What can I do to resist negative peer pressure?

Psalm 1:1-3Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Matthew 7:20“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

James 4:17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Recognize that peer pressure that does not encourage you to godly living is probably encouraging you to ungodly living. The advice, company, or acceptance by ungodly people is not worth the cost of a ruined life and separation from God.

Matthew 4:1-11Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 10:13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Look for God’s way out in every tempting situation. God’s way may take you away from, around, above, or through the temptation. But it will get you safely to the other side. Remember that Satan’ approach will always be to make you doubt God’s way by trying to convince you the cost of following God will be greater than the cost of yielding to temptation—a boldfaced lie.

Exodus 23:2“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.”

Proverbs 24:1Don’t envy evil people or desire their company.

One of the bests way to resist negative peer pressure is to choose wise peers. Evil will always create the impression that those flaunting God and his ways are having a good time. The pleasures of ungodliness are fleeting and the consequences can be eternal.

Isaiah 8:11The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.

Luke 20:21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.”

Romans 12:1-2I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Wrong thinking leads to wrong actions. We must align our thinking with God’s thinking, even as we make ourselves available to God for his purposes in the world.

Matthew 1:20, 24As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” . . . When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

Obey God no matter what others may think. If you are not exactly on track, he is able to correct you. Joseph’s initial response to Mary’s announcement displays wisdom not only in what he felt he needed to do (call off the engagement) but also in the way he intended to do it (privately out of kindness for Mary). God showed him the crucial assumption of his that was wrong, and Joseph immediately revised his plans. What God thinks of us is infinitely more important than what others think of us.

Daniel 6:11-16Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help. So they went straight to the king and reminded him about his law. “Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions?” “Yes,” the king replied, “that decision stands; it is an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” Then they told the king, “That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day.” Hearing this, the king was deeply troubled, and he tried to think of a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. In the evening the men went together to the king and said, “Your Majesty, you know that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed.” So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

Matthew 14:9Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.

We must be sure never to let our pride or the risk of embarrassment keep us from doing the right thing.

Ephesians 4:24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Colossians 3:9-10Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Our character as God’s people should reflect God’s nature. The “putting on” aspects of this include our intentional engagement in spiritual disciplines and practices that God’s Word instructs us to do. This includes spending time in prayer and the study of Scripture.