Powerful Promises to Fight Temptation

Powerful promises: When hardships happen — and they will — God provides a pathway for you to endure them and escape temptation to sin.

Let me share several powerful promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13. I pray it helps you gain 4 insights:

1. Hardships are unavoidable.
2. You are not alone.
3. God is faithful.
4. You have a way out. 

Here’s the verse penned by the apostle Paul:

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.

Now let’s see these powerful promises.

Hardships Happen

Right off, you can see that you will face hardships and temptation in this life. This is unnerving, isn’t it? And it’s a powerful promise no one likes! The term translated “temptation” in New Testament Greek carries the sense of temptation to sin or of trial to test and strengthen your faith.

The hardships in your life are tests from God and temptations from the evil one.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Yes, you can count on hardships. Read 2 Corinthians 12:5-10. But what’s most important is how you handle them.

You Are Not Alone

Others have faced temptations and trials too. Throughout the bible you can read stories of those who’ve been rejected, harmed, abused, or tormented, and so on. Some have hungered. Others thirsted. Still others wanted to die.

Romans 15:4 provides encouagement:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

There truly is a purpose in your pain. Others have walked the path you’re on now; foremost, Jesus himself.

God Is Faithful

“God is faithful” — these are my favorite three words in 1 Corinthians 10:13. I am reminded, and remind my counselees, that God is caring and mighty and perfect. Nothing surprises him. He is with you in your hardship whether it is dealing with panic attacks or enduring depression or a difficult marriage.

But get this: How you handle your hardship is critical. 

When you handle your problems as God instructs, you’ll not only survive, you’ll be better off because of them.

I am reminded of my temptation to wallow in self-absorbed jealousy when life doesn’t go my way but she (whomever “she” is) has the perfect life (or at least how it looks on Facebook!). While this temptation dogs me from time to time, God has faithfully showed me his way. Now every time my thoughts begin to trip me in  the comparison trap, I remind myself that I am already amazingly blessed and that I have everything I need in Christ. Having this action plan to take my eyes off myself and onto Jesus, I think of his powerful promises.

You Have an Escape

Among his powerful promises is “a way out.” But a way out from what? From the hardship? No. Another biblical counselor reminded me that God’s powerful promise is a “way out” of a sinful response to temptation. It is not a way out of the hardship.

God provides a pathway to escape sin in the midst of hardships and trials and temptations.

Real quick, let’s move to verse 14: “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” This “therefore” connects the verses 13 and 14.

So God’s powerful promises provide a pathway for you to endure hardship and escape sin.

Yes, hardships happen. But you are not alone. God is faithful and he provides a “way out.” As you choose to believe these powerful promises, you’ll draw near to Jesus and continue to seek his answers.