How to Avoid Temptation to Sin

Co-authored by Zachary Rainey

Last Updated: April 22, 2022 References Approved

Human beings are naturally inclined towards sin. Everyone feels the urge to sin at some point because sinning gives us tangible yet fleeting benefits at the cost of moral and spiritual ones. Temptation is the urge to sin. We're judged by the degree to which we thwart our temptations. In this guide, you'll learn strategies for avoiding temptation and for combating it when it does find you.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making a Plan to Avoid Temptation

1
Identify your temptations and the personal flaws that create them. Everyone has their own temptations. Then, pin down the personality traits that lead you to temptation - maybe you're insecure or you're never satisfied with yourself. Perhaps you prioritize pleasure over responsibility. No two people are exactly alike. Your temptations might resemble those of your friends, family, or other associates, but there's also a chance that they're unique to you. A priest, counselor, or other trusted person can help you discover your unique temptations and the flaws from which these temptations developed.
- According to Christianity, though Jesus never sinned, even he was tempted to. (Hebrews 4:15)^{[1]
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  Research source} Spend a few moments self-reflecting to identify your personal temptations.
- If you're having a hard time defining exactly what your temptations are, begin by pinpointing the things in your life that make you sad, then try to find a thought process or habit you possess that leads to these things. For instance, let's say you're in a committed relationship with a woman you love but you frequently feel intense guilt because you flirt with other women. Search your heart. Ask yourself, "what do I think or do that makes me want to act like this?" After some reflection, you may find, for instance, that you're worried about whether you're still attractive. The source of your temptation in this case is your sense of insecurity.
2
Set reasonable goals for fighting temptation. Your aim when fighting temptation should take into account the fact that, as a human being, you're incapable of perfection. Don't set an un-achievable goal like "I will never sin again." If you do, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Realize that you will inevitably sin again (and again and again). Set a realistic goal that takes this into account.
- For instance, if you've been neglecting your child's vocal recitals in favor of nights spent at home watching TV, you might set a goal of never missing another vocal recital (except for emergencies) and of reducing your time spent watching TV every week by four hours. This goal is well within your grasp.
- For a few very serious sins, it is absolutely necessary to set a zero-tolerance goal - for instance, you should obviously never commit murder or marital infidelity. These sins can cause irreparable damage to others' lives.
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3
Take responsibility for yourself.^{[2]
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Research source} You were blessed with free will for a reason. Don't waste your opportunity to act decisively against your personal temptation by giving into the separate temptation of inaction! Stand up and take action now. Make it your goal going forward to not give in to your temptation. The hardest part of overcoming your temptation can be getting started. Don't sabotage your journey before it's begun by telling yourself you can't do it.
- According to Christianity, when Jesus died, he gave us authority over the forces of evil. (Mark 16:17)^{[3]
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  Research source} Never fear or run from the forces of evil in your own life. With hard work and sincere faith, nothing is beyond your grasp.
4
Turn your back on past sins. The one thing you can't change about yourself is your past. Don't let yourself be overcome by regret for sins that happened in the past. The only right path is forward, towards righteousness. If your past is marked by sin, acknowledge your mistakes without excessive guilt. Build upon your past mistakes. Strive never to make your old mistakes again. Even if you relapse, you'll have made progress away from your sinful past.
- If you haven't already, sincerely ask God for forgiveness. God is infinite in his capacity to forgive. In his eyes, once you are forgiven, it's as if you had never committed sin in the first place:
  - Islam: "Whoever commits evil or wrongs themselves then seeks Allah’s forgiveness will certainly find Allah All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 4:110)^{[4]
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  - Islam: "Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Almighty but that Allah will replace it with something better.'" (Musnad Aḥmad 22565, Grade: Sahih)^{[5]
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  - "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Fighting Temptation Through Positive Behavior

1
Avoid situations and people that lead to sin. Certain people, places, and situations make sinning easy. Certain sins are impossible without the right equipment, setting, or people. Make sure that you stay far away from the things that lead you to sin. If you have a drug addiction, stay out of the parts of town where these things are sold. If you're frequently persuaded by certain friends to commit acts of vandalism, don't hang out with these friends. By distancing yourself from the people and things associated with your sin, you're eliminating opportunities for sin and giving yourself less chances to fail.
- Generally, it's a good idea to help other people work through their own sins. However, if you're struggling with the pull of your own temptations, sinful people can make it difficult to escape. Wait until you have your temptations under control before returning to help these people with their own sins.
- Eliminate the sources of temptation from your home. For instance, throw out a pornography collection.
- You may, in some cases, need to eliminate distractions from your own home. For instance, kick out a roommate who frequently convinces you to neglect your responsibilities.
2
Get help. You don't need to fight your temptations alone. There is no shame in asking for help from God or from another person. If you're having difficulty avoiding your temptations, don't hesitate to turn to a priest, imam/sheikh/scholar, clergyman, pastor, counselor, or trusted friend. Accepting help is a strong, sensible thing to do and part of these peoples' purpose is to help you when you're experiencing difficulty.
- Certain temptations (like, for instance, the temptation to look at pornography) aren't necessarily seen as sinful by mainstream society, although they are. If you're looking for help with such a temptation, it might make more sense to consult a priest, rabbi, imam, etc. rather than a secular helper.
3
Occupy yourself. There's truth to the old saying "Idle hands are the devil's playthings." If you keep yourself busy with good, virtuous work or an assortment of hobbies, you'll have less time to yourself and thus less time where you might feel the temptation to sin out of boredom. Devote yourself to your job or your studies by taking extra hours or signing up to be a tutor, for instance. Spend time learning an instrument or a new language. If you have lots of free time, do anything you can to fill your time with activities that can help you grow closer to God, or that make you a healthier, richer, or better person.
- If you're struggling to think of things that you can do to occupy your time, a good place to start is at a local homeless shelter, crisis center, or community outreach center. Talk to the management - there's a good chance they can make use of your unique talents to help the unfortunate in your community.
4
Be persistent. Temptation, unfortunately, doesn't just go away when you choose to resist it. Temptation persists. Sometimes the conscious decision to fight a temptation will even make the temptation temporarily stronger. If you decide to resist your temptation to gorge on chocolate, for instance, you may start getting cravings after a day or two without it. It takes time for temptations to fade - some never do. This doesn't mean that you're better off giving up! Fight your temptations tooth and nail. Don't quit, even if you suffer setbacks or relapses. The more persistently you fight, the better chance you'll have of beating your temptation.
- Never reward yourself with sinful "allowances" or "breaks." Resist the slippery slope of instant gratification. This instant gratification can act deceitfully, causing you to feel that it's not wrong, although it is in God's eyes.
- Treat your temptations like bad habits that you must break. Work towards forming new good habits to replace your old ones by repeating good, virtuous behavior over and over again.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Staying Faithful in the Face of Temptation

