Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

How wise would it be for a recovering alcoholic to sit at a bar, a person with a gambling addiction to walk through a casino, or a shopaholic visit a mall? If they are truly in the process of breaking their addictions, they must not put themselves in the very place that tempts them. The battle against sin’s temptation is strong; like a mouse desiring that piece of cheese on the mouse trap, it's dangerous to one's soul, and left unfiltered it will take root in your life to the point it becomes a part of you. 

So how can you break the cycle? Today's verse encourages you to not make provision for the temptation. Trust me, when you release your weaknesses over to God, He will help you, but that also requires you to do your part. How? Stop setting yourself up for disaster. That may involve removing people from your life, turning off the internet during your weakest moments, avoiding certain places that tempt you, paying for your gas at the pump…not inside where you'd be tempted to buy a pack of cigarettes, liquor, or lottery tickets. 

I John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

You might be a child of God, but that doesn't mean you are sheltered from sin in this world. Evil is all around you: on television, internet, magazine ads, music; Satan has a chest full of tools he uses to tempt you into sin. Don't entertain any of them. Destroy them if necessary, for it's better to be without than to be enslaved to your old way of life.