Can God Really Help You?

Over the last few weeks we have gone through a lot of problems that lead to overeating, but sometimes it does just come down to simply resisting temptation.

Temptation is part of life; no matter who you are you will experience temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. The same enemy that tempted Jesus tempts us.

      “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8

      “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8

The Bible tells us that we will be tempted by the devil, but if we submit to God and resist the devil, he will eventually leave us alone.

When we are on a diet it sometimes seems that we spend all day, every day, trying to resist temptation. Eventually it all becomes too much, it can seem like life is hardly worth living if it is going to be like this. So we just give in and eat. We give up and come off the diet, until our weight bothers us and we begin all over again. The fact of the matter is that you can’t spend all day every day fighting temptation. No one can.

The purpose of the last few weeks has been to change your thinking and approach to food. Hopefully as you have absorbed the teaching, you have found that food is loosening its hold on you. This should reduce the strength of the temptation that you face and eventually lead to victory. However, we do have an enemy that wants to ruin our lives. He doesn’t want us to gain victory in any area of our lives. Food has become a very simple, yet effective weapon for him. He uses it against so many people. If he sees that you are making progress he will come after you. You may suddenly find yourself facing temptation that seems a little irrational, or it may come through other people. It’s amazing how people, even friends and loved ones, seem displeased when we seem to be losing weight. The devil will pounce on this to use them to tempt you. You may suddenly find that someone is trying to force you to eat a piece of cake that you don’t even want or insistent that you go out for a big meal.

There comes a time when you have to turn and walk away from temptation. Jesus will help with this. He was tempted so that he can help those who are tempted.

      “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

      “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

Jesus will help us resist temptation, we need to be bold and ask. We also need to do two other things. We need to speak the word and sometimes we need to turn and walk away.

Jesus resisted by speaking the word of God. Every time the devil tempted him in the desert, he replied with the word of God. I have set out below some scriptures to use to fight temptation. The word of God always works, but you do need to be persistent.

When teaching about temptations, Jesus said that it was better to lose one part of our body that was causing us to sin than have it all thrown into hell. The point he was making was that sometimes we need to cut sin out of our lives. We need to turn our back on it and walk away. When we do this we score a spiritual victory. Next time you feel overwhelmed with temptation to eat for eating’s sake, say ‘No’ and turn and walk away.

Scriptures:

      “My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in me, whom I have received from God. I am not my own, I was bought at a price. I honour God with my body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20

      “I will resist the devil and he will flee from me.” James 4:8

      “I am from God and have overcome because the one that is in me is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

       “I am confident that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

      “I will put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts.” Romans 13:14

      “When I eat or drink, I will do it all for the Glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

      “God will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able to endure; he will make a way of escape.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

      “The Lord is faithful; he will establish me and guard me from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Today

Read Ephesians 6: 10-18

Read the above scriptures out loud. Print them off and keep them with you. Take them out and read often.