Temptation Contingency Plan - Do you have one?

“Contingency plan," government and businesses all seem to have one today.  A contingency plan is a plan devised during times of crisis and are often developed to explore and prepare for any event that, though unlikely, would have catastrophic consequences.  I believe that as followers of Christ we are called to have a contingency plan against temptation and evil.  Submitting to temptation and evil brings catastrophic consequences into our lives and relationships.  We need a contingency plan for temptation and evil as it wages war against us.  Life is a battle!  It is a war!  We are at war against our own sinful flesh, Satan, and the world is trying to pull us down.  The Bible is clear.  The Devil and demons are real and these invisible enemies want to destroy our lives as followers of the King.  Sin and temptation are the evil kingly rulers desiring to de-throne the King of Kings from our hearts.  Sin does not want to play a minor role in our lives, it wants to become the king of our hearts.  Our mere willpower will leave us defeated and destroyed by these enemies.  We cannot rest on any past success against certain sins.  Daily we are tempted to do things that brings out the worst in us.  Do you have a temptation contingency plan to do battle against these adversaries?  

This is why Jesus tells us in The Lord’s Prayer to pray that temptation would not take us in and to be delivered from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).  His prayer leads us away from our own self-sufficiency and asks God to deliver us.  When we pray not only against sin but against temptation to sin, we acknowledge our own personal weakness and the power of sin.  Jesus is telling us to pray against temptation in the same way we pray for our daily bread.  Only pleading for daily strength will we ever have the strength to fight against temptation, endure to the end and win the battle.

The best weapon in our temptation contingency plan is prayer.  When we are living in a daily prayer deficit, we are easy prey.  Satan will easily destroy the one who is lacking in prayer against temptation.  Prayer is the primary objective in a contingency plan against any temptation that comes against us whether it comes from internal indwelling sin or external worldly lusts and attacks from Satan.  Prayer will lead followers of Christ to do battle against temptation in very tangible ways.  My personal temptation contingency plan uses a set of strategies that I call ADAPT and GO.  Sinful, temptation attacks are always changing for the purpose of destroying us.  Without adapting to its cunning changes we will live defeated lives.

Here is what the ADAPT and GO acronym reminds me to do:
Avoid scenes and situations that arouse un-Holy desire.
Deny every lustful thought, push them out of your mind and heart.
Attack the temptation with truth from Scripture (memorize specific scriptures that you can pull from).
Promises – Be reminded of the promises of God that if you resist the devil he will flee from you.
Treasure Christ with all of your heart and affections so that sin has no place.
GO somewhere away from the temptation, do something else, do not be idle, engage your mind, body and spirit.

Every temptation is an opportunity not only to reject the fleeting pleasures of sin, but also to embrace the surpassing worth of Christ.  ADAPT and GO for the glory of God.  Or make up your own contingency plan for temptation’s daily attacks on your heart and soul.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building if you would like to join us in person at 10am.  And for those who will be staying at home, we will  be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link.  We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday, forgiven. - Steve