OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS 2: OBEY THE PROMPT OF THE SPIRIT

As a young unmarried man, I was visiting a neighbour some years ago. As we talked, her boyfriend called. It turned out to be a heated conversation. It was an uncomfortable one. Just as she dropped the call, she looked and said, “If not for your presence here, I would have smashed this phone”. She then burst into tears.

As she cried, the first thing I wanted to do instinctively was to draw near and give her a consolation hug and a shoulder to cry on. But then I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “Sit down where you are”. I sat and waved from my seat saying “Sorry” repeatedly.

When I noticed that she was still quite emotional, I sought to allow her some privacy. I said to her, “I will be back soon. Let me give you the time to put yourself together”.

Beloved, one of the ways to overcome temptation is to obey the prompt of the Holy Spirit. Do you know the role He plays in the life of a believer? He is our guide and our helper

The only way to keep the commandment of the Lord is to be helped by the Holy Spirit.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” John 14:15-16 NKJV

During the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, the Holy Spirit was present. He was led by the Spirit.

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

Luke 4:1-2 NKJV

The Spirit of God will always be there when you are being tempted. Those nudging you have not to go to Arthur’s house for Netflix and Chill may just be his warnings.  If you disregard him, you may end up in Netflix and sin.

If you develop the pattern of arguing with the Holy Spirit and winning, you will soon become meat for the devil. You will lose to the devil somewhere in the future. Those who ignore his prompts are woken up by the alarm clock of the consequences of their fall.

The Holy Spirit will always show you that way of escape that the Lord has prepared.

You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.

1 Corinthians 10:13 CEV

When the Holy Spirit shows you the way of escape, take it quickly. The faster you obey the Holy Spirit, the better. If you delay, you will develop a hardness of heart.

He can tell you where to stop visiting. He can warn you when you are about to cross the line. He is your coach. Listen to Him!

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa