You were tempted to sin, you tried to resist but you failed and you caved in to the temptation. So now what? “Isn’t there an easier way?” You ask. The short answer is no. John the Baptist preached, “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The kingdom of heaven has come near? Well that is good news, the gospel is called the good news, the good news has come near, so we are close, don’t quit now.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.1John1:9,10

Confess your sins and accept His forgiveness and move on. It is important that you do this, especially the moving on part. Don’t stall your vehicle in the middle of a great big mud puddle, step on the gas and get out of it.

Ah, that’s better. So now what? Well let us think about it. Let us say we don’t want to move on, that it is too hard, then what? John goes on to say…

 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. John 3:8,10

“What?” Yep. I am telling you it is best to take an imaginary eraser to your theology and start with a clean slate and just read the Bible and believe everything it says. So when you read, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” It means just that, you don’t need some fancy theologian to explain it to you.

Lets just say in light of that it is probably best to keep trying until we get it right. this is doable, don’t think that this is something unique to you.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

So there is that word “endure” again. I had a whole chapter on that. And there is that phrase, “common to man” so I guess that means all of us, so no you are not special, you are not the only one who has gone through this, we all have.

So there is good news and there is bad news, the good news is you get to try again, the bad news is you are going to be tempted again, so suck it up buttercup you can do this. Now you see why I tediously went over the details of the temptation process? I suggest that you go back to prior chapters and review. You can do this, millions before you have and they are all rooting for you now.

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1

Yes it is hard, I get it, you don’t think I know? You don’t think I too have gone through this? Yes I have and I am reaching back and trying to pull others behind me forward. Focus on the prize awaiting you, the love of God shed abroad in your heart and God has given you all the tools you need to do this.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 1Peter1:3,4

Memorizing  promises helps. I have memorized Psalm 16, the whole thing and I find it to be a helpful tool in fighting temptation. Just the first two verses is an effective weapon against the Devil.

 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:1,2

You will find lots and lots of promises and prayers in the Psalms. David went through these struggles too and he expressed his trials and temptations in the Psalms. I love King David, he is a man after my own heart. Whether you use a Psalm of some other verses in the Bible it is quite helpful that you memorize them and throughly memorize them because in the heat of the battle your mind will fog up, so once you have initially memorized a scripture repeat it daily over and over again until it is second nature.

Now that you got your butt whipped you know what kind of battle you are up against. I remember when I decided to quit smoking, the first month I failed, the second month I failed. Then I realized exactly the battle I was up against so I braced myself for the upcoming battle the third month. I did it. Now you know what you are up against so brace yourself for the nest battle.

Brush yourself off, get up on your feet, arm yourself for the next battle and give it all you got. Loving God is a manly thing, (if I may say that ladies) it involves us going to battle against forces greater than us and winning. The love will come but firstly is the battles.