Battling Temptation in Recovery: What Did Jesus Do?

Temptation is one of the biggest stumbling blocks we face on our road to recovery. What does the Bible say about temptation and how do I use that to keep me strong on my own journey?

Trust me, victory over temptation is within your reach; I'm living proof of that. Let's walk this road together!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Welcome to the Recovered Christian Podcast.
This is Suzanne, and today Iwant to talk about temptation.
Temptation, I think, is thenumber one thing that stands in
the way of so many of us inrecovery and, honestly, people
in general between us and ahealthy, happy life.
1 Corinthians 10, verses 12 to13, say so if you think you are

(00:42):
standing firm, be careful thatyou don't fall.
No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common to
mankind, and God is faithful.
He will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear, but
when you are tempted he willalso provide a way out so that
you can endure it.
So what is temptation?
The dictionary says temptationis the desire to do something,

(01:06):
especially something wrong orunwise, and I would agree with
that definition.
I've had way too many desiresthrough the years to do
something wrong or unwise,something harmful, something I
know is wrong and not good forme.
Temptations, cravings, gosh Ihate those and urges are all too
common during active addictionand early recovery.

(01:27):
The longer you're in recovery,the less they happen.
But it takes time to get thereand in the meantime we need to
know how to handle thetemptations that threaten to
derail us.
Figuring out your triggers isreally helpful.
Are you tempted by certainplaces or activities?
I was big time.
I remember the first time Iwent to the beach sober I cried.

(01:50):
I loved sitting on the beachwith a glass or two or five of
wine.
It was one of my very happyplaces, or at least I thought it
was.
And then I couldn't do thatanymore and I wanted it so badly
for about 30 minutes.
Someone told me early in myrecovery that cravings last no

(02:11):
more than 30 minutes.
To just hang on for that longand it would pass.
30 minutes can feel like aneternity at the beginning, when
every fiber of your body, everythought in your head is
screaming at you.
But like so many things inrecovery, if you hang in there
and don't give in, it will pass.
Sitting on my porch, riding onour boat, going to parties,

(02:35):
there were lots of situationsand places that were hard for me
at first.
Being bored is also anotherbiggie for me.
I like to be busy, I need to bebusy, and when I go through an
extended period where I'm not, Iknow I'm not in the healthiest
place.
Even today, seven years intorecovery, I pay attention to
that.
Situations, places, events arenot a problem for me anymore.

(02:58):
I've built enough sober musclememory that I barely remember
crying about my first soberbeach trip, but being bored will
always be the thing I need toguard against.
So how about you?
What are your triggers and whatcan you do to neutralize them?
The good news is we don't haveto do it alone.
Our Bible verse today tells usthat God is faithful and will

(03:18):
not allow the temptation to bemore than you can stand.
The truth is that temptationwill not kill you, but addiction
will.
He also tells us that he willshow us a way out so that you
can endure.
One thing that worked for meevery single time was to tell
the devil to get behind me inJesus' name.
In Matthew, chapter 4, whenJesus was tempted in the desert

(03:41):
by the devil, he said Get out ofhere, satan.
Jesus spoke directly to thedevil, and so must we.
Too many Christians think thatthey should pray about the devil
and ask God to deliver themfrom his attacks, but the Bible
is clear.
God has given the authority tobelievers to resist the devil.
If you are feeling tempted,tell the devil to leave you

(04:02):
alone and call on the name ofJesus for protection.
It works.
So what else can we do to avoidtemptation and stay on the
right path?
Well, we can stay grounded inGod's word.
You know, the Bible isn't justa book.
It's living and breathing andspeaks to our souls.
Make it a habit to meditate onScripture daily.

(04:23):
When temptation knocks, havingthe word embedded in your heart
serves as a shield.
Back to when Jesus was tempted.
He countered every temptationwith Scripture.
It's not just about memorizingverses, but understanding their
depth and letting them guideyour choices.
We can pray and have community.
The power of prayer isimmeasurable.

(04:46):
When tempted, turn to God inprayer.
Seek his strength and guidanceand don't overlook the strength
found in community.
Share your struggles withtrusted friends or mentors.
Being open about yourchallenges helps lighten the
load and invites support,encouragement and accountability
.
We can also practiceself-control, as much as I hate

(05:07):
saying those words.
Developing self-discipline askey.
Recognize your triggers andpatterns, whether it's avoiding
certain places, like we justsaid, or setting boundaries and
relationships.
Exercising self-control helpscreate a buffer against
temptation.
Remember, saying no to immediategratification often means
saying yes to long-termblessings and growth.
And don't we just loveimmediate gratification?

(05:29):
I mean our whole world does.
But we need to learn to say noand we can embrace grace and
imperfection.
We're human and we stumble.
It's crucial to understand thatslipping up doesn't define us.
God's grace is so abundant.
If you falter, don't wallow inguilt and please, please, don't

(05:50):
give up.
Instead, run into the arms ofJesus, seek forgiveness and
press on in your recoveryjourney.
Each setback is an opportunityfor growth and a reminder of our
continual need for God'sstrength.
The road to recovery is rarely astraight line.
It's usually full of potholesand pitfalls and turns and

(06:11):
off-road excursions.
Don't let us stumble, ruinanything.
Pick yourself back up and keepgoing.
It's the only way to get to theother side.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord, thank you for yourunfailing love and the guidance
found in your Word.
Grant us the strength to resisttemptation and the wisdom to
seek you in moments of weakness.

(06:32):
Help us to remember the exampleyour son set when he was
tempted and help us to have thesame strength he did.
May your grace sustain usthrough our imperfections and
your faithfulness always shine alight before us to show us the
way.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Remember, friends, you are notalone in your struggles.

(06:52):
God is just a breath, a thought, a whispered cry for help away.
Stay anchored in his Word, tuckit away in your heart and let
your loving Father help you onyour journey to a recovered life
.
You'll never regret it.
I thank you so much for beinghere today and I will see you
next time.
Thank you so much for listening.

(07:16):
I hope your bite-sized devotiontoday was very satisfying.
If you enjoyed this episode,I'd be honored if you'd leave a
review or a rating.
We are new, so every little bithelps me bring the Word to the
world.
I'd love to get to know youbetter at our Facebook group,
the Recovered Christian.
I'll put a link to it in theshow notes.

(07:36):
So thanks again for being hereand I will see you next time.