Overcoming Temptation through Jesus

Posted by: Leah Gartner, Director of Marketing and Events | Monday, October 5th, 2026 ( 9:13am)

And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else...So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.—James 1:13,16-17

News flash! I live in a fallen world…we all do. Okay, so I know that’s not really a newsflash. All it takes is being in a house with other people for a few hours, glancing at the phone and reading the headlines for five minutes, or just hanging out with our own thoughts for a split second to understand that sin is real, and temptation is everywhere.

Temptation to act in anger, to be selfish, to talk trash about other people, to tell a lie to get ahead or cover another sin. They all seem great for a minute and totally justifiable in our own heads, but in the end, sin hurts us.

Let’s take it back to Genesis with the couple that started it all. God told Adam and Eve in the Garden, “You may freely eat of the fruit in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die" (Gen 2:16-17). In other words, you have lots of awesome choices for food that are beautiful, healthy, and taste great. Choices that are good and perfect for bringing and sustaining life forever. But there is another choice that looks good, but it will kill you, so don’t do it.

Simple right? But as we know much of the battle with sin happens in our mind. Right away Satan takes advantage of this by bringing the forbidden tree to the center of Eve’s attention. He knows the truth, but he wants her to think about the one thing she can’t have, so he asks, “Did God really say you must not eat fruit from any of the trees in the Garden?” Eve corrects him by pointing out that “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat because we’ll die.”

But, of course, now she’s thinking about the one tree…the single tree God said to avoid. She knew that God said it would kill her, but Satan keeps pushing and lies again, “You won’t die…you will be like God.” Then, the words we know all too well…

The woman was convinced.

As a Christian for most of my life, I have read and heard this story many times. People who have never set foot in a church know this story. We can blame Eve all we want, but I know had I been in that situation I would have done the same thing. I’ve heard God tell me with His loving voice, “Daughter don’t look at that…don’t partake in that…don’t say that…because it will hurt you and the people around you.”

But still, so many times…I was convinced by Satan’s lies.

Convinced that it’s not a big deal, that it’s probably not really a sin anyway. Convinced that no one will ever find out about it, that I am only hurting myself. Satan is an expert at deceiving each one of us into believing that it is he, not God, who really knows what will make us happy.

But God loves us too much to let us go down a path that will lead to sin and pain and death. He wants us to know that “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God… and He never changes” (James 1:17). He is the same yesterday and today, therefore we can trust Him with His goodness. He has our best interest at heart, and when God says no, there is a good reason for it. Yet, like Eve, we still don’t trust Him.

But there’s good news: God knows we will continue to be drawn toward sin, so He laid out a plan to rescue us.

Jesus.

Jesus is the key for us to overcome the temptation and sin in our lives. On our own we cannot do it. Maybe we can for a little while, but it’s a guarantee that we will eventually fall yet again. Jesus not only paid the price for our sins, but He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us to guide us toward choices that lead to life—to the trees in the garden that will sustain us and bring us true joy. In fact, when we do fall into sin, Jesus picks us up again and brings us back to His loving heart. His love doesn’t depend on what we do or don’t’ do. He will lift us above the pull of temptation and point us to the good and sustaining life He has planned for us.

That’s something no earthly “tree” can ever do. Only Jesus can.

And He does. Every time.

Of that, I am convinced.