At its core, the Revolution in You is about defeating temptation. To beat temptation, we have to seize back control from the unconscious mind. Furthermore, we have to say “NO” to counterproductive thoughts and habits.
Every time you overcome that voice in your head, or that demon sitting on your left shoulder, that’s a hard-earned victory. Every micro-choice you make either brings you closer to your goal, or farther from it.
It’s important to remain vigilant. If you beat temptation in the morning, it will return in the evening. If you banish temptation in the summer, it will come back in the winter. And even at the mountain peak of success, temptation plots its attack. We have to learn to co-exist with temptation, but never give into it.
Sooner or later, you have to pick up the sword. Regardless of the temptation you are fighting, I stand with you. Fighting temptation is a noble battle. In fact, it is the Battle. It’s a war we must win – not only for ourselves, but also for our loved ones, ancestors, and descendants.
If we lose, we end up like Adam and Eve. Even worse, we might end up like Gollum, the deformed hobbit from Lord of the Rings.
How To Defeat Temptation
Inspiring words simply won’t cut it. You have to build a sustainable methodology that works. Here are 5 simple things you can do to lay the foundation.
1. Reflect on Your Motivations and Your Triggers
Spend 30 minutes reflecting on the questions below. Then, grab a notebook or journal. Lastly, write down responses for each question.
- What temptation(s) do I want to overcome?
- For how long have I been struggling with this temptation?
- What are the motivations driving my behavior? Why do I want to change it?
- Who can I ask for help? How can I leverage a network or community of support?
- What are the immediate consequences if I give into this temptation?
- What are the long-term consequences if I keep giving into this temptation?
- How is my environment influencing my behavior? Are there visual or emotional triggers that cause me to fall back into the same patterns?
- What do I (or others) stand to gain if I successfully resist the temptation?
Temptation can take different forms. It could be an addiction to physical items like alcohol, gambling or sex. It could also be a temptation to behave in a self-destructive way: pride, procrastination, lying, cheating, or self-isolation.
Once you know your temptations are, you can set up barriers. Interestingly, there’s scientific research that returning to specific environments or seeing specific people can cause a relapse into old ways. We have to create obstacles and set distance between us and our temptations. For example, Odysseus literally tied himself to his ship so that he wouldn’t be captivated by the sirens’ songs.
2. Build a Robust Spiritual Life
The best way to gain strength in the gym is to lift heavy weights consistently. Comparatively, the best way to develop resistance to temptation is to build a thick spiritual armor. Faith in a higher power is the number one antidote to temptation, although it’s not a 100% cure since we are fallible beings.
If you’re Catholic or Protestant, read a passage from the Bible for 5 minutes before bed every night. Say a quick prayer to St. Michael the Archangel asking for relief from temptation. Take advantage of your smartphone: I like using the Hallow app and the Holy Bible app, for instance. Resisting temptation is also a core tenet Buddhism as well.
If you don’t believe in God, it will be more difficult to resist the sway of demons and material desires. However, it’s not impossible. Practicing meditation or learning martial arts can also help strengthen your willpower. Personally, I’ve been taking Shaolin Kung Fu classes and listening to Dr. Joe Dispenza meditations. This is helping me become more present in my body and aware of my thoughts.
3. Read the Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
This is a fantastic book you can buy new for $10 on Amazon. You may have heard of the author, C.S. Lewis, who also wrote The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
The Screwtape Letters is a satirical Christian apologetic work. In other words, it provides unique perspectives on moral issues from a demon’s point of view. The book is known for its wit, irony, and insights into human nature and Christian faith.
The book’s thesis is that both good and evil spirits are actively participating in our world. Thus, we have to be aware of how their influence can help or harm us.
The book explores the idea of Hell as a hospital. The hospital employs (i) lower-level demons who do grunt work, (ii) executive demons who manage the workforce, and (iii) Satan the CEO, who devises the business strategy. Each chapter is a different letter of advice from Screwtape, a senior demon, to Wormwood, a novice demon.
Rank-and-file demons like Wormwood are assigned an ordinary human to tempt. Their job is to convert the human (aka the “patient”) to the dark side. The demons need to hit a quota of captured souls.
I used to think that believing in demons was ridiculous. Moreover, I thought it was rooted in a fear-based mindset. However, the violence, perversion, cruelty, and sociopathy we see in our modern world are so grotesque that it makes the existence of demons entirely plausible. In fact, Screwtape says that the devil’s greatest triumph was to convince humans he doesn’t exist at all!
