Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation?
 

Does the Holy Ghost (or "anointing") help one to resist temptations? If so, would that lead to statistical evidence that preachers and saints have less instances of adultery or other sins?

And if preachers on average have more "anointing" than a typical layperson, wouldn't that by default cause them to be held to a higher standard (I threw this in because I've seen lots of preachers claim that they shouldn't be held to a higher standard)...

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Gal 5:16)

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

The Holy Ghost "checks" you - you make the ultimate choice to do right or wrong!

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I do not believe preachers have any more anointing than a layperson can have but I do believe they are held to a higher standard because of their office.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

By yielding ourselves as alive from the dead and our members as instruments of God's righteousness, the Spirit of God empowers us to do His will and thereby helps us resist temptation.

Rom 6:13 KJV Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Notice in Roman 8:11-12 that the reason verse 12 says we do not have to live after the flesh (succumb to temptation) is because the Spirit enlivens our mortal bodies. This is not speaking of resurrection., but present times when we need to see sin cease ruling our mortal bodies.

Rom 8:11-12 KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 6:12 KJV Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

If our members of our bodies are made His instruments, He uses them instead of sin. So the Holy Ghost does indeed help us overcome temptation in this manner.

And Davec519 has it right!

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Gal 5:16)

Yielding to the Spirit to use our members is walking after the Spirit.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

How about part two of his question?

"If so, would that lead to statistical evidence that preachers and saints have less instances of adultery or other sins?"

Some of you have quoted scripture that say what the HG is supposed to do. So. Does He? Do anointed believers, such as the men of God in pulpits, sin less than other people?

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

"42" should be a choice in all polls! :toofunny

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I think the Spirit of God helps people resist temptation, but they have to choose. I would separate this from tongues speaking.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

If the people do their parts and adequately yield themselves and their bodies to God, and have faith, then the Spirit will do this. So it is not simply a matter as to whether God will do so alone. It is mutual. So it is not even a matter of being anointed. One can preach and minister, but if one does not do what Rom 6:13 so that Rom 8:11-12 operates, one will sin. Who knows how much a person yields to God but themselves, other than the fact that their fruits will show it?

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Even people without the Holy Ghost have to choose. I think the point of the question is does having the HG actually make a difference? Does He help people choose better?

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I would answer the question absolutely the HG makes a difference but then again, I see other religions (mainly Southern Baptist) that do not speak in tongues and they may resist temptation more than a tongue talker. Maybe it is more about our prayer life and relationship with Jesus Christ that helps us overcome temptation.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

The Spirit can help us by inspiring us to choose. but in the end, WE have to decide to choose.

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Well, I can see how prayer could help. Lots and lots of prayer. The more the better. Every waking hour! :toofunny

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Reminds me of a weight-loss pill that really, really works. Just take it three times a day, on an empty stomach! :lol

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Unfortunately, those who see themselves as super-spiritual tend to falter when they start relying on their own sense of righteousness.

The Spirit brings life. Sin is death. Most assuredly, when we "walk in the Spirit" we are "putting to death the works of the flesh."

It's not an invincible pill or formula. It requires active faith daily. Trusting what God says is true.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I sort of agree with that.

Although, I don't see the Spirit has something offering us a better way as much as helping us actively live life -- so that the Spirit is not an external party to our dilemma, but rather a way of living in Christ.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Don't forget, the Bible tells us that God will never allow a temptation to hit us that's too hard for us to resist. So, obviously, we never have to sin. We can always resist temptation. Says so right there.

Booyeah!

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Until we fail to believe...

Sin always enters at the stage of unbelief.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Just don't fail to believe, then!

Booyeah!

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

:razz

God provides what I need. God is faithful in his promise.

If I believe that at a heart level, He will sustain me. It's not just a magic self-help formula.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Great post!

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Biblically sound! :thumbsup

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Right. So don't stop believing it at the heart level. What's the problem? (I'll refrain from the booyeah, this time. :heeheehee)

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I answered yes, but as to the statistical question, it's not that pat.