1
Accept that temptation is inevitable. Know that, no matter how hard you strive, it's impossible to live a life without temptations. We will always, at certain points, feel a temptation to sin - whether it's as innocuous as the urge to lie about our reason for being late to a meeting or as serious as the urge to strike someone who's insulted you. It's also inevitable that we will give in to this urge at some point. However, it's possible, through our efforts, to reduce the hold that temptation has over us. The fight against temptation is like waging a lifelong war - be prepared to celebrate your victories and to learn from your defeats.
2
Don't be discouraged by your own imperfection. Never fall prey to self-hate. You are not loathsome or pathetic because you feel temptation. God always forgives. Don't get caught up in punishing yourself, even if you find yourself falling prey to temptation again and again.^{[6]
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Research source} Use your time more intelligently by sincerely asking for God's forgiveness and working to move past your sins.
- "Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'" (Qur'an 39:53)^{[7]
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3
Study the word. Scripture is full of stories, teachings, and proverbs we can draw upon when we're trying to avoid our sinful temptations. The nature of sin and temptation is a frequent topic of discussion throughout the bible - simply turn to a passage like Romans 7:18 for an illuminating perspective on the difficulty of struggling against temptation: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
- Many of the most revered figures in the Bible had intense struggles with temptation (often marked with failure). Adam and Eve committed the first sin by giving in to the temptation of eating the forbidden fruit. King David, one of the most important figures in biblical history, had one of his soldiers killed so that he could give in to temptation and steal his wife! Reading the bible can help us understand how such great people struggled—and overcame—their temptation.
EXPERT TIP

Zachary Rainey
Ordained Minister
Rev. Zachary B. Rainey is an ordained minister with over 40 years of ministry and pastoral practice, including over 10 years as a hospice chaplain. He is a graduate of Northpoint Bible College and a member of the General Council of the Assemblies of God.

Zachary Rainey
Ordained Minister

By studying the word, you can verify what the Bible actually teaches. Zachary Rainey, ordained minister, tells us: "Some people are led away from faith by falsehood. Someone tells them something that isn’t true about Jesus or the Church or the Bible. It’s always good to look into suspicious claims before adopting them as truth."
4
Remember to trust God even when being tempted. Working through a particularly nasty temptation is hard work. It's easy to lose hope and even to start to believe that God has abandoned us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thoughts like "Life is hard, so God must hate me" aren't just wrong, they're harmful. When you're struggling with temptation, God is pulling for you more than ever. God wants to see you succeed. He wants nothing more than for you to overcome your temptation. So, if God tests you, don't lose your trust in him. Instead, rise to his challenge.
5
Follow the example set by the prophets. They lived a life of purity and perfection. He devoted his life to helping others. He practiced nonviolence, though he was willing to endure it. He suffered temptations, but he resisted them every time. Strive towards it - ordinary humans can't achieve it, but they can better themselves by trying.
- The Qur'an praises Muhammad: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character." (Qur'an 68:4)^{[8]
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- Christians believe that, through his mortal sacrifice, we are cleaned of all sins: (1 John 1:7) "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans if us from all sin." If you're interested in Christ's salvation, contact a priest, minister, or other clergyman in your area.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I avoid strong temptations?

Community Answer

By praying for the grace of God to guide you daily, and by constantly reading the word of God.
Question

I had my encounter with Satan as well as God. After repentance, temptation seems to be way more greater than what I can avoid. I do really need some help!

Community Answer

It's not always easy to avoid temptation, but keep trying and never back down. Remember no-one on Earth is perfect. Also the closer you are to overcoming a particular temptation, the stronger the temptation will be, just don't let it beat you. And if it does, remember not to guilt over it. Just keep moving forward and don't look back. And ask for forgiveness. Whether you believe or not, praying is a good way to release the sin and feel free-er.
Question

How do I resist a temptation at work? For example, I am married but a guy is attracted to me and I sort of like him.

Community Answer

Shut him down and tell him that you're married and that he needs to stop since it's very unprofessional. Remind yourself that you're married too and that while attraction to others will happen now and then in life, you've already made your choice under the eyes of God. Put your work first and make friends of colleagues, not lovers.

Warnings

Don't dwell on past mistakes. Dwelling on old sins which God has forgiven will only make Satan's influence over you stronger. Be forgiven and move on. And remember in Proverbs second chapter, it is said that the one who confesses his sin to GOD will have mercy and the one who does not will see death.

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We should be confident in God's Word. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able to overcome. Though you may indeed fail, know that victory is always possible.

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