Watch this meme-clip showing Dana White’s reaction at the UFC fight. This is the shocked reaction I want to see from demons every time I beat their temptations.
4. Prioritize Progress, Not Perfection
Sports teams lose games every once in a while. It’s unreasonable to think that you will never make a mistake and you will never sin. But, the key is to ask for forgiveness and bounce back quickly. If you fall to a temptation, repent and start over. If you fall for little temptations, it’s like a death by a thousand cuts. Certainly, it can wear down your defenses and increases your odds of falling for a massive temptation.
Find a support group that you can lean on for help. We need to surround ourselves with people who are striving to the same light that we are.
Jesus’ Temptation In The Desert
I think we can gain a lot of value and perspective by reflecting on Jesus’ temptation in the desert. The story is told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert so that the devil may tempt him. At this stage in his life, Jesus is still unknown to the public. He hasn’t yet gained fame by preaching in towns and healing the sick. Before he can start his ministry, Jesus must purify his heart and confront Satan.
Jesus Fasts for 40 Days and 40 Nights
Jesus attempts this trial on expert mode. He fasts alone in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. In the Bible, the number 40 symbolizes a period of trial and testing. References to 40 in the Bible include:
- Noah’s ark survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain during the Great Flood
- Abraham asked God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if 40 righteous people were found
- Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai and 40 years wandering the desert after leading his people out of Egypt
- Goliath challenged Israel for 40 days, until David stepped up to fight him
- Saul, David and Solomon each reigned over Israel as king for 40 years
- The prophet Elijah fasted on Mt. Horeb for 40 days and 40 nights
- The Romans destroyed the Temple 40 years after Jesus’s crucifixion
- Christians observe Lent for 40 days before Easter Sunday
The First Temptation
On the 40th night, the devil finally appears. He goes right for the weak spot – Jesus’s hunger. The devil says to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into loaves of bread.”
Although Jesus would love to eat a loaf of bread to cure his hunger, he does not give in. Jesus responds by citing scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3): “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the Mouth of God.” Even though Jesus’ stomach is rumbling, he refuses to listen to the devil.
Later in the New Testament, it’s confirmed that Jesus does have the power to create bread! Jesus multiplies 5 barley loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000 people. He performs this miracle to glorify God and to serve others, not to satisfy his own urges.
The Second Temptation
Next, the devil brings Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem. He places Jesus on the top platform of the Temple. The wind is howling.
The devil takes a page out of Jesus’ playbook by citing scripture (Psalm 9:11-12). The devil says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written that ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up so you do not strike your foot against a stone.’” Demons often appeal to logic by flipping our own words against us.
Jesus recognizes the devil’s trick to weaponize scripture against him. Jesus parries with Deuteronomy 6:16. He says, “It is also written that you shall not put the Lord your God to the test”.
Jesus 2, devil 0. But soon, the final boss battle will begin.
The Third Temptation
The devil saved his most powerful temptation for last. He takes Jesus to the peak of a mountain. At once, he shows Jesus the magnificent kingdoms of the world. The devil says to Jesus, “All of these I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.”
What a sight! Power, women, money, fame, our deepest desires… so many of us would succumb. Countless celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople got ensnared by the devil’s trap. But when you make a deal with the devil, you have to pay a price. And the currency is the most precious thing you own – your soul.
Jesus is starving and sunburned. His resolve is weakening. Despite that, he summons the courage to resist. He cries out, “Begone, Satan! It is written that “The Lord your God shall you worship, and him alone you shall serve.”
Satan lost. He played the final ace up his sleeve, and it didn’t work. Satan slinks away. Immediately, heavenly angels surround Jesus and minister to him.
Keeping Temptations Out
Your eye is the lamp of your body.
When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light.
But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.
See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
Luke 11:33-36 ESV
Jesus is the son of God, and he was well-equipped to resist the temptations of this world. You and me are fallible beings who make mistakes, and we’re certainly not the son of God. That being said, I believe that regardless of your culture or your religion, we should still aspire to live a pure life rooted in love for self and love for others.
Thanks for reading! I will be praying for you as you battle temptations, and I hope you do the same for me. If you enjoyed this content, subscribe to my newsletter here.
-Pertinax