Under control

As believers we are occasionally faced with the dilemma of having to bring under control potentially unhelpful desires and appetites.

OK, let’s call them temptations. Some are so tempting that it’s harder resisting than submitting. The adversary is the tempter, although the flesh contributes, doesn’t it? He will use the flesh to get to us if we are not careful.

Controlling temptation

What is the flesh we’re talking about here? It’s not just the skin, sinew, and physical attributes of our bodies. The flesh we’re discussing refers to the carnal desires, feelings and emotions that are easily drawn to spiritually good or harmful wants.

Not all desires are bad or evilly devised. When I’m hungry I desire food, or when I’m thirsty I desire drink. The desire for God is obviously preferable above all desires. However, in this article we will discuss those desires, or lusts, that work against us spiritually, and, indeed, for the most part, psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Specifically, how do we bring them under control?

Temptation, as recorded in the Bible, isn’t unique to really bad people. Everyone will suffer temptation. We will all be tempted at our point of weakness. It is not God who tempts us, by the way (Jam 1:13). Temptation comes through either the enemy of Christ, the devil, who will take advantage of our own desires, and, therefore, through our own carnal flesh.

We should establish at this point that there are antichrist forces arrayed against us, some of whom are designated to be familiar with who we are, what we do and how we react or respond to situations we face. Paul named them in his epistle to the Ephesians.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

Earlier in this passage Paul warns us to be wary of the devious and cunning stratagems of the devil, the chief adversary who leads these minions. Paul tells us to stand against these wiles (Ep.6:11). Peter tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Pe.5:8). We are warned to be sober and vigilant. We are called to resist the devil, steadfast in the faith (1Pe.5:9). One of the weapons the enemy of faith subtly uses against us is temptation.

We will never be tempted with something that doesn’t in some way appeal to us. You remember that Eve was tempted because she was drawn to eat of the forbidden fruit (Gen.3:6-7). Adam sinned because he was easily led to go along with this disobedience. He should have known better. The devil, having entered the wily serpent, was complicit because he took advantage of their desire and persuaded them to go through with the act.

Resisting temptations to which we are not attracted is easy. It’s those things which really entice us that will stumble us if we do not resist. It’s at the point of our weakness that we have potential issues. James explains how temptation and sin work.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

James 1:14-15

You see, we are drawn away by our own desires. The platform is already present. Temptation itself is not sin. It’s when we comply with the desire and act on it that we give birth to sin. It leads to death, and this is the incentive to resist temptation, because the outcome is the same for all sin.

The way out

So we need to exercise self-control. We can cry out to God to take away the temptation all we want, but He has given us all we need to resist for ourselves (1Pe.1:6-8). In fact, it is the testing of our faith that produces endurance, purifies it and makes it most effective (James 1:2-4), so God will allow temptation but with it will give the means of escape.

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.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Our faith is key here. Faith in God. Faith that what He says will come to pass in our lives. He has said we will not be tempted above our ability to resist. He speaks, we believe.

Notice that we are expected to do the resisting. God has put limitations on the level of testing we will have to endure, but the onus is on us to do the resisting. He gives us the way out. We are to take the opportunity to escape. Walk away. Don’t allow the temptation to take root. Don’t allow sin to establish a point of access and control.

He also gives us the capacity to exercise self-control, which is another key to resistance. The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control. The thing about fruit is that it needs to be developed. It needs to be nurtured and given attention. We are encouraged to live in this vineyard where the fruit is growing.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-25

So we can crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. That is learning to live in the Spirit, not in the flesh. We control the flesh through the fruit of the Spirit. We have been given a download of self-control that comes directly from God to our spirit through the Holy Spirit.

Self-control needs to be exercised. It requires active participation. We need to take authority over the flesh so that it is not easily overcome by temptation. We will know which things tempt us that we should be resisting. Our conscience will remind us. Sometimes we will have to confront those habits that were with us before we were saved, that we brought over with us when we accepted Jesus as Lord.

He will remove some of those artefacts when we are born again. This called deliverance, where we are set free from certain desires when we enter faith, but there are a few things that He will want us to deal with ourselves as part of our spiritual development. The fruit of the Spirit are present to assist us with overcoming old habits and dependencies. They are very powerful against all temptation.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Yes, we have been given power, love and a sound mind. We can overcome all temptation. It may mean some pain and suffering for our flesh, but it will be well worth the journey. When we deny the flesh some of its inherent control features it will protest, but it cannot hold on for longer than our endurance capability. That is God’s promise. We can put off the old person and put on the new which is renewed in Christ.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:20-24

Sin will no longer have dominion over us. We will rule and reign with Christ over the flesh and bring it into submission (Rom.5:17). Eventually the flesh will become used to the new regime of faith and settle down to enjoying the liberty that comes with overcoming temptation. We will be strengthened in faith and develop a sense of control over those things that would ordinarily dominate us psychologically, emotionally and physically.

That is when joy will become the main companion of faith, hope and love. Allowing self-control to govern our appetites will, in the end, result in a more fulfilled lifestyle.