Sometimes temptation may seem so strong,you find yourself wondering if you can truely be victorious.You can win the battle of temptation! The Bible gives us a clear pathway to freedom.

1. Predetermine Your Pattern Of Temptation
If you can identify the specific things that temp you,you can become proactive. In other words,you can make wise choices to prevent giving in to temptation. If you're not sure in which areas you're vulnerable,ask these questions to find out:
* When am I most tempted?
*Where am I most tempted?
*Who's with me when I'm most tempeted?
*What temporary benefit do I receive when I give in?
*How do I feel right before I'm tempted?

God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you're in the middle of fighting temptation,don't fight it alone--seek His help!

2. Protect The Condition Of Your Heart
The HEART affects everything you do. It's the holding tank for your emotions and feelings. The condition of your heart will deetrmine your ability to withstand temptation. So be certain your heart is truly and totally in God's hands.

All satan wants right now is a tiny foothold in your life. And how does he get a foothold? Any negative emotion can be a start. It may be a tiny portion of your heart. But two or three tiny portions make you an easy target. Frustration in itself won't do you in. But frustration,worry and anger all together becomes a powerful combination, and it sets you up for temptation.

Guard your heart! Protect it as you would a glod mine--because it really is. Don't allow negative thoughts and bitter feelings to collect there. There's no one who can help you protect it better than the One who created it!

3.Pray For God's Help
Prayer gives you an inner strength to overcome.We're told in Matthew 26:41 that the consequence of not praying is that temptation will overpower us!

Prayer is the strongest defense you have against temptation. It's your ammunition in the battle! God provide help when you call on Him. So when you're tempted,PRAY! Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that He not only understands your temptation,He's already been through your temptation.

Sometimes we don't pray because we're not sure we want to end the battle! If you talk to Him about your anger,you can't continue to be angry. He'll ask you to release it. He's going to tell you to forgive. He'll want to bring healing to your heart.

4. Point Your Attention Elsewhere
Temptation always begins in the mind...with a thought. It never begins with an action. The very moment a tempting thought enters your mind,give it to God. Pray. Read scripture . Doing this automatically points your attention in the opposite direction of temptation. Realize that whatever gets your attention gets you!

The more you think about something,the stronger a grip it has on your life. When you're upset,you think about it. And the longer you turn it over your mind,the more upset you become. Next thing you know,you're not simply upset,you're angry! So instead of focusing on the temptation,switch your concentration to WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). And what would Jesus do? He'd pray. It's hard to hold a grudge against someone when you're praying for him!

To divert attention away from temptation,it's important to know the different stages of temptation:
*Attention ( This involves what you see,hear,think about and read )
*Arousal ( Your emotions kick in at this stage. You begin to play out the tempting thought and action in your mind )
*Action ( This is the final stage of temptation-the point where you give in.This is when temptation actually becomes sin )

Fighting temptation isn't scriptural. The Bible never tells us to fight temptation. It always tells us to FLEE it! We're told to resists the devil, but we're told to flee temptation. And again,we're able to flee it by capturing the tempting thought and giving it immediately to Christ.

The power of Jesus Christ is able to transform you. His power can actually renew your mind and make you holy. therefore,it simply makes good sense to surrender to the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.

You can't control what temptation pop into your mind,but you can control how you react-what you do with the temptation.

You'll never be the person God wants you to be by holding on to sin in your life. So go ahead. Release it. Give up that grudge. Give Him your anger. Be willing to walk away from your hurt. Quit living in the past. Let go of your failures. Allow Him to help you become all He wants you to be!

5. Participate In A Small Group
Accountability is a great piece of ammunition in fighting the battle of temptation. It helps to have godly Christians praying for us and even asking us about the weak and vulnerable areas in our lives. We're reminded in Ecclesiastes that we need each other. But often times we don't want support or accountability. It's much easier to simply rationalize and say,"Next time I won't give in" than to actually make yourself vulnerable to othes about your weak areas.

"Next time I won't give in" isn't a solid plan! You need to do more than simply hope to do better the next time around. You need the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The most spiritually mature people are those who allow themselves to be held accountable. They're willing to be asked hard questions, and they submit themselves to the Holy Spirit's leading.

God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you're in the middle of fighting temptation,don't fight it alone--seek His help!

No one is exempt from temptation,but God can empower you to overcome! You can win the battle. Are you willing to become accountable to others christians? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of your life?

You don't serve a God of frustration;you serve a God of promise and victory. He doesn't say,"Run from temptation,and I'll check up on you next week to see how you're doing." He promises that He'll be with you and empower you and equip you to be victorious over temptation.