10 STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS

For your peace of mind, you should know that Saint Paul says that God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our strength.

We live with temptations, but it doesn’t happen only to us; God Himself, when He became human, also experienced them. However, there are ways to prevent temptations from leading us to do things we will later regret and that will end up costing us dearly.

WHAT IS TEMPTATION

A fairly simple and concise definition of temptation is that “temptation is the work of the devil to drag you to hell.” Thus, when we fight temptation, we are in a war with an enemy who wants to destroy us. He wants this because he envies our excellence before God.

In a more academic sense, temptation is defined as an attraction, whether from outside or from within oneself, to act contrary to right reason and the commandments of God.

Jesus Himself, during His life on earth, was tempted, as His filial attitude toward God was put to the test, in order to show both the opposition between Him and the devil and the triumph of His work of salvation over Satan.

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW TEMPTATION?

In one sense, temptation is “necessary” for freedom.

As free persons invited to love God and say yes to His will, we must also be allowed to say no. There must be real alternatives to what God offers.

If God could force our yes, then we would not be free, and our yes would have no real meaning.

But why doesn’t God limit temptation so that we have more than one opportunity? In fact, God does limit temptation to a certain extent. And He also offers us other sacred sources of influence.

He limits temptation simply because not everything is possible for us. We experience physical, intellectual, economic limits, and so on. Nor can we have every option available at all times; choosing one thing often excludes others.

Moreover, God sends us good influences. His voice echoes in our conscience. He has given us intelligence and reason so that we may be able to discern the Natural Law. He has given us an attraction to goodness, beauty, and truth. He offers us the grace of faith and all the other graces necessary to endure.

He has given us direct revelation in His Scripture so that we may access it by faith. He has sent prophets and even His own Son. And His Son continues His ministry of teaching salvation and reconciliation through His Body, the Church.

Thus, God places limits on temptation and gives us other good influences to balance temptations.

THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE FLESH

Here, “flesh” does not refer to the physical body itself, but to our many sinful tendencies. The flesh is that part of us that is rebellious, that does not like being told what to do, that resists the truth and bristles at being less than God and dependent on Him.

In traditional teaching, the seven most basic sins are pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Other sinful tendencies of the flesh include fear, hatred, revenge, unbelief, and worldliness.

These serve as deep sources of temptation and explain why evil tempts us, why it is difficult to resist, and why we often feel overwhelmed by the devil and the world.

Some temptations come directly from Satan and the demons, who suggest evil thoughts and evil things to us. Satan is also able to manipulate the world (since he is the prince of this world) and our flesh, since we have opened many doors to him.

HOW CAN WE OVERCOME TEMPTATION?

When people ask about overcoming temptation, they very often focus on what to do “in the moment” of temptation.

But if we focus only on the moment of temptation, we are missing most of the work that needs to be done.

To be more successful in resisting temptation, it is necessary to establish a solid foundation. There is much work to be done, such as cultivating virtue, carrying out active purifications and mortifications, deepening our prayer life and our relationship with God, learning to avoid common occasions of sin, rooting our thoughts less in the world and more in what matters to God, and so on.

Faithfully and consistently, there is a battle toward understanding what is wrong and what is good and more perfect.

If we do this, what tempts us will decrease, and the intensity of what remains as temptation will be weaker. If we simply seek quick advice on how to ignore or resist lustful thoughts without a good foundation, the results can be quite discouraging.

7 PRACTICES TO CREATE A FOUNDATION FOR OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS

Moral and spiritual theologians speak of a series of practices that help overcome temptations, which we will briefly review.

1 – Growth in self-knowledge and knowledge of God

Coming to know our strengths and weaknesses as God reveals them to us. Truly considering who we are before God and in the light of His Divine mercy. Learning from our nothingness without God and our condition as blind beggars seeking His grace and illumination, and making constant progress by leaving pride behind for true humility, gratitude, and dependence on God.

2 – Mortifications

Where we learn to apply the Lord’s counsel that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We learn to lose our life in order to find it. Mortifications involve putting to death, by the grace of God, the excessive demands of the flesh and sinful attitudes such as revenge and hatred. One may even eliminate lawful pleasures altogether as a way of gaining greater self-mastery and authority over the passions.

3 – Focusing on the roots of sin

Where we focus especially on the seven cardinal (or capital) sins of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth, along with others such as fear and ingratitude. We seek to understand what they are and learn their movements. Naming them and seeing how they work subtly is a journey toward gaining greater mastery over them by the grace of God.

4 – Detecting the dominant fault

Where we try to learn our most common tendencies and weaknesses and place special emphasis on learning to master and overcome those tendencies. This is joined to the practice of a “particular examen,” in which we focus deeply on these predominant faults as we prepare for confession and commit ourselves to our daily examination.

5 – Growth in all the virtues

Saint Thomas emphasizes two with regard to temptations. The human will is hindered in two ways from following the rectitude of reason. First, by being drawn toward an object of pleasure other than what right reason requires; this obstacle is removed by the virtue of temperance. Second, by the will not being inclined to follow what accords with reason because of some difficulty that presents itself. To remove this obstacle, fortitude of mind is required.

– Active purifications:

A – Of the senses – Such as guarding the eyes and ears and moderating our excessive need for comforts and bodily pleasures.

B – Of the imagination – Where we seek to inject increasingly holy thoughts into our mental landscape in order to displace foolish, impure, and profane thoughts.

