Resisting temptation

02/10/2012

There is an important principle in handling temptation. Did you know that many times, you can resist temptation? God tells us to submit to Him and then when we resist temptation, it will flee.

Resistance can be a matter of remembering this acronym:
HALTSS

H - are you HUNGRY? If your stomach is rumbling, if you feel weak from not having eaten for a while and you find yourself entertaining ungodly thoughts, go get something to eat. The renewed energy will give you strength to think clearer. If it's healthy food, you will feel even better than devouring a whole pizza.

A - are you ANGRY? Harboring anger makes you susceptible to temptation. I'm not saying anger is always bad. But dwelling on angry feelings and not letting go of things puts you in a precarious position where its easier to say yes to temptation.

L - are you LONELY? Being lonely causes a man to do stupid things. If you find yourself doing things you need not do because you're chasing away loneliness, then find a good male friend and spend some time together praying for each other. In this modern society, you will have a number of friends immediately available by Facebook, cell phone, texting, and/or email .

T - are you TIRED? When you're tired, your resistance to temptation is greatly weakened. If you find yourself tempted to do something sinful, just go to bed. Get some sleep.

S - are you SICK? Take some medication to improve your symptoms. It will increase your resistance to the bug of temptation.

S - are you SAD? Find a good male friend and spend some time praying for each other. Remember that the joy of the LORD is your strength.

This is the principle to handling temptation: submit to God and remember HALTSS

You can't use the excuse, "I just couldn't help myself, after all I'm only human." God gave you a brain, you're not stupid. You're not an animal that just reacts. You can HALTSS temptation...

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

This posted was adapted from an article in the Grapevine in 1971

Comments

Doug Ferges

02/10/2012 08:31

I often find myself feeling angry, sad and lonely but I never equated those feeling and giving into tempation before.

drwayman link

02/10/2012 09:21

Thanks for your honesty Doug. You and I are a lot alike. We love hanging out with people and being friendly but as easily as we feel good, it is also just as easy for us to feel angry, sad and lonely.

My favorite solution is T - just go to bed :-)

Frank Meitz link

02/10/2012 10:25

Dr. Wayman, I think it's also important to remember that we have an enemy and he has a strategy...
Satan’s strategy --- is to persuade people that God is not trustworthy, by undermining their confidence in God’s character. Example: In Genesis 3:1-5 he sought to instill doubt, insinuating that God is a liar, suggesting that God did not have their best interest at heart, and implying that He was withholding that which in some way would be good for them. If God did not love them, how then could He be trusted?
This post was adapted from lesson 1-5 in "A Tool For Personal Discipleship"

drwayman link

02/10/2012 10:37

Frank - first of all, call me Dale :-)

Yes, handling temptation is recognizing that we have an enemy who was a murderer and liar from the very beginning. Only thru submitting to God, do we have the strength to recognize and resist his trickery.

Come by anytime and add your thoughts. They are always appreciated. Here's the link to the lesson you are referencing:

http://www.disciplers.org/pdf/phase1/1-5-TwoNatures.pdf

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