Resisting the Itch of Temptation

My leg began itching—maddeningly. My first impulse, of course, was to scratch it. However, I was lying in bed and didn’t want to disturb my husband’s sleep since he had to get up very early the next day. To reach the itch would require me to move around a lot, causing the covers to shift and the bed to creak. I gritted my teeth and determined to lie still.

I was miserable, so I tried to get my mind on other things. When I can’t sleep at night, I go over scripture I have memorized and I talk with God. So that’s what I did. After a while, I noticed the itch wasn’t bothering me. Not because I wasn’t thinking about it, but because it was gone. It had slinked off while I was ignoring it.

Itches are relentless. They refuse to go away until we give in to them. And often when we do give in, they demand even more attention from us. You’ve experienced it—you scratch an itch and it becomes more intense. My itch that night shed a little light on the subject of temptation.

When we try to live godly lives, we will experience temptations—those situations that attempt to lure us away from what we know is right and put division between us and God. A temptation is much like an itch in that it nags at us until we throw up our hands and give in to it. And when we do yield, we are likely to be dragged in deeper than we ever expected to be.

Our tempter, the one who wants to separate us from God and all that is good, is the devil (Matthew 4:1-3). When he dangles his enticements before us, we are told to “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Greek word translated resist means to “take a complete stand against, i.e. a ‘180 degree, contrary position’” (HELPS Word-studies). Similar to my refusal to give in to the incessant urge to scratch.

But what does that act of resisting the devil look like?

Preparing in Advance to Resist Temptation

Much of our resistance to temptation actually begins prior to its arrival. I know there are things I can do to lessen the effects of itching, such as increasing the humidity in the house and applying lotion before I even itch. We can also take preemptive spiritual measures to lessen the effects of temptations.

Nurture your relationship with Jesus. The better you know him, the more your love for him will increase and cause you to feel greater aversion to anything that attempts to put distance between you and God. You will have more resolve to make that 180-degree turn when you meet temptation.

In Jewish history, Antiochus IV did his best to exterminate the Jewish people and eliminate their religion from the earth. With promises of rewards, he lured many Jews away from their covenant with God. (The Bible Exposition Commentary, The Prophets, p.302-303). However, those who had developed a strong, intimate bond with God had no trouble resisting his promises. “With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him” (Daniel 11:32).

Meditate on and memorize scripture. It will help you develop the mind of God. You will learn what pleases him and also what things can interfere with your relationship to him. And the more you fill your mind with the truth of scripture, the more ammunition you will have to fight the lies of the devil when he shows up.

Submit your life to God. Right before James said to resist the devil, he said, “Submit yourselves, then, to God” (James 4:7). When you humble yourself before him, acknowledging that you can do nothing by yourself, the Holy Spirit is free to transform you to be more like Jesus in character. Making the right choices when facing temptation will then be easier.

Avoid situations you know hold temptations for you. Some choices are better made ahead of time. If there’s a place with activities and atmosphere that pull you away from God, you can choose not to go there. Or if cable TV holds great temptation for you, you can cancel it; instead you might subscribe to a family-friendly service or stock up on wholesome DVDs at home.

Resisting Temptation in the Moment

These are a few ways to resist temptation when we find ourselves face-to-face with it.

Pray for help. Jesus wants to help. And he can because he experienced temptation himself. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). He will always be there when you call to him.

Use the Word of God against the devil. The scripture you’ve memorized and meditated on becomes a powerful weapon against the tempter. When Satan led Jesus to the desert and tempted him, Jesus resisted every enticement by quoting the Words of his Father (Matthew 4:1-10). And when he did, “the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (Matthew 4:11). It worked for Jesus, and it will work for you.

Stay spiritually alert. Jesus told his disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). If you expect temptation, you can be prepared with strategies to deal with it. One is to remove yourself from a situation when temptation is strong for you. That is sometimes the wisest solution and is not a sign of cowardice (2 Timothy 2:22).

Other times you may stand and do battle. For example, you may have friends who habitually speak negatively about others and it’s easy for you to be lured into joining them. If they begin this in your presence, you might counter with positive sentiments about the one being criticized. In this way, you are resisting the devil by not taking his bait.

Keep your eyes on the goal. Remembering how fleeting earthy satisfactions are can be a boost in resisting temptation. “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). Followers of Christ have been promised the crown of life—the reward of eternal life with God—when they choose God’s ways over giving in to the tempter (James 1:12).

We can send an itch on its way, but it won’t leave forever. It may show up in the same place or pick a new spot, but you can count on it retuning in the future. So it is with temptation. The tempter lives to separate God and his people, so he will never stop trying. However, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Remember: We have a promise that every time we resist the itch of temptation, the tempter will flee.

Scripture quotations are from NIV.

Greek definition is from Bible Hub; commentary note is from The Bible Exposition Commentary. See Resources.

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