C – Of the memory – In which the memory of our past sins is increasingly erased by not dwelling excessively on them and by replacing these memories with better and holier things. We must feed what is holy and starve what is painful or sinful. Good thoughts become our interest, and bad thoughts and memories are increasingly deprived of oxygen and wither away. Here there is also the praiseworthy practice of praying for the gift of holy tears, in which we weep for our sins not by dwelling on them, but by developing an aversion to and avoidance of thinking about them again with delight.

D – Of the intellect – Where we frequently study the Holy Wisdom of God, the Bible, good theological and spiritual books, the lives of the saints, etc. We become less conformed to the folly of the world and more transformed by the renewal of our minds, with new and spiritual ways of thinking rooted in the wisdom of God. Note that Jesus appealed to Scripture to refute every temptation in the desert. Thus, He teaches that our intellect must be filled with God’s wisdom to refute the devil, the flesh, and the world.

E – Of the will – Where we increasingly and intentionally practice virtue, strengthening it and displacing bad tendencies (vices). We seek to grow in love of God and neighbor and to act less out of self-love. As virtue grows, it becomes more natural, and we do good things with greater ease. Vices are thereby weakened.

6 – Regular confession and Holy Communion

There we receive the grace to avoid sin, grow in holiness, and desire God instead of sin. In Holy Communion, above all, we become more and more like the One whom we receive. They are like medicine and nourishment, to heal and strengthen us.

7 – Prayer

Here understood not as mere recitation, but as an ever-deepening union with God, whose love transforms us so that we develop a distaste for sin and a love for goodness, beauty, and truth.

PREPARATION IS NECESSARY FOR WHEN TEMPTATION ARRIVES

We see, then, that prior preparation is necessary long before the moment of temptation if we wish to avoid some temptations altogether and be better equipped to resist those that do come.

Virtue is its own reward. It is evident that those who have lived lives deeply immersed in sin will face many more temptations in the future, even if they have repented.

Thus, we see the preventive role of virtue and of developing good habits at an early age.

And so we see how sin begets sin.

Learning and faithfully practicing virtue is a great means of avoiding a multitude of temptations.

One must stock up on good alternatives. It is typical, when trying to lose weight, to be advised to eliminate bad food choices and to stock up on good foods one likes.

Stock up on good reading and audio materials you enjoy, to spend time learning and growing in the good things in life that most attract you.

Do not make the mistake of simply eliminating things from your life, because unhealthy voids are created. Instead, “replace” bad things with something better, starting with what you like, and let good things lead you to other good things that you may not like at first, but will later.

10 WAYS TO RESIST TEMPTATIONS WHEN THEY COME

And then what? None of lo us completely escapes all temptation. When they come, try some of these things:

1 – Do what you are doing

In other words, develop the habit of focusing on what you are doing and not being easily distracted. Being mindful and intentional is a way of disciplining our minds. Learning this discipline helps us when temptations arise (many of which are forms of distraction). As much as possible, maintain focus and clarity about what you are doing at all times. Our minds can be affected and helped even by the physical discipline of cleaning a kitchen or writing an article.

2 – Remember: one victory helps pave the way for others

We will not necessarily win all battles at first. But win the ones you can and be grateful. So do not be discouraged: win what you can, and when you fall, you will fall upon Jesus, get up again, and try to win the next round. One victory at a time.

3 – Consider that sin is a passing pleasure, but the bill inevitably comes later

Resisting temptation requires effort, but it brings rewards and no bills later. Scripture says: Blessed is the one who perseveres under temptation, because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

4 – Ask Jesus!

Scripture says: Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18). Keep in mind that He is able to help. Ask Him to trust and act on His Word, which says: Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

5 – Stay alert and sober (with a clear mind that knows what is happening at every moment)

Remain in prayer, conscious of God. Most people live life in reaction mode rather than reflection mode. Those who reflect can approach a group of gossipers, understand what is happening, and then step back instead of cooperating, perhaps even redirecting the conversation elsewhere. Those in reaction mode simply join in without thinking. Jesus says: Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

6 – Accept that you will sometimes have to suffer to resist temptation

Sin is easy and often pleasant. Resisting its impulses is difficult and sometimes unpleasant.

7 – If something frequently causes you to sin, you must be willing to let it go, even if it is difficult

Resolve to do so if necessary. For example, if cable television is a problem for you, get rid of it, and likewise with other things.

8 – Many temptations occur at night when trying to sleep; hence the importance of prayer before going to bed

At a minimum, it is recommended to pray an Act of Contrition (“My Lord Jesus Christ…”), one Our Father and three Hail Marys, along with the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, and to pray for the family, for sinners, and for the dead.

During the day, let us never abandon the daily Holy Rosary.

9 – Love God and, in moments of temptation, ask Him for the grace to love Him more than sin, more than yourself, and more than your pleasure

See the moment of temptation as a time to show that your love for God is greater than your love for the world. Accept the challenge and realize that each victory will tend to increase your love for God and His truth.

10 – In some temptations (such as addictions), it is good to have a sponsor or friend we can call when we are struggling

They help support us and also help keep us accountable.

Keep in mind that these suggestions can help, but true victory depends on having a strong foundation. Keep building the foundation and remember that holiness is a long-term gain.

The modern world likes the microwave, but God’s path is more like a clay pot casserole.

Learn to savor steady growth in holiness and watch temptations decrease and become less irritating.

Temptations will never leave this side of the veil, but they can diminish significantly and lose their power to trouble you greatly, by the grace of God and in God’s time.

Do not fight temptation alone; ask Christ (and His Most Holy Mother) for help, because without Him you can do nothing. But with Him, and with the help of His Mother, you will certainly succeed if you do your part.

Source: Catholic.net

Courtesy of: Virgin Mary Forums