You Can Overcome Temptation
You are a threat to the enemy’s kingdom of darkness. This means he’s going to throw everything in his arsenal at you to keep you from advancing the kingdom of God. Including temptation.
What is Temptation?
Temptation is an incitement to disobey the Word of God.
Here are some important facts about temptation:
- We are all tempted. Even Jesus, who is both fully God and fully man, faced temptation. (Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 4:15)
- God does not tempt us. He may allow us to face temptation, but only so our faith can be tested so that we may grow. (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
- You will never be tempted in a way with which God is unfamiliar. (1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15).
- God promises to give you a way out of the temptation you face. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- If you give into temptation, you are not unloved or unsaved. (Romans 8:1; 38-39)
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
How to Endure
Scripture promises us that we are not hopeless or helpless against temptation.
Jesus shows us how to fight temptation in Matthew 4, right after He’d spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness. The first lesson we can take from this situation is that we are most vulnerable to temptation when we are hungry, exhausted and in isolation.
Jesus was in this position because He was preparing Himself for His earthly ministry, which shows us that we can be doing good things for God and face temptation. In fact, we can take some encouragement from this: we are most likely to be tempted when we are about to be used by God to do great things for His kingdom. Perhaps that is why God allows us to be tempted, so that our faith is strong enough for what is coming.
The next thing we can learn is that we can use Scripture to fight against temptation.
When Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread to quench His physical hunger, Jesus answered with Deuteronomy 8: 3, “man does not live on bread alone, but on the Word of God.”
In the devil’s second attempt to tempt Jesus, we are warned Satan knows Scripture too and will use it to cause confusion. He used Psalm 91:11-12 to try to convince Jesus to throw Himself off the highest point of the Holy Temple.
Jesus shows us that we must know Scripture better than Satan does by answering him with Deuteronomy 6:16, “do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Finally, the enemy appealed to Jesus the man’s desires, promising to give Him authority over all the kingdoms of the world–without having to endure the cross. How appealing this must have been to Jesus who knew His earthly ministry was to end with His sacrifice!
But, Jesus knew that God’s will–even if it includes suffering–is still better than whatever the devil has to offer. He used Scripture a third time to dispel Satan quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
ARMOR
Next time you are tempted, consider the acronym A.R.M.O.R.:
A – Acknowledge God, His power and His promises. Most importantly, acknowledge that you cannot overcome temptation without Him.
R – Rely on the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you!
M – Meditate on God’s Word. Hide it in your heart so it may be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. (Psalm 119:105)
O – ask Others for help. A trusted member of your faith family can hold you accountable against sin you know you are likely to fall too.
R – Replace lies with God’s truth. When Adam and Eve hide from God in the Garden of Eden after eating the fruit, God asks them, “who told you that you were naked and to be ashamed?” We can ask the same question in the face of temptation. If what we’re being told doesn’t align with the character and Word of God, it’s most likely a lie from the enemy.
Inspired by message four of Mt. Bethel Church’s BATTLE sermon series, entitled, “Overcoming Temptation” by Pastor Gaylyn Kelly. You can listen to the message here.You can also subscribe to get access to the study guide that accompanies this series here.