VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION
Study Text: James 1:12 – 16
Introduction:
- We are living in a day of relentless temptations by Satan. Never before has our adversary had such powerful technology with which to glamorize sin.
- Temptation on its own is not the same as sin. Sometimes being tempted makes us feel dirty, but temptation is not sin. Jesus was severely tempted, but that does not mean he was contaminated with the sin.
- While living a life well pleasing to God is the right way for everyone to live, we also need to understand that this makes you a prime target for satanic attack.
- The devil likes nothing better than to defeat, destroy and devastate real men and women of God, 1 Pet. 5:8.
- He isn’t too concerned about those who are merely nominal Christians, and who don’t live the life. He isn’t concerned about those who talk about Jesus but who don’t live like Him.
- He is after those who run hard after God. He wants those who want to live holy lives. He wants those who are in the fight! He wants you! A life lived for Jesus is a life that will be attacked, 2 Tim. 3:12.
- The remedy for this satanic attack through temptation is found in Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
- Before you give in to that temptation and do that thing that looks so enticing, take a moment to think about the consequences.
- What will happen to your testimony in the eyes of others when they find out? What will happen to your walk with the Lord? What will happen within yourself after discovering you have fallen into sin?
- We shall discuss the study under three sub-headings:
1. The Strategies of the Serpent
2. The Strength of the Saints
3. The Support of the Saviour
1. The Strategies of the Serpent
- Satan and his kingdom is a well-organized entity that make use of various strategies and approaches in tempting the believers. One or more of these strategies may be use at a given time.
i. The Enticement Strategy
- Satan will package the common and usual thing for you and present it as special. For instance, he makes married men and women to see another man or woman as special, leading to the sin of sexual immoralities.
- An example is that of Eve, the fruit she has been seeing in the garden, that she recognize so well as the one God said they should not eat, the Devil was able to make it look special and enticing to her.
ii. The Persistency Strategy
- The Devil sometimes persist in bringing multiple temptations at the same time, like the case of Jesus, or single temptation at several times, like the case of Joseph.
- Most believers that are able to resist one will eventually fall into the other, or those that are able to resist at one or two times, will eventually yield to the persistency.
- We should know that the Devil cannot be tired and does not give up on his business of looking for who to devour. As Christians, we have to be on guard at all times by watching and praying.
iii. The Deceiving Strategy
- The Devil, most of the time will hide his identity. As an angel of darkness, he will transform to look like the angel of light in order to deceive God’s people.
- The man of God from Judah was deceived by the old prophet that an angel of God had spoken to him to alter the initial instruction given to the man by God.
iv. The Despising Strategy
- This is when the Devil makes the people of God to feel that it does not really matter doing it, or to feel that other Christians are doing it. For instance, certain worldly dressing, singing and speaking.
- Some may even feel, it’s just this once, just for me to have my way at this time, and the Devil make them to despise their healthy relationship with God and their faithfulness to their parents or spouses.
- Esau felt it does not really matter if he loses the birthright, as long as he can be satisfied of an immediate hunger.
v. The Majority Strategy
- People are likely to judge something right by the acceptance of the majority, so the Devil makes use of this approach and make you feel that you can be the odd one out.
- When Michel was contacted by Ahab to bring a word from the Lord, some people told him that four hundred prophets have spoken similar thing, and his own should not be different.
- He struggled with this temptation and he initially followed the multitude. When he eventually spoke the truth, he was not believed and was even locked up for it.
v. The Secrecy Strategy
- The Devil make us feel comfortable to do something as long as nobody will find out, but will not make you to remember that all things are open before God.
- Ananias and Sapphira fell into the temptation because they planned to keep it secret and nobody could ever find out.
- Joseph overcame because he was able to remind himself that if no one finds out, God will know and will not be pleased with him.
vi. The Bargaining Strategy
- The Devil usually bargain with people by making them to see what they will gain by a single act of disobedience to the will of God. These include wealth, high positions, great favour etc.
- He told Jesus he will give Him all the riches of the world, just for Jesus to worship him.
vii. The Oppressive Strategy
- The Devil can bring a lot of afflictions and oppressions or pressures of life that will make the people of God to yield to sin out of fear and frustrations.
- The three Hebrew men were threatened to cast into a furnace of fire that its super-heated seven-fold.
2. The Strength of the Saints
- Temptation always comes to us based on the things we already want. Just like a fisherman baits his hook with the proper bait to attract to the kind of fish he wishes to catch, Satan baits the hook of temptation with the very worm he knows we will like.
- There is nothing we can do to prevent temptations from coming our way, but certain things will give us the strength to be victorious over temptations.
i. Trust in God
- First of all, you must realize that God is with you to help you! He will never leave you. He is your Strength. He is your Help. 1 John 4:4
- You are on the winning side. You have aligned yourself with Christ, who was victorious over sin and even death. Trust in him to help you.
ii. Be Humble
- As long as you are proud and think you can fight sins in your own strength, you will fail.
- When you think that you are so strong that sin cannot touch you, you set yourself up for a fall. We are strong only in the Lord, not in ourselves.
iii. Resist
- We need to resist the temptation. God is building your character. Every time you say "No" to a temptation, it will be that much easier to say "No" the next time you are tempted. James 4:7
- Don't play about with a sin, trying to enjoy it without getting hurt by it, but resist the temptation and move on.
iv. Flee
- There is a time to stand your ground and resist temptation. There is also a time to get as far away as you can from sources of temptation and, if possible, from the people who try to lead you astray.
- If you struggle with lust, for example, stay away from situations and pornography that enflame your lust.
- If you struggle with alcohol abuse or drug addiction, stay away from situations where you will be tempted and from people who are indulging in these vices.
- When you identify "triggers" or strong temptations that tend to lead you into sin, carefully avoid them.
"Flee from sexual immorality." (1 Corinthians 6:18) "Flee the evil desires of youth...." (2 Timothy 2:22)
v. Embrace Truth
- When we make Jesus Christ our ultimate authority and begin to follow his teachings, the beliefs that previously motivated us are exposed as falsehoods. (John 8:31-32)
- This is why Scripture reading is so important. Gradually, we begin to align each aspect of our lives with truth, which weakens the temptation.
- Scripture is helpful in times of temptation. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, he quoted Scripture to resist the temptation, saying: "It is written..." (Luke 4:1-13).
vi. Pray
- Of course, prayer is of great help in temptation, since it connects us directly with God by faith.
- In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for help when we are weak: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" or "from the evil one". Matthew 6:13
- In the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples who were nearby: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41)
vii. Love God and Embrace His Love for You
- When you believe that God loves you greatly, sin becomes the disappointing of the one you love, rather than the breaking of some impersonal rule or law.
- Love is the unique glory of Christianity. God loves you, even though you have sinned. Love is more powerful than temptation.
- With all the above qualities that give us strength to overcome temptation, we need to deal with temptation in a way that our victory will be certain:
i. Deal with it Immediately
- Don’t allow it to linger in your life and grow out of control. Get before God and ask for His help.
ii. Deal with it Realistically
- Understand that sin is more powerful than you are. It will destroy you if it has an opportunity. Do not give it that chance.
- Jesus said this to His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”, Matt. 26:41.
iii. Deal with it Ruthlessly
- Whatever you have to do to avoid the temptation is in order! Remember what Jesus said about this matter - Mark 9:43-48.
- Regardless of what you have to do, get away from it.
iv. Deal with it Consistently
- Learn to be consistent in your resistance. If you aren’t, you will be caught off guard and overcome.
v. Deal with it Confidently
- We have the Lord’s great promise in 1 Cor. 10:13. God will make a way of escape, just be sure you look for it! Most of us give into temptation, not because we can’t get out of it, but because we don’t want to get out of it.
3. The Support of the Saviour
- Some people even try to blame God for their sins, but God is not responsible for the things that tempt you.
- God tests His children, but He always sets the test up so that we can pass. Satan tempts us, but always to make us fail! Temptation is never from God!
- God knows we will be tempted of the Devil and permits all our temptations, but He had made provisions for our victories over all temptations.
i. He set Himself as Example
- He was tempted on every side, and He did not fall into any of the temptations. Looking at Him as our perfect example is a source of strength and support from Him.
ii. He gives us the Holy Spirit
- One of the reason we are baptized with the Holy Spirit is to have the power to say no to the Devil and resist all temptations to sin.
iii. He gives us a way of Escape
- He always make a way for us to escape victoriously in every temptation. 1 Cor. 10:13
- God will make a way out of temptation, but we must be active in finding the door out.
iv. Admonition by Biblical Saints
- All the stories of the Biblical saints who lived before we were born were written in the word of God for our admonitions and encouragement. They all passed through temptations and overcame.
- Learning about Joseph, Job, Paul and other apostles are one of the way our Saviour gives us support in times of temptations.
v. Reward for Overcomers
- Our Saviour has a lot of promises for us when we overcome. All these are to motivate us to resist temptations by His power so that we can receive the promises.
vi. Forgiveness of our sins
- But what if you do sin? What if you fall to temptation? Even when we sin after becoming Christians, there is forgiveness for us. Thank God! Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for all our sins - past, present, and future. (1 John 2:1-2).
- This is not to encourage us to continue in our sins, but we must always know the way back to our Saviour anytime we fall. Micah 7: 8
Conclusion:
- As a believer, Satan wants to trap you and he wants to destroy your life. If you are save today and you battle with temptation, know that there is help for you in the Lord. Get to Him and get away from the evil.
- If you are lost, don’t let Satan destroy your life! He will tell you that you don’t need Jesus or the church to make it to Heaven. Don’t listen to Him!
- If you need the Lord today, whether it be for salvation, forgiveness, help to fight temptation or to thank Him for a victory over sin in your life, get to God right now.
- Let go of the sin and the thought of the excitement temptation is promising you and get to God today, while there is time!
