Do I have the power to resist temptation?

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.

Temptations may become strong, but they will never be impossible to resist. God is with us, and if we turn to him, he will always offer us a way out.

Matthew 4:5-7Then 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.’”

James 4:7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The devil has less power than we think. The devil can tempt us, but he cannot coerce us. He can dangle the bait in front of us, but he cannot force us to take it. We can resist the devil as Jesus did: by responding to the lies of temptation with the truth of God’s Word.

1 John 4:4You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

1 John 5:4-5Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

We have far more power available to us than we think. As children of God, the Holy Spirit within us is great enough to overcome any temptation.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 4:13I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Jude 1:24-25Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Our ultimate confidence is in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we depend more and more fully on him, we will find his divine power in us to resist temptation.