Dealing With Temptation

What is temptation?

From the Greek (peirazo) To try or prove by solicitation to sin.

From Webster’s: To entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong or immoral.

What is the difference between a trial and a temptation?

A trial comes from without, temptation comes from within.

Temptation does not come from God but from our own desires.

What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander,
arrogance and folly (Mark 7:20-22)

When tempted no man can say “God tempted me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He
tempt anyone; but each one is tempted, when, by his own evil desire, he is drawn away and
enticed.(James 1:13-14)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within
you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.
You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not
receive, because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (Ja.
4:1-3)

Our focus is critical. Focusing on the earthly instead of the spiritual invites temptation (Ro. 6:8-13,
Col. 3:1-4, Matt. 6:19-24, 19:16-22, Luke 12:13-15, 10:38-42, Gal. 5:16-17, 1 John 2:15, James 4:4)

Three Types of Temptation

(Matt. 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 the temptation of Jesus, 1 John 2:16)

1. Lusts of the flesh

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, when it is full-grown, its , it gives birth
to death.” (James 1:15)

2. Lust of the eyes (Gen 3:6, Eve)

(Lot’s land choice, Gen. 13:5-13, David watches Bathsheba, 2Sam. 11:2-5)

3. Pride of life

The temptation to rely on your own power vs. on God

When a hungry, fasting Jesus was encouraged by Satan to turn stones into bread he
declined and instead quoted from Deut. 8:3, “He humbled you, causing you to hunger
and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor fathers had known, to teach
you that man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the
mouth of the Lord.”

Temptation involves an invitation to forget who we are and what is at stake.

 The woman or man involved in an act of adultery forgets she is a wife or he is a husband

The athlete who is arrested for drug use forgets he is a roll model.

The allurement of sin and the appeal of temptation are seldom viewed in light of their devastating and
injurious consequences! Temptation offers temporary satisfaction at the price of eternal consequences.

Overcoming Temptation
.
Choose to Resist (Fight or Flee)

Prov. 5:8 "Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of their house."
James 4:7-8 "Submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to
God and he will come near to you"
1 Pe. 5:8-9 - "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."
Eph. 6:11 - "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
2 Tim. 2:22 - "Flee the evil desires of youth...”
REMEMBER - He who tampers with sin is virtually certain to fall sooner or later. (ex. Samson -
Judges 13-17).
Against lust of the flesh, the most reliable technique is flight! (1 Cor. 6:18)

Rely on God's strength (Pray)

2 Pe. 2:9- "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation."
1 Cor 10:12-13, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 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."
Heb. 2:18 - "He is able to help those who are being tempted."
1 John 4:4 - "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."
2 Chron. 20:12, 15, 17 - "..O our God, we have no power to face this vast army that is
attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. ..Listen...This is what
the LORD says to you: `Do not be afraid or discouraged.. For the battle is not yours but
God's...Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you."
Jude 24-25 - God is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious
presence without fault..."

Gain an intimate familiarity with God’s Word

Ps 119:9-11 "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee"