Temptation wasn’t a problem when all I wanted to do was gratify my sinful nature. I simply did whatever I felt like doing without any consideration for the consequences of my actions. It wasn’t until I started following Jesus that I realized there were a lot of things I was doing that was displeasing the Lord. I never felt condemned about them but gradually I sensed that there were habits in my life that were hindering me from being the kind of person who represented Him and His kingdom.
When I read that Jesus was tempted in every way a person could be tempted, yet He was without sin, I began to realize that He was the one who could help me overcome my bad behaviors. When I read what the Psalmist said about hiding God’s word in my heart so that I could keep from sinning against Him, I experienced a real breakthrough. The greatest discovery was when I realized that temptation is overcome in the most painless way when I allow the Lord to purify my heart and remove the dark desires that are lurking there.