There is much to say regarding temptation. For this entry, I will focus on sexual immorality. This word applies to people inside and outside of marriage. In the future I Plan on writing about temptation in a broader view. No one is immune or above temptation. That is why we need to be equipped and prepared to go to battle in single life and in our marriages.
It is important to remember who you are in Christ from the start. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This passage means we are new when we give our life to Jesus. The old me is dead, and the new me is alive in Christ. Ephesians 1:13: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” That passage says you have the Holy Spirit and received Him because you believe and put your faith in Jesus. He was given to us as a helper, as promised by Jesus at his ascension to heaven. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome temptations.
1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And 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 endure it.” Temptations will come. They are allowed by God as a way to grow and sanctify. (Psalm 26:2, James 1:2-4, James 1:12) The good news is that the Lord provides an escape when tempted. It could come in the form of a canceled event, illness, or even interruption. I remember when Nate and I were dating, Wilson or Zoey (the dogs) would get in the way and annoy us just long enough for us to catch our bearings and stop before we gave in. Man, that was a rough time. Yield to the Spirit, and do not quench Him when he guides you in righteousness.
“Yield to the Spirit, and do not quench Him when he guides you in righteousness.”
The consequences of giving in to temptation are never worth the guilt of sin. After sinning, Satan’s minions will use it to condemn you, and it will fill you with the shame needed to prevent you from coming to the throne of God to ask and receive forgiveness. When you put your faith in Jesus and transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, a hit (for lack of a better example) was placed on you. Satan’s minions will do whatever they can to get you into bed before marriage and everything to keep you out after marriage.
I don’t know if you know this, but did you know God chose you? He chose you to be a part of His kingdom. Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Before he laid the earth’s foundations, he knew He was going to create you to be His daughter, for His purpose, to do good. As His daughters, we are called to something bigger than ourselves and our desires. Knowing that God chose me helped me want to do what is right and what He says. If His word says something is bad for me, I don’t want to do it. Due to the level of depravity around sex, I can trust that keeping it in its rightful God-designed place is what is right. I heard it explained like this once:
“Sexual desires are like a fire. When kept in the fireplace or fire pit, it is beautiful, enjoyable, and serves its purpose. If that fire moves outside its designed place, it destroys and causes destruction. That is sex inside and outside of marriage.”
“As His daughters, we are called to something bigger than ourselves and our desires.”
The second important factor to understand is the holy intent of physical intimacy. The world has done a fantastic job of perverting the beautiful act God gave us. Interestingly, the first command God gave Adam was not to eat from the forbidden tree, but the first command God gave the new couple was to “be fruitful and multiply.” God created sex. But he created it for a purpose. Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The physical act of the deed is more than just smashing body parts together; it’s the sacred, intimate act of two soles joining together as one. That feeling of emptiness after an encounter is because a piece of you is missing.
Scripture repeatedly calls believers to repent from sexual immorality (any intimate acts outside of marriage). Sexual immorality is the only sin that Paul says to “flee” from. Like, literally run away from. 1 Corinthians 6:18: “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” He follows that up in verses 19-20 with a nice kick in the pants: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” You can read more about this in 1 Corinthians 6. But to be intimate with someone outside of marriage is to sin against your own body. As believers, we think we are scratching an itch, but in reality, we are damaging our relationship with God and bringing Him along with us.
In addition to the biblical factors, there are scientific factors that show that casual sex can negatively impact brain chemistry related to bonding and attachment, potentially leading to difficulties in forming deep, meaningful relationships by disrupting the natural release of oxytocin when frequently exposed to new partners; this can also contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression, especially if individuals are seeking validation through casual encounters rather than building emotional intimacy. (Says Google AI)
When engaging with multiple partners, the brain may not produce oxytocin as readily, a key hormone involved in feelings of trust, connection, and attachment, making it harder to form deep bonds with a single partner later. The constant search for new partners and the potential for emotional detachment associated with casual sex can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression, mainly if individuals are not emotionally prepared for such encounters. Frequent partner changes can make developing emotional intimacy and vulnerability with a single partner difficult, as the brain may be accustomed to short-term connections. This will affect sex in your marriage.
I don’t know if any of this is helpful, but now that the scripture I felt placed on my heart is out there, I will move on to practical things.
1. Do not put yourself in a position to sin. Being in a room alone with someone, late-night dates, drinking. I would also drive you on dates.
2. Be careful what you read and watch that may stir up lustful thoughts and feelings.
3. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Here is an excellent article on that: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-renewed-mind-and-how-to-have-it
4. Get your armor on. Ephesians 6:10-18 discusses our armor using the Roman soldier armor as a metaphor.
-Belt of truth: Protects against lies from the enemy. Remember who you are in Christ. Remember his promises and His word
-Breastplate of righteousness: we are righteous by the blood of Christ
Shoes of the gospel of peace: This is what we talked about regarding being ready to answer questions about why we believe and sharing our faith.
-Shield of faith: our faith protects against the devil’s attacks
-Helmet of salvation: Protects the mind from doubt and attacks from the devil
-Sword of the Spirit: The word of God, which is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God
-Prayer: A final piece of the armor of God that strengthens and protects Christians. Write out your prayers or pray out loud. Be intentional with prayer time; remember you are talking with the King of all creation. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer. There isn’t really a formula when praying, but Jesus modeled it with the Lord’s prayer and said “pray this way”. There are a few ways to outline a prayer, so I attached a visual
That’s all I have. I hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to comment on your thoughts.
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