Overcoming Temptation. Taken from www.thewordswithin.org Overcoming Temptation Is there any one here who has never been tempted? We are all tempted throughout our lives in one way or another. Temptation …More
Overcoming Temptation.
Taken from www.thewordswithin.org
Overcoming Temptation
Is there any one here who has never been tempted?
We are all tempted throughout our lives in one way or another.
Temptation comes in many forms.
Temptation is the world’s oldest problem.
It’s been around since the time of Adam & Eve in the garden.
We all have our weaknesses, in which we are often tempted to step over the boundary.
For some of you temptation may be in overeating, lust or a myriad of many other things.
We all have certain areas in our lives in which we need help to control.
The good news is that God wants to help you gain control of those areas of your life that you struggle with.
Temptation unfortunately, hinders & stops spiritual growth.
Example of Temptation
Here is an example of temptation and the result of what happens when we succumb to it.
Most of us have maybe done it ourselves as children, or know of someone who has.
You know the story.
Mom has just finished baking a fresh batch of your favorite cookies.
You walk into the kitchen drawn in by the luscious aroma of freshly baked cookies.
You mention to mom how wonderful it smells, hoping that she will offer you one to eat immediately.
But to your dismay, she tells you not to eat any. They are for lunch.
Mom steps out the door to check on the laundry.
Meanwhile you hang around the kitchen soaking in the aroma of your favorite cookie, still warm.
You pace around the kitchen constantly keeping the tray of cookies in your sight.
“Mmmmmm if I could only have just one”, you say to yourself.
“If I have only one, mom won’t notice.” You say to your self.
Gradually your feet begin to shuffle towards the cookies.
And before you know it, you have one in your mouth.
And as luck would have, who should walk into the kitchen just as you about to swallow.
Mom, being as moms usually are, asks the silly question, “What’s that cookie doing in your mouth?”
You look up at her and immediately try to find a quick logical answer that will get you off the hook.
And you reply;” Mom, I climbed up to the counter, and wouldn’t you know it. A cookie got stuck in my mouth.”
What’s the Good News?
The good news about temptation is that God had offered a way to overcome temptation.
1 Cor. 10:13 tells us “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.” (King James Version)
What this verse is saying is, that no matter what the temptation that you are faced with, you are not alone.
All of mankind faces the same problems.
All are tempted. Temptation is normal.
We are all tempted in the same ways.
But! That is not all.
There is still a comforting message in this verse. God promises us that He will help us out. He will not allow us to struggle with the temptation on our own. Nor will He allow us to be tempted with more than we can handle.
People will often say that they just couldn’t help it when they fell into temptation.
Not so. God says you can overcome any situation, regardless of the temptation.
God has given us everything we need to overcome temptation. If you yield to temptation, it is because you chose to do so.
We will look at how God helps us to overcome temptation a little later.
But first, let us look at some important facts about temptation.
Facts About Temptation
1. God tests us to develop our faith, our endurance and our character.
2. Satan tempts us to sin in order to destroy our lives & our relationship with God.
3. Temptation occurs when we feel compelled to satisfy or fulfill our God given desires in an ungodly & unlawful way.
Verse 12 of James chapter 1 says: ”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (King James Version)
Blessed in this verse is translated from the Greek word “mak-ar’-ee-os”, which literally means “ Happy”.
We therefore could translate this to say; “Happy is the man who endures temptation,”
Why so?
Because there is a reward for enduring temptation.
Happiness comes when you have your life under control.
Your life is under control when you no longer have sinful bad habits, which control your life.
When you are able to say no to temptation, you are a much happier person.
Our verse continues to say that there is “A Crown of Life” for those who endure, overcome temptation.
The reward for enduring and overcoming temptations is “Life”.
Life eternally and life now, a happy abundant life.
When you learn to say “NO” to temptation you begin to live life, as God wants us to.
The Question Now is; “How do I handle temptation?
How do I say no when I want to say yes?
James tells us how to conquer and overcome temptation.
The process begins, by first having an understanding of the problem of Temptation.
1. We need to understand the problem of temptation
The best way to defeat an enemy is to know them well & to know their strategies.
So in order to learn how to overcome temptation, we need to know all we can about it.
What is Temptation?
My Unger’s Bible Dictionary describes temptation as: “ …the enticement of a person to commit a sin by offering some seeming advantage.”
Another definition given is; “The solicitation or an invitation to do evil. It is an opportunity presented to you to do something wrong.”
For example it is good for you to pass a test in school. But, it is wrong if you cheated in order to pass the test.
The test may be the trial, but the decision to cheat is a “SIN”.
James himself in scripture gives the best definition we have about temptation.
He writes; ”But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”. (James 1:14. King James Version)
And continuing, verse 15; ”Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15. King James Version)
There are three sources of temptation.
They are Satan, the world, and the flesh.
We are exposed to them in every state, in every place, and in every time.
Temptation in actual fact comes from within.
It craves the gratification that is offered from without; then when it has conceived, it brings forth sin.
The contest of the regenerate man
There is a continual battle going on within every born again Christian.
