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Basics: Temptation

Thursday Evening Bible Study

March 11, 2021

Today’s topic is about Temptation

Webster defines “temptation” as –

“the act of tempting or the state of being tempted especially to evil”

We like to think of temptation as something that comes from outside of us, as when the devil comes to “tempt” us.

But James writes,

(James 1:14–15 NLT) —14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Each of us has a “sin nature”. And that sin nature just loves to sin.

When we became born again, that sin nature lost its absolute power over us, but it is still around and it still loves to sin.

I wish I could share with you the three magic keys that will always keep you from sinning, but it’s really much more complicated than that.

I’m not going to be able to give you the complete guide to counter temptation, but I will share with you a few things I’ve learned that will help.

Help with Temptation

1. Flee

Four different times Paul writes in his epistles that we are to “flee” temptation.

Paul wrote one such exhortation to his young protégé Timothy:

(2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV) Flee … youthful lusts…

(1 Timothy 6:11 NKJV)

(1 Corinthians 10:14 NKJV)

(1 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV)

We need to flee from temptation.

As much as is possible, get as far away as you can from the thing that is tempting you.

Look for the exit

(1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

There are lots of truths in this verse.

Your temptation isn’t unique – everyone is tempted.

You can always count on God to be there to help, He is faithful.

He knows what you can handle – He won’t let the temptation be more than you can handle.

He will provide a way out – a way of escape.

A “way of escape” doesn’t mean God will send in a Navy SEAL team to rescue you, but that there will be an opportunity for you to walk away.

It may be an interruption, something as simple as your phone ringing – even a unwanted telemarketer – something to get your mind momentarily off the temptation.

It may be a Scripture verse you’ve been working on that suddenly comes to mind.

It may be that still, small voice reminding you to “flee”.

But there will be an exit.

It’s important that we not only look for the exit, but we take it.

There’s a story in 1Samuel 23 where crazy King Saul has his army chasing down David, intent on killing David.

They are out in the wilderness, with Saul on one side of a mountain and David on the other side. Saul is closing in on David when Saul is suddenly called away to fend off a Philistine invasion.

David sees his opportunity to get away, and he does just that.

He doesn’t stay and wait for Saul to come back, David leaves the place where he was trapped.

(1 Samuel 23:28 NKJV) Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

When you see the exit, be sure to take it. Flee temptation.

Don’t stay too close to the edge

2. Resist

There are some things that you just can’t “flee” from.

One of those is Satan.

So here the principle isn’t to “flee”, but to take a stand.

(James 4:7 NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Greg Laurie likes to say, “When the doorbell rings, you answer the door, and Satan is standing there on your front porch, turn around and say, “Jesus, it’s for You!”

The only way we can “resist” Satan is when Jesus is at our side.

3. Anger

(Ephesians 4:26–27 NKJV) —26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

Anger isn’t necessarily a sin. The problem with anger is what you do with it.

If you don’t learn to work your way through anger, it will fester inside of you like an infected wound.

The real trouble with anger comes later, when you’ve let the infection go unchecked.

Anger and resentment provide a handle, a place where the devil can hold on to you.

Illustration

I have been working very diligently to get a Covid vaccination.

Last Monday I thought I had finally scored an appointment to get my first shot.

My appointment was yesterday up in Pomona, but when I got there, I was turned away because they were only giving shots to residents of L.A. county, not Orange county.

Boy oh boy was I frustrated. Mad. Angry. Depressed.

I found myself struggling with all kinds of things yesterday afternoon, all sorts of temptations floated in my head.

I know it all came from my being angry.

To be honest, one of the things that helped me shut those temptations down was knowing that I was going to be teaching this class … on temptation. It was knowing that I was going to see you all in a few hours.

Don’t give the enemy a foothold. Deal with your anger.

4. Bible

We’ve already been acquainted with –

(Psalm 119:11 NKJV) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

God’s Word is one of our most effective tools when it comes to resisting temptation.

Jesus relied on God’s Word when He faced His own time of temptation.

(Matthew 4:1–10 NKJV) —1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

For Jesus, temptation came during a time of weakness.

Don’t get me wrong, we can also be tempted when we are strong, but …

Sometimes when we are tired, sick, or hungry, don’t be surprised if you find yourself being tempted.

