According to Christianity, though Jesus never sinned, even he was tempted to. (Hebrews 4:15)[1] X Research source Spend a few moments self-reflecting to identify your personal temptations. If you’re having a hard time defining exactly what your temptations are, begin by pinpointing the things in your life that make you sad, then try to find a thought process or habit you possess that leads to these things. For instance, let’s say you’re in a committed relationship with a woman you love but you frequently feel intense guilt because you flirt with other women. Search your heart. Ask yourself, “what do I think or do that makes me want to act like this?” After some reflection, you may find, for instance, that you’re worried about whether you’re still attractive. The source of your temptation in this case is your sense of insecurity.
For instance, if you’ve been neglecting your child’s vocal recitals in favor of nights spent at home watching TV, you might set a goal of never missing another vocal recital (except for emergencies) and of reducing your time spent watching TV every week by four hours. This goal is well within your grasp. For a few very serious sins, it is absolutely necessary to set a zero-tolerance goal - for instance, you should obviously never commit murder or marital infidelity. These sins can cause irreparable damage to others’ lives.
According to Christianity, when Jesus died, he gave us authority over the forces of evil. (Mark 16:17)[3] X Research source Never fear or run from the forces of evil in your own life. With hard work and sincere faith, nothing is beyond your grasp.
According to Christianity, when Jesus died, he gave us authority over the forces of evil. (Mark 16:17)[3] X Research source Never fear or run from the forces of evil in your own life. With hard work and sincere faith, nothing is beyond your grasp.
If you haven’t already, sincerely ask God for forgiveness. God is infinite in his capacity to forgive. In his eyes, once you are forgiven, it’s as if you had never committed sin in the first place: Islam: “Whoever commits evil or wrongs themselves then seeks Allah’s forgiveness will certainly find Allah All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. " (Qur’an 4:110)[4] X Research source Islam: “Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Almighty but that Allah will replace it with something better. ‘” (Musnad Aḥmad 22565, Grade: Sahih)[5] X Research source “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. " (Hebrews 10:17)
Generally, it’s a good idea to help other people work through their own sins. However, if you’re struggling with the pull of your own temptations, sinful people can make it difficult to escape. Wait until you have your temptations under control before returning to help these people with their own sins. Eliminate the sources of temptation from your home. For instance, throw out a pornography collection. You may, in some cases, need to eliminate distractions from your own home. For instance, kick out a roommate who frequently convinces you to neglect your responsibilities.
Certain temptations (like, for instance, the temptation to look at pornography) aren’t necessarily seen as sinful by mainstream society, although they are. If you’re looking for help with such a temptation, it might make more sense to consult a priest, rabbi, imam, etc. rather than a secular helper.
If you’re struggling to think of things that you can do to occupy your time, a good place to start is at a local homeless shelter, crisis center, or community outreach center. Talk to the management - there’s a good chance they can make use of your unique talents to help the unfortunate in your community.
Never reward yourself with sinful “allowances” or “breaks. " Resist the slippery slope of instant gratification. This instant gratification can act deceitfully, causing you to feel that it’s not wrong, although it is in God’s eyes. Treat your temptations like bad habits that you must break. Work towards forming new good habits to replace your old ones by repeating good, virtuous behavior over and over again.
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful. ‘” (Qur’an 39:53)[7] X Research source
Many of the most revered figures in the Bible had intense struggles with temptation (often marked with failure). Adam and Eve committed the first sin by giving in to the temptation of eating the forbidden fruit. King David, one of the most important figures in biblical history, had one of his soldiers killed so that he could give in to temptation and steal his wife! Reading the bible can help us understand how such great people struggled—and overcame—their temptation.
The Qur’an praises Muhammad: “And indeed, you are of a great moral character. " (Qur’an 68:4)[8] X Research source Christians believe that, through his mortal sacrifice, we are cleaned of all sins: (1 John 1:7) “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans if us from all sin. " If you’re interested in Christ’s salvation, contact a priest, minister, or other clergyman in your area.
