wise decision to submit yourself to God and resist sin consistently.
8. Not Getting Entrapped
I will not be ensnared by sin; Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God"
If our heart clings onto sin or certain distractions, it will weigh us down and will prevent us from running the race that God has ordained for us. Those indulgences can become our destiny killer. Our addictions will ensnare us. It will trap and suffocate our spiritual life. To finish this race, we need focused concentration and self-control to remain steadfast in the divine path set before us. To avoid the trap of sin and deceptions, we need to exercise our will to refuse sin and be more discerning to lay aside worldly distractions whenever we are tempted.
9. Pleasing God
I will make it my aim to be well pleasing to Him; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad"
Our walk should be such that it really brings pleasure to God. Do you know that your choices has the potential to bring God pleasure or displeasure Him? In Christ we are forgiven and accepted by God. We are called as the elect, holy and beloved of God. On that foundation God calls us to be holy and blameless in our walk just as He is Holy and without any blame.
The Lord is perfect in all His ways. We must practice righteousness, that is, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. We live to please Him. He is the future and we are going to stand before Him and give an account of our choices and decisions.
10. My Body Not Mine
I will possess my body in sanctification and honor; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God"
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
1 Corinthians 6:13-20 …Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Your body belongs to the Lord. His Spirit has taken residence in your body. You are the Lord’s temple. But do we really realize the awesome significance of this truth. The word of God says we are joined to Him and are one spirit with Him. We are members of Christ such that a part of the Lord’s body. WOW! if perceive this spiritual truth, then we will be more aware of the Lord’s active intimate presence and involvement in our lives.
You can’t separate Him out when you decide to sin. His Holy Spirit is pained and grieved when you ignore His presence and give into temptations. Remember the Lord is Holy, His Spirit is too Holy and pure and His presence makes us Holy and sanctifies us. But we play our part too by cleansing our-self from all the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.
11. Treasure God’s Word
I will treasure God’s commandments in my heart; Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Proverbs 6:20-24 My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
The word of God will last forever. Build your life on God’s word. It is a solid foundation that cannot be shaken. It will give you understanding and wisdom to make right choices. If you open your bible with a hunger to know and understand God and His ways, the Lord will release revelations and understanding that will illuminate your heart and help you to live godly. You must treasure God’s word in your heart.
Ponder on what you have read, contemplate on it. Ask God to give you a greater hunger for His word. Be diligent in your study of God’s word. It is very profitable for life. It will be sword against Satan’s temptations. Let God’s knowledge indeed be pleasant to your soul. It will give you understanding to say no to sin and yes to righteousness.
12. Pre-emptive Prayers
I will pray so that I may not fall into temptation; Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Luke 4:13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. A vibrant and consistent prayer life will make sure that you are positioned to overcome temptations when they come knocking.
Leonard Ravenhill once said “A man first collapses in the prayer closet“. To go days without prayer is spiritual suicide. The problem is that many of us have a weak and inconsistent prayer life. We allow busyness, friends and worldly entertainments to eat into our time. Never compromise on prayer life and word meditation.
Make it a top priority because you perceive its value. Take extra efforts if you have to. A man or woman of prayer is someone who understands their weakness and are dependent on the Lord for His continual strength. Prayer is power. It may look insignificant or of little value on the outside but it is your secret place of receiving divine power. Never neglect or underestimate the value of prayer. Don’t pray mechanically but perceive your desperate need Lord’s strength and let your words be real and from the heart.
13. Delayed Reaction
I will not immediately go after her; Proverbs 7:21-22 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Some people immediately give in to a sudden or unforeseen temptation. You could be surfing on the internet and then some image pops up. Or something that flashed briefly on the television screen while you were switching channels.
The rule is to delay your reaction. If you are contemplating to give in, just think about all these things we have discussed here. Is it worth it? Is the pleasure and slavery worth it? Wisdom is to walk away from your computer or TV screen immediately. You must believe that you are still in control. A temptation in itself cannot force you to sin. That temptation is seeking the voluntary surrender of your will and resolve. But remember you can rule over it and you should.
14. Inventory Check
I will make no provision for the flesh; Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Are there people, things or any place that appeals to you flesh. Well, avoid or cut off that relationship or get rid of those things. Cut off access to those things. Don’t become too confident in thinking that your flesh can manage, but be wise and get disciplined. It could be certain friends or places, some TV programs, certain websites etc.