The flesh is in constant opposition to the spirit of a regenerated man.
And at the same time the Holy Spirit is continually moving, enticing the new man to oppose the desires of the flesh.
The trials of the flesh however, come from without.
They are in the things the flesh sees and desires.
2. Let’s be realistic about our temptations!
The fact of the matter is as a Christian you will be tempted to sin.
We are all tempted to sin.
It is not a matter of if, is a matter of when.
Temptations are inevitable.
Every day, one way or the other, we are all tempted to sin.
You are never too old.
You do not over come it by becoming more spiritual.
The fact of the matter is, no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, or how close to God you are, we all are tempted to sin.
In fact, the closer you get to God, the more you will be tempted.
There is a common misconception among Christian that says, that once you are born again, you have got it all together.
Welcome to reality folks.
Can any of you say that you have got it all together?
I doubt it.
Do you remember what 1 Cor. 10:13 says; ”There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man” (NKJV)
You see, there it is, we’re all in the same boat.
We all have the same temptations, the same problems.
It is not a sin to be tempted. Temptation in itself is not a sin.
Heb. 4:15 tells us; “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (NKJV)
Jesus was perfect. He too was tempted. But he never gave in to temptation.
It is not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to give in to it.
Often times, many of us think things that pop into our minds without meaning to.
Where do these thoughts come from?
They come from the Devil himself.
It is not your fault.
But if you continue to dwell on these thoughts and act on them, then you have sinned.
3. How Does God Deliver Us from Temptation?
So how does God help us to be delivered from temptation?
Let me give you five ways in which God helps to deliver us from temptation.
1. Don’t let the devil bully you around
Eph. 6:10-11 says “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (King James Version)
Satan’s # 1 strategy is to intimidate you.
He does this first of all putting nasty thoughts into your mind and then tries to make you feel guilty about them
You know how it is.
You could be sitting in the church, just as you are now, and bang, just like that, suddenly some awful blasphemous thought pops into your head.
You don’t know where it came from. You didn’t spend time trying to draw up some nasty things to think of.
But the devil, ooooooh, he is a nasty little fellow.
He steps up on your shoulder and starts making you feel guilty about the very thoughts that he has put into your head.
You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.
Likewise, you cannot stop the devil from putting bad thoughts into your head, but you can reject them.
Guess what friends; you do not need to be feeling guilty about bad thoughts that pop into your mind.
It’s not your fault.
The only thing you can do about these bad thoughts is to reject them.
Don’t allow the devil to intimidate you; don’t let him bully you around.
Scripture tells us: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16. NKJV)
Temptation unfortunat…
Taken from www.thewordswithin.org
Overcoming Temptation
Is there any one here who has never been tempted?
We are all tempted throughout our lives in one way or another.
Temptation comes in many forms.
Temptation is the world’s oldest problem.
It’s been around since the time of Adam & Eve in the garden.
We all have our weaknesses, in which we are often tempted to step over the boundary.
For some of you temptation may be in overeating, lust or a myriad of many other things.
We all have certain areas in our lives in which we need help to control.
The good news is that God wants to help you gain control of those areas of your life that you struggle with.
Temptation unfortunately, hinders & stops spiritual growth.
Example of Temptation
Here is an example of temptation and the result of what happens when we succumb to it.
Most of us have maybe done it ourselves as children, or know of someone who has.
You know the story.
Mom has just finished baking a fresh batch of your favorite cookies.
You walk into the kitchen drawn in by the luscious aroma of freshly baked cookies.
You mention to mom how wonderful it smells, hoping that she will offer you one to eat immediately.
But to your dismay, she tells you not to eat any. They are for lunch.
Mom steps out the door to check on the laundry.
Meanwhile you hang around the kitchen soaking in the aroma of your favorite cookie, still warm.
You pace around the kitchen constantly keeping the tray of cookies in your sight.
“Mmmmmm if I could only have just one”, you say to yourself.
“If I have only one, mom won’t notice.” You say to your self.
Gradually your feet begin to shuffle towards the cookies.
And before you know it, you have one in your mouth.
And as luck would have, who should walk into the kitchen just as you about to swallow.
Mom, being as moms usually are, asks the silly question, “What’s that cookie doing in your mouth?”
You look up at her and immediately try to find a quick logical answer that will get you off the hook.
And you reply;” Mom, I climbed up to the counter, and wouldn’t you know it. A cookie got stuck in my mouth.”
What’s the Good News?
The good news about temptation is that God had offered a way to overcome temptation.
1 Cor. 10:13 tells us “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.” (King James Version)
What this verse is saying is, that no matter what the temptation that you are faced with, you are not alone.
All of mankind faces the same problems.
All are tempted. Temptation is normal.
We are all tempted in the same ways.
But! That is not all.
There is still a comforting message in this verse. God promises us that He will help us out. He will not allow us to struggle with the temptation on our own. Nor will He allow us to be tempted with more than we can handle.
People will often say that they just couldn’t help it when they fell into temptation.
Not so. God says you can overcome any situation, regardless of the temptation.
God has given us everything we need to overcome temptation. If you yield to temptation, it is because you chose to do so.
We will look at how God helps us to overcome temptation a little later.
But first, let us look at some important facts about temptation.
Facts About Temptation
1. God tests us to develop our faith, our endurance and our character.
2. Satan tempts us to sin in order to destroy our lives & our relationship with God.
3. Temptation occurs when we feel compelled to satisfy or fulfill our God given desires in an ungodly & unlawful way.
Verse 12 of James chapter 1 says: ”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (King James Version)
Blessed in this verse is translated from the Greek word “mak-ar’-ee-os”, which literally means “ Happy”.
We therefore could translate this to say; “Happy is the man who endures temptation,”
Why so?
Because there is a reward for enduring temptation.
Happiness comes when you have your life under control.
Your life is under control when you no longer have sinful bad habits, which control your life.
When you are able to say no to temptation, you are a much happier person.
Our verse continues to say that there is “A Crown of Life” for those who endure, overcome temptation.
The reward for enduring and overcoming temptations is “Life”.
Life eternally and life now, a happy abundant life.
When you learn to say “NO” to temptation you begin to live life, as God wants us to.
The Question Now is; “How do I handle temptation?
How do I say no when I want to say yes?
James tells us how to conquer and overcome temptation.
The process begins, by first having an understanding of the problem of Temptation.
1. We need to understand the problem of temptation
The best way to defeat an enemy is to know them well & to know their strategies.
So in order to learn how to overcome temptation, we need to know all we can about it.
What is Temptation?
My Unger’s Bible Dictionary describes temptation as: “ …the enticement of a person to commit a sin by offering some seeming advantage.”
Another definition given is; “The solicitation or an invitation to do evil. It is an opportunity presented to you to do something wrong.”
For example it is good for you to pass a test in school. But, it is wrong if you cheated in order to pass the test.
The test may be the trial, but the decision to cheat is a “SIN”.
James himself in scripture gives the best definition we have about temptation.
He writes; ”But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”. (James 1:14. King James Version)
And continuing, verse 15; ”Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15. King James Version)
There are three sources of temptation.
They are Satan, the world, and the flesh.
We are exposed to them in every state, in every place, and in every time.
Temptation in actual fact comes from within.
It craves the gratification that is offered from without; then when it has conceived, it brings forth sin.
The contest of the regenerate man
There is a continual battle going on within every born again Christian.
The flesh is in constant opposition to the spirit of a regenerated man.
And at the same time the Holy Spirit is continually moving, enticing the new man to oppose the desires of the flesh.
The trials of the flesh however, come from without.
They are in the things the flesh sees and desires.
2. Let’s be realistic about our temptations!
The fact of the matter is as a Christian you will be tempted to sin.
We are all tempted to sin.
It is not a matter of if, is a matter of when.
Temptations are inevitable.
Every day, one way or the other, we are all tempted to sin.
You are never too old.
You do not over come it by becoming more spiritual.
The fact of the matter is, no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, or how close to God you are, we all are tempted to sin.
In fact, the closer you get to God, the more you will be tempted.
There is a common misconception among Christian that says, that once you are born again, you have got it all together.
Welcome to reality folks.
Can any of you say that you have got it all together?
I doubt it.
Do you remember what 1 Cor. 10:13 says; ”There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man” (NKJV)
You see, there it is, we’re all in the same boat.
We all have the same temptations, the same problems.
It is not a sin to be tempted. Temptation in itself is not a sin.
Heb. 4:15 tells us; “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (NKJV)
Jesus was perfect. He too was tempted. But he never gave in to temptation.
It is not a sin to be tempted, but it is a sin to give in to it.
Often times, many of us think things that pop into our minds without meaning to.
Where do these thoughts come from?
They come from the Devil himself.
It is not your fault.
But if you continue to dwell on these thoughts and act on them, then you have sinned.
3. How Does God Deliver Us from Temptation?
So how does God help us to be delivered from temptation?
Let me give you five ways in which God helps to deliver us from temptation.
1. Don’t let the devil bully you around
Eph. 6:10-11 says “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (King James Version)
Satan’s # 1 strategy is to intimidate you.
He does this first of all putting nasty thoughts into your mind and then tries to make you feel guilty about them
You know how it is.
You could be sitting in the church, just as you are now, and bang, just like that, suddenly some awful blasphemous thought pops into your head.
You don’t know where it came from. You didn’t spend time trying to draw up some nasty things to think of.
But the devil, ooooooh, he is a nasty little fellow.
He steps up on your shoulder and starts making you feel guilty about the very thoughts that he has put into your head.
You cannot keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.
Likewise, you cannot stop the devil from putting bad thoughts into your head, but you can reject them.
Guess what friends; you do not need to be feeling guilty about bad thoughts that pop into your mind.
It’s not your fault.
The only thing you can do about these bad thoughts is to reject them.
Don’t allow the devil to intimidate you; don’t let him bully you around.
Scripture tells us: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16. NKJV)
Temptation unfortunat…