Oscar Wilde, an Irish playwright, is famous for quipping “I can resist anything except temptation.”
His solution to get rid of temptation: “give in to it!”
How can we resist temptation? Beyond that, how can we overcome it? It’s too important to settle for a Wilde guess.
We all know the feeling … it gets so discouraging to give in, give in, to the same old sin.
In the last few weeks it hit me that having the goal of resisting temptation is not enough.
That is setting us up for failure in the same old spin cycle. If we’re only thinking about resisting, we’ve already given ourselves permission to fail eventually. “I’m trying, God.” “Yes, you certainly are!”
The Borgs were notorious for taunting “Resistance is futile” but who didn’t know Jean Luc & the Starship Enterprise would not only resist but defeat them!
Jesus Christ told the seven churches of Revelation that we must overcome. He promised rewards for those who hear and overcome! So I want to give you a plan for claiming some of those rewards!
Let’s look at the Bible process for resisting temptation but also being victorious over it.
* Diligent faithful daily mindset
“Hey, Adam, what do you think about her? I made her just for you right from your own body!”
“Well I think you goofed up, she’s not like me! . . . I like her!”
“Well you two, you’re married now.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You