Let me use an analogy. Gas makes a car go...run out of gas, no go...you just coast

Now, without suggesting or getting into the subject of whether or not people lose the Holy Ghost, let's instead look at influence. People can resist the influence of the Holy Ghost or rather be less sensitive to that influence.

The Holy Spirit is not much help to me if I am not taking advantage of the Holy Spirit in spiritual exercise like praying, fasting, reading the word, being an active participant in spiritual tasks like witnessing or helping my brothers or sisters, intercession. I find that the more involved I am in those things the stronger I am

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Acts 1:8 (in part) KJV

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

The Holy Ghost gives us power to witness, to overcome, etc.

But we must walk in the Spirit, so as not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

I wonder if some don't think they receive the Holy Ghost and that's all they
have to do. If we ate only one time, we would starve to death. Why should
we not understand that we must be "refilled, refueled, etc., spiritually.
If we eat every day, should we not also eat spiritually also. And drink deeply
of the Spirit.
Paul said in Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Falla39

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Excellent explanation, Prax!

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I agree, but would not single out tongues. All claims of Christianity and Holy Spirit indwelling are suject to the fruit being produced - not simply proclamations.

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Yes the Spirit keeps one from sinning IF like others have said they walk by faith.

] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
[12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
[13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:11-13

We must by the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body.

Do tongues help to make us strong? Certainly!

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 1 Cor. 14:2

Praying in tongues builds up your spirit helping you overcome.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Yes He does, but that some Holy Spirit "checks" those who speak in tongues and Christian converts who don't speak in tongues imo.


It is my opinion that one does not have to speak in tongues to be lead by the Holy Spirit in avoiding and/or shunning sin. That same Holy Spirit convicts the tongue talker and the Christian convert the same when they do fall short.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

HAVING the HG is not the issue at all. It is YIELDING to the Spirit that makes the difference. Yielding to the Spirit is where victory comes from. Simply having received the HG at one time in one's life is absolutely no guarantee that one will live an overcoming life. :D

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Two natures! Which one do we feed the most! Do we feed the inner (spiritual) or natural (fleshly) man.
Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world. The one we feed the most will be greater!
Stronger!

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Yielding is key, but I differ with you on the issue of having the HG as not being the issue. If you don't have the HG you would be unable to yield to that Spirit. :D

But, I totally agree with you here - "Simply having received the HG, at one time in one's life, is absolutely no guarantee that one will live an overcoming life." :thumbsup

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Hmmm. I wonder if someone without the Holy Ghost could ever resist temptation. :hmmm

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HG helps me choose better, too bad I don't always listen.

:doggyrun

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

Thanks PO

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

I think I have mentioned this before, but I had a youth pastor years ago, who I am still friends with, who said that in some ways people (particularly youth) are sometimes more likely to commit moral sin because we teach them to follow the emotion of the Spirit. He would never allow boys and girls to pray together, and even deterred us from going out after church together because our hearts were so sensitive at that point.

Just a thought

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

...and therein lies the entire problem with this entire discussion. You folks ASSUME that people such as Southern Baptist, which do not speak in tongues, do NOT have the Holy Spirit....and you you're just plain, dead, flat wrong.

Re: Does the Holy Ghost help you resist temptation
 

And I believe you are plain, dead, flat wrong! The Spirit is WITH them but not IN them.

How do you know when someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit?

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Does the HS help people He is merely with, but not in? Does He help people more, if He is in them?

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OK, so what I'm getting from this discussion is that the Holy Ghost can help you resist temptation, but you have to do your part, too. You have to know how to take advantage of that help. And apparently there are some people who know how to do that pretty well, and others who, though they have the HG, don't know how to take advantage of His help. Or don't want to.

So, do you think it's likely that some of the folks who don't do it right are actually worse off than before? Maybe they are over-confident, thinking that the HG will keep them safe but, since they aren't doing their part correctly and perhaps are actually misled into thinking they don't have much of a part to play, they fall all the more easily?

:hmmm