I Can’t Stop

As Christians, we are called to walk in purity. In a world where living in sin is celebrated, purity becomes a struggle. Now, when I use the word purity many people think of keeping oneself chaste. But in this article when I speak of purity I simply mean keeping oneself in alignment with God’s desires in regard to sin.

It’s a challenge  to resist when you are in the midst of temptation. Merriam-Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines temptation as the following: ‘to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain’. Somewhere at the back of our minds, we know that if we give in to temptation there will be consequences, sometimes immediately, other times years down the line. Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 8:11; Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. If we always suffered consequences immediately after giving in to temptation we certainly would be less willing to give in. Satan can only get you to be overcome by sin when he’s able to deceive you into believing that giving in to the temptation will provide satisfaction and peace. He has used this lie on mankind from the beginning of time and continues until this very moment.

Let’s take a look at Eve, she is the perfect example of one who could not resist. In Genesis 3 we see her desire to eat of the one thing God commanded her not to eat. Satan deceived her into believing that she would be ‘wiser’ if she took it and promised her that she ‘will not certainly die’ and that she ‘will be like God, knowing good and evil’.  Eve could have pushed back with God’s truth, but instead, her desire for the fruit only became stronger as she listened to Satan’s lies. Unfortunately, in the middle of verse 6 of Genesis 3 we read  ‘When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it’. And here we are today, descendants of Eve in a sin-filled world, and many times we have followed her pattern by giving in to our evil desires. Just like Eve, our sin has a negative impact on those around us.

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, NKJV

The temptation we experience stems from the lust of our flesh. The excitement and allure of our sinful desires give birth to the temptation we face daily and when we give in (sin), the only outcome is death. The devil keeps whispering to us like he did to Eve “you’ll not die”, but never forget that he is after the souls of men. He knows he is condemned and he looks for men who will join him in eternal condemnation. Yes, it is true that “you and I can’t stop”. We can’t simply divorce the flesh from its nature by our own strength but surely we can through the death on the cross. I don’t know what temptations rage in your life, James 1:14 teaches us that temptations vary from person to person. We all have different types of evil desires.  It may be lying, theft, masturbation, pornography, covetousness, fornication, adultery, and the list goes on. But the truth about all of this is that when you give in to temptation, there is a price to pay. I’m reminded of a quote from Ravi Zacharias (may his soul rest in peace) “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

The excitement and allure of our sinful desires give birth to temptation and when we give in (sin), the only outcome is death. The devil keeps whispering to us like he did to Eve “you’ll not die”, but never forget he is after your soul. Share on X

Nobody who gives in to temptation thinks about the fullness of the consequences. Having said that, sometimes the fear of getting caught stops us. But according to the bible, the consequences are deeper than just getting caught. The bible ultimately teaches us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is everlasting death where man is separated from God in torment. But this is why Christ came. He came to deliver us from sin and to give us strength when tempted.  Jesus never promised that we would not be tempted, but He did provide guidance on how to pray about it in Matthew 6:13; ‘And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one’. Many have heard this so many times that it no longer means anything to them. The pleasures of sin only last for a moment. When we give in to the pleasure of sin, we become ashamed,  just like when Adam and Eve were ashamed in the garden and tried to use fig leaves to cover their shame. With Christ, temptations can be overcome and our shame becomes honour (Isaiah 61:7, NLT). The battle is not always easy but in Him, you can be victorious. Wage war against the flesh. If you keep giving in to the flesh it will ultimately destroy you. But you can only wage war in Christ- He provides you with the right armour. 

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

God has provided an armour for His people, you are not doing yourself any favours if you fail to use it! The key take away from this is that you don’t have to give in to temptations. You can overcome, with God’s strength. ‘I can’t stop’ doesn’t have to be the song of your life. Take up the armour of God and be an overcomer in Christ today. Overcome temptations the same way Jesus did over 2000 years ago; with the word of God.