3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus’ first temptation was connected to His weakness at the time – hunger.

Yet Jesus was prepared for this temptation.

Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, where the Israelites were in the wilderness.

The Israelites had been without food, and God provided the miracle of the “manna” in the wilderness.

It wasn’t really the manna that had sustained them, but it was God answering their need with His provision – He spoke – they were learning to live by what came out of God’s mouth – His word.

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

The second temptation came out of a twisting of Scripture.

Satan took a promise from Psalm 91 and used it to tempt Jesus to “jump”.

Jesus recognized this as “testing God”, testing the Father, and Jesus again quotes from Deuteronomy (6:16), when the Israelites in the wilderness had been grumbling and testing God’s patience.

Jesus was not going to do that.

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Jesus knew He was the Messiah, the coming “king”.

Satan was giving Jesus a shortcut, but with a little string attached – Jesus needed to worship Satan.

Jesus again quoted from Deuteronomy (6:13).

He would bow before no one except the Father.

Jesus knew the Scriptures. He understood the principles in the Bible and knew how they applied to His life. He used them to resist temptation.

5. Prayer

On Jesus’ last night before His arrest and crucifixion, He turned to prayer.

He was being tested on whether He would do what the Father was asking Him – to lay down His life.

Jesus also asked His disciples to pray at that time as well.

But instead of praying, they slept.

(Matthew 26:40–41 NKJV) —40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

It seems that prayer is something we can do before we are tempted, as a way of preparing us for the times we are being tempted.

And when we are tempted, prayer is how we ask for His help.

The writer of Hebrews said,

(Hebrews 2:18 NKJV) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus knows what you are going through. He knows how to help.

(Hebrews 4:15–16 NKJV) —15 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. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Come to Jesus for help. His is a throne of grace, not of condemnation.

6. Fellowship

(Hebrews 3:12–13 NKJV) —12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

We talked last week about how God did not design us to be “Lone Rangers”.

We need each other.

One of the purposes of having strong Christian relationships is to help us with temptations.

If I’m left to myself, I can pretty much talk myself into just about anything.

Though I might be on a diet, I might tell myself that just a “little” ice cream wouldn’t hurt, would it?

We like to hide behind our excuses for sin like a kid hides under the covers.

This is why we need people in our lives who are close enough to know us, and who are loving enough and bold enough to “pull our covers”.

This is the kind of thing that a healthy twelve step program can provide.

These are the kinds of Christian relationships you need to develop.

But it only works when you let people into your life, when they are close enough to you to see when you are struggling, and they are loving enough to confront you.

It’s a good thing to have your pastor pray for you, but let me tell you a secret – your pastor probably doesn’t know you well enough to “pull your covers” like you need.

Look for people who will walk through life with you.

7. Holy Spirit

When you read through Romans 6-8, you will find some great tidbits when it comes to sin, it’s power over us, and some of Paul’s ways of dealing with temptation.

In a way it’s kind of encouraging to see that even the apostle Paul struggled with sin (Romans 7), but the true gems lie in Romans 8 where Paul turns his focus on the work of the Holy Spirit.

One verse that is particularly helpful is:

(Romans 8:6 NLT) So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

Your mind is one of the key battlegrounds for temptation.

If my mind is focused on fleshly, sinful things, I’m going to struggle with temptation.

But if I learn to focus on the Holy Spirit, allow the Spirit to fill and influence me, then I will find life and peace.

Learn to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit.

8. Confession

As hard as we might work on finding victory over temptation, the truth is we still have a sin nature, and we will from time to time commit sin.

Hopefully we will find lasting victory over those big, evil, repetitive sins.

Yet after we conquer those “big sins”, we will find that there’s still lots of work left to do in our lives.

We need to know the value of confession.

We need to admit to God that we’ve sinned.

(1 John 1:9 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

You may feel like God is not going to forgive you anymore, that somehow you’ve used up your last “get out of jail free” card.

That’s not true.

The blood of Jesus can cleanse from all sin.

We also need to learn the value of confessing to people.

(James 5:16 NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

There are going to be times in our lives when we need to be open and honest with other people about our failures.

If we’ve hurt another person, we need to confess to them and ask for their forgiveness.

Sometimes we need to admit our sins to others because we are caught in a particularly difficult sin, and we need help to get out of it.