There could be situations where you cannot cut off access to certain things or people because you have no choice because it is related with your work. So how to go about it? Well, God will empower you, I don’t know how but His grace will empower you as you seriously turn to Him for help. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Spiritually labor in prayer and word, to receive Lord’s strength and continue in daily affairs with an energized and nourished spirit. Also remember the Lord is an immediate help in times of trouble. You have access to His Spirit within you all the time. Meditate on all these points mentioned in the article, get stronger on your resolve and make wise decisions.
15. Trust God’s Counsel
I will trust the Lord; Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. When God says “No” to something, He is saying “Yes” to something better. It is a powerful truth that you must perceive and understand in your heart. God is not against our pleasure. There is indeed pleasure in sin. But God has ordained a legitimate way to it. Find obeying and fearing God, a superior pleasure to sinful pleasures.
Trust Holy Spirit’s counsel not to proceed and give in to temptations. He wants you to enjoy far greater liberty and pleasure by saying “No”. Sinful slavery though gives momentary pleasure, but as the word of God says, these are deceitful lusts and will destroy in the end. Regrets and dishonor we will have. So trust God’s word and counsel more than your feelings. Take quality decision based on that trust and not on momentary fleshly feelings that may arise.
16. Vision For Purity
I will be found without spot and blameless; 2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. Revelation 22:11-12 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord"
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. The Lord wants a bride without spot and blameless. This is His inheritance in the saints. We must become that bride. And the Holy Spirit is here to help us. The world will continue to give in to and go after all kinds of lust in greater proportions. But we must resolve to remain holy and righteous till the very end. The Lord will greatly reward us when we choose to endure and overcome worldly lusts and temptations as we live fully for the Lord in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation.
As W.C Fields quoted, “Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream”, so we should be the ones who commit to stay pure, who decide to go against the grain, and not give in to passions of lust like the world does.
We must pursue and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. We are told to hate even the garment defiled by the lusts of the flesh. Moses rejected the passing pleasures of sin for he looked to the reward. We must watch for the Lord and prepare ourselves for His second coming. The word of God says be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. Let us be that generation or individual that served the Lord in purity and holiness in a time of rampant perversion and lawlessness.
17. Fear Of The Lord
I will cultivate the fear of the Lord in my life; Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, And the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 16:6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Job 28:28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding"
We must cultivate a healthy fear of the Lord in our lives. Remember one day we have to stand before Him and give an account of our lives. Every secret thing will be revealed, good and bad. If you repent, the blood Jesus will wash away your sins.
If you cry out to Him to help you and make every effort to combat temptations, then it means you are serious with the Lord and desire not to be under this yoke of sin anymore. But if you continue to sin secretly, taking the Lord and his grace lightly, and pretend on the outside as good disciple of the Lord, you can expect Lord’s discipline or chastisement coming. Often the Lord will keep dealing with us in the secret so that we turn from our sinful ways. If that doesn’t work, He may publicly rebuke you in front of all.
Remember the Lord loves His children and will not allow us to wallow in sin. Get a deeper revelation of the Lord’s purity and holiness. The Lord hates all sin. He is too pure too behold evil. Many times we take the Lord lightly because we lack a true perception of Lord’s purity, holiness and His absolute hatred against all that is evil and wicked in His sight.
18. Count The Loss
I will reflect on what I will loose; Proverbs 6:26 For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Proverbs 6:32-33 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace"
Do you want to be wounded and slain because you cannot say no to sexual sins? You can’t play with it thinking you can get away, strong men have been slain by sexual sin. Loss of honor, shame, loss of respect, guilt, remorse, frustration, living with a continual feeling of being ensnared and a sense of helplessness, loss of peace, wastage of your precious time and energy, its negative toll on your spouse and marriage, loss of productivity, broken fellowship with God, loss of confidence, doubts, hindrance to your calling, anointing and joy killer, inroads or open doors for Satan into your life, weak witness for Christ, a laughing stock for the devil and reproach to Christ.
And what if you keep saying no to sexual temptations, what will you get? Freedom from slavery, end of frequent trips to guilt and remorse zone, great peace, a freed up mind to pursue other things with excellence, preservation of time, energy and emotions for spouse, children and others, continual pleasure to the Lord, unbroken fellowship with God, great confidence, sharp and energized spirit etc. There is great freedom that you can enjoy when you say no to sin and choose to do what is right in the sight of the Lord. There is pleasure and satisfaction in that freedom.
Don’t you long for that? It’s time to get sick and tired of giving in to temptations. Sinful pleasure at its very best and in the most promising state is still an inferior pleasure. Discover the ultimate pleasure in practicing God’s presence and maintaining a continual fellowship with Him. Whenever you choose to do what is pleasing to Him, you will sense His pleasure in you for the choices you made and you will hear His Spirit saying well done son, well done daughter, keep going.
