Great encouragement from Charles Spurgeon (Evening by Evening, October 3rd) for those struggling with various compulsive behaviors:
“Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Thus, my soul, it is not necessary for you to sin, for Jesus was a man; and if He–a man–endured these temptations and never sinned, then in His power the members of His body may also cease from sin. Some who are new to the Christian life think they cannot be tempted without sinning, but they are mistaken. There is no sin in being tempted; the sin is in yielding to temptation. This should be a great comfort to those who are severely tempted.”
Remember:
It is IN HIS POWER, not yours. This is accomplished through surrender in the very moment of temptation. And you can say “no” to the shame Satan whispers in your ear about being tempted. That temptation is NOT sinful in and of itself. That is normal for the Christian. How we respond to the temptation… that’s what matters.