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HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH TEMPTATION?

Introduction

Temptation is something that we all must deal with on a daily basis. (Can I get a witness?)

            It greets us when we awake.

            It meets us as we begin our daily routine.

            It finds us on our way to work, school, or wherever we may go.

            It provokes us when we get to work, school, or wherever else we might be.

            It meets us again as we return to our homes.

            It tests us even as we retire to sleep.

Somebody once said, “Watch out for temptation–the more you see of it, the better it looks.”

This morning we began to look at the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ and we observed the nature of Christ’s temptation.

Hebrews 4:15–“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

We might think that even though there was no possibility of Jesus Christ truly being tempted to sin, that there is nothing that we can learn from how He handled this time of temptation.

However, we would be wrong.

I believe there are seven things we can learn about temptation as we look at Satan’s attempt to get Jesus to sin. Also there are three things we need to learn as we deal with temptation in our daily lives.

I.         SEVEN THINGS TO OBSERVE ABOUT TEMPTATION.

            1.         When We Are Tempted Of The Devil It Is Not Without The Knowledge Of God Or Without His Permission. (Luke 4:1; Matthew 4:1)

                        a.         The Holy Spirit Led Jesus In A Particular Direction.

                        b.         The Holy Spirit Led Jesus To A Particular Place.

                        c.         The Holy Spirit Led Jesus For A Particular Purpose.

God may lead us to and through times of testing and temptation, but He never tempts us to do evil.

James 1:13-14–“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

                        (e.g. The Testing Of Job – Job 1:9-12; 2:3-7)

            2.         Some Of Our Greatest Spiritual Peaks Are Often Followed By Times Of Greatest Testing And Temptation.

                        a.         Jesus Had Just Been Baptized. (Luke 4:1; Matthew 4:1– “Then”)

                        b.         Jesus Was Full Of The Holy Ghost. (Luke 4:1)

                        c.         Jesus Had Just Been Fasting. (Luke 4:2; Matthew 4:2)

                        d.         Jesus Was Just Beginning His Ministry.

(e.g. The Testing Of Job – He was a man that feared God and eschewed evil, he was the greatest of all the men of the east, he prayed and sacrificed for his family.)

                        e.g. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

            3.         The Devil Most Often Will Begin Temptation In The Area Of The Flesh At Which We Are The Most Weak Or Vulnerable. (Luke 4:2-3; Matthew 4:2-3)

                        After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was hungry!

We need to guard ourselves all the more in those times and in those areas that we know we are most susceptible to temptation.

            4.         The Devil Will Tempt Us To Command Things And Demand Things That God Never Intended For Us.

                        a.         He will tempt us to depend on self and its resources instead of on God and His resources. (Matthew 4:3; Luke 4:3)

                        b.         He will also tempt us to exercise self will in an area where there should be dependence on God.

1 Corinthians 10:31–“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Proverbs 3:5-6–“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

            5.         The Devil Will Tempt Us To Exalt Self And Tempt God With Our Life.

                        (Luke 4:9-12; Matthew 4:5-7)

                        e.g. Snake Handlers and their misuse of Mark 16:18. (Cf. Acts 28:3-6)

                        The devil says, “Go ahead and do it, the Lord will forgive you. Remember

                        1 John 1:9 ?”

            6.         The Devil Will Twist And Misquote Scripture In An Attempt To Get Us To Fall Into Temptation. (Cf. Above passage with Psalm 91:9-14)

                        a.          He leaves out important parts. (Part of Psalm 91:11)

                        b.          He takes Scripture out of context.

                                    (He quotes Psalm 91:11-12 but the context is Psalm 91:9-10; 13-14)

            7.         The Devil Will Tempt Us To Take Shortcuts To The Will Of God.

                        (Luke 4:5-7; Matthew 4:8-9)

We should remember that when we try to shortcut we most often end up getting cut short.

II.       HOW ARE WE TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION?

            A.        We Need To Awake To The Realization That Temptation Is A Part Of Life.

If the devil tried to tempt the the perfect, sinless Son of God, we can be assured that he and his forces will try to tempt the rest of us.

1 Peter 5:8–“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

                        To survive spiritual battles, we must first realize we are in a spiritual war!

Ephesians 6:12–“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

            B.        We Need To Look To Jesus As Our Example.

1 Peter 2:21–“21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

Hebrews 12:1-2–Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

                        So if Jesus is our example, then we need to resist temptation the same way He did.

                        (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10-11)

Psalms 119:11–“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

                        Psalms 119:105–“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Hebrews 4:12–“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

2 Timothy 2:15–“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

James 4:7–“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

                        That is what Jesus did!

                                    He submitted Himself to the Father.

He continually resisted the devil with the Word of God and the devil left Him.

                        We Need To Awake To The Realization That Temptation Is A Part Of Life.

                        We Need To Look To Jesus As Our Example.             

            C.        We Need To Look To God For Help In Our Temptation.

Ephesians 6:10-13–“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

1 Corinthians 10:13–“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Hebrews 2:17-18–“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

James 4:8–“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Conclusion

We all have the problem of temptation. How we come out of temptation depends on how we choose to handle temptation.

How are you handling temptation? Are you trying to go it alone? Or are you leaning on the resources that God has given to you? We have the example of Jesus. We have the whole armor of God. We have the Word of God. And we have Prayer. We have the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you can’t resist temptation in your life because you don’t have the Lord in your life?

It is impossible to draw near to God if you are at enmity with Him.

But Jesus has made a way for you to be reconciled to the Father. Through His shed blood for your sins, He has made away for you to be at peace with the Father through faith in what He has done for you!

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!