“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9 (NIV)
The place to start in dealing with temptation is by recognizing sin for what it is. The best example of this in the Bible is Joseph when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife.
Here’s this young guy in a foreign country and a powerful woman is trying to entice him. But he called the temptation a wicked thing, and he saw the wound that it would bring to the heart of God.
If you’re going to overcome the power of temptation, the first step is to see the connection between your sin and the cross of Jesus. You’ve been redeemed (from sin) by the blood of Jesus. How then can you do this to Him? That was Joseph’s secret. He made it a spiritual issue. It was not just something between him and Potiphar’s wife. It was a sin against God.
The great American preacher Jonathan Edwards used to talk about “the expulsive power of a new affection.” This phrase is helpful. A new love can be stronger than an old habit, and if you are going to overcome the power of temptation you need to cultivate your love for Christ. Once you begin to see what your sin did to Him, you’ll think differently about it. That’s why Paul says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). That’s where change begins.
As long as you’re still saying, “It’s no big deal!” you will never change. But once you come to the place of saying, “This matters to God and so it matters to me,” victory is within sight!
Is there a sin in your life that you need to name?
