I read this article today and found it particularly insightful:
It’s written for men, which is totally fine (men deserve good resources written just for them). And I think all the points are valuable for women and men.
Here’s a quick summary:
Don’t take pleasure in temptation. Don’t even start to entertain those thoughts.
Avoid situations that lead to temptation. Be honest with yourself about your weaknesses.
Don’t become anxious about feeling tempted. Calmly reject these thoughts.
Don’t dwell on tempting thoughts. Recognize them and focus on something else.
Rely on God’s grace, not your own willpower. Deepen your love for God.
Don’t remain silent. Share struggles with others for accountability and support.
The discipline of having time set aside each day to read the Bible follwed by prayer has helped me many a times in fighting temptation. While we make the right choice in ideal circumstances, sometimes we justify our sinful actions in difficult circumstances. In my own life, I have seen that turning to the Lord daily can help us refresh our perspective, remember scriptures we have forgotten and experience conviction. Trying to resist temptation without truly submitting to God and understanding how jealously He cares for the Spirit He made to dwell in us will leave us disappointed. We need God’s grace and a willing spirit surrendered to God within us to begin to fight these temptations( James 4: 5-10). The change may not happen overnight, but as long we are making some progress we can experience freedom we long for over time.