Halloween candy is on sale this week. But before you snatch up your favorite treat, don’t let temptation trick you.

We’ve given Eve a hard time for eating the forbidden fruit, but if it smelled like chocolate, I understand. Somebody knew women who like pottery, love chocolate and placed my favorite bar among housewares. I picked up the 14.1-ounce Swiss Toblerone bar and remembered its smooth taste. “I’ll buy it for you,” my friend said.

“No, thank you!” I said and dropped it. But temptation had taken root. I ambled back to look at the fat grams, 12 grams per serving. Ridiculous. Who stops at one serving? I walked away again.

I discovered this smooth chocolate on a mission trip in Europe. The magic of the Alps wafted through my mind. In those days, you couldn’t find Toblerones in America. I could save it for when I really wanted chocolate.

The check-out clerk said he had never seen such a big chocolate bar. Good, it must be fresh.

How to Protect Yourself from Temptation 

Consider the following when you’re tempted.

Temptations are common. It’s not a sin to be tempted. Enticements to over-spend, to partake of substances we should avoid, or to cave into controlling people or emotions daily spread their nets for us (1 Cor. 10:13). They show up when we least expect it (chocolate in the housewares aisle!). Even Jesus experienced temptation, but He never succumbed.

Temptations lie to us. The Bible calls destructive longings “deceitful desires” (Ephes. 4:22). They make promises they can’t keep. The guy at work promises love but delivers heartache. The debt from overspending outlasts the pleasure of the purchase. They promise, “One time won’t hurt. You’re smart enough to know when to quit.” But the Bible warns of sin’s destructive and addictive nature (James 1:15; Jn. 8:34).

The Bible calls destructive longings “deceitful desires” (Ephes. 4:22). They make promises they can’t keep. #temptation, #RechargeWednesday
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You already know how chocolate works. One serving, the size of a flat dollar bill, puffs up like a sponge in water to the size of a walrus. Every gram of chocolate expands into ten pounds of human fat. If someone can figure out how to pack a thousand photos into a thumb drive, you’d think they could keep chocolate from expanding your hips.

Seriously, having a large bar of my favorite chocolate in my home only tormented me. Wrestling with chocolate reminded me of how consuming temptation can be. To invite temptation in embroils you in a battle you’ll likely lose or wear yourself out fighting.

God provides good gifts for us to enjoy. His gifts aren’t disguised traps that enslave us or deaden our spiritual senses (Rom. 6:16). Saying no may be the most liberating thing we do.

Neil Anderson once said heaven is a place with no bad options. Until then, when temptation knocks, let’s run to the throne of grace. Our High Priest stands ready and able to rescue us from every temptation—and to restore us when we fall.

No matter where our particular weakness lies, I learned avoiding temptation is always better than battling it. Single serving size candy bars work better for me!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

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LINKUP is open! This week, my friend @DebbieWWilson reminds us that there is a way for Christians to guarantee victory over temptations. Join us and share your blog!
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