Overcoming Temptation: Discovering How To Reign In Life
Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17)
INTRODUCTION:
Whether it’s anger, insecurity, fear, low self-esteem, lust, infidelity, pride, financial problems due to over spending, laziness, unbearable marriages, broken parent-child relationships or being over weight, ALL of us have personal struggles in our lives!
In dealing with these difficulties in our lives, however, we have a choice:
We can either allow our issues to crush us, suffocate us and destroy any sense of personal dignity or self-worth, OR we can allow them to be a constant reminder of just how desperately we must depend on God’s faithfulness and grace in our lives.
Example: tennis ball vs. play dough
We are all affected by the storms and struggles of life. The question to consider is how are you going to respond? Like a tennis ball or play dough? You see, when you put pressure on play dough, it leaves a lasting imprint. Everybody can tell that is has been tampered with because of the mark it left. However, when you put pressure on a tennis ball, although it initially caves into the stress, it doesn’t remain in that condition. It always bounces back to its original shape. How do you respond to the pressures and struggles of life?
2 Corinthians 12:9
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Weakness – to restrain corrupt desires, to bear trials and troubles
The Message
My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.
Too many times we focus on the problem, the weakness, the struggle, instead of appreciating the gift of grace….
1 Cor. 10:13
But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
The MSG
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
The bottom line is that it’s really just a matter of comparisons:
I am going to compare my problem to my ability to handle it, OR
Compare the situation to God’s power, provision and promises in my life.
Ex. David vs. Goliath
David didn’t compare himself to Goliath;
He compared Goliath to His God. and said:
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, BUT I come against YOU in the name of the LORD Almighty, God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied.”
(1 Sam. 17:45 NIV)
YOU MUST USE YOUR WEAPONS
2 Cor. 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every high thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Arguments – sickness will argue with your healing, lack will argue with your provision, stress will argue with your peace, discouragement will argue with your joy, strife will argue with the love of God….
Ephesians 6:10-18
1. TRUTH – your greatest ally (favorite line in A Few Good Men)
You must know the truth about the situation, yourself, others, etc. discern
John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
MSG
But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.
(Example: Susan with arthritis; marriage devil or principles; business prayer or not discerning the market; stock market)
2. Righteousness – (Rom. 8:1 – no condemnation; 2 Cor. 5:21)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1)
MSG
With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)
3. Walk in the good news of peace. (Rom. 5:1)
Peace is not the absence of conflict – it’s the assurance of victory. (Mark 4:38 Jesus asleep on a pillow)
And let the peace from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds. (Col. 3:15 amp)
4. The shield of Faith
All things are possible with God…
(Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing shall be impossible! Vs. 38 Mary said – let it be to me according to Your Word)
All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23)
5. Renewing Your Mind (Helmet of Salvation – change the way you think)
Must think differently than the world…the world avoids the problem, talks too much about the problem…
Rom. 12:2
2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
NLT
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
You will NEVER know what God wants you to do and how good, satisfying and fulfilling that really is until you change the way you think – line up your thinking within the parameters of God’s Word.
MSG
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
6. The Word of God
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11)
MSG
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Matthew 4 – Jesus said IT IS WRITTEN
7. Praying in the Spirit
Jude 20
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Rom. 8:26-28)
