We do what we love

We’ve come to the central, leading way to overcome temptation; you and I can overcome temptation by loving something else more than the temptation.

‘Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death’, James 1:14-15.

Day by day each one of us does what we love.

Since temptation is the desire to do something God does not want, we overcome temptation by loving God more than the temptation.

We learn to love Jesus more than the desire to do what our Father has told us not to do, (because by following through on the desire we will damage ourselves, other people, and our fellowship with God). This is exactly what the Holy Spirit does in us and for us; ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us’, Romans 5:5.

So it is not surprising that this is EXACTLY what Paul prays for in his leading prayer for the worldwide church; ‘I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that … you being rooted and established in love may have power … to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’ Ephesians 3:16-19.

Everything changes when we experience the love of Christ that the Spirit pours into our hearts. The desire to satisfy the desires of our sinful nature can be overcome when we learn to love Christ more than the temptation.

So, if I see someone who I find difficult and am tempted to think evil towards them, I remember that loving Jesus is greater and better than hating and wishing bad things for the person, and so I pray and keep on praying blessings on them. I deny the desire to hate, and I choose the harder way of love because I love Jesus Christ and I know that his way of the kingdom is always better. As I practice this Holy Habit of blessing others and not wishing destruction on them my thought patterns begin to change and just like we unconsciously change gear when driving, you and I begin to live more lovingly.

Discipleship involves learning how to apply and practice this process in every area where we are tempted.

It will take time, but it is absolutely possible for you and I to learn these ways of the kingdom because, ‘greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world’, 1 John 4:4.

This is why; ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires’, Galatians 5:24.

Why choose the dishwater when Christ is offering you pure clear clean water?

Today, why not choose one area in your life where you know you are vulnerable to temptation and practice the opposite kingdom lifestyle of Holy Habits?

My dear friends by the power of the Spirit the love of Christ sets us free from the habits and patterns of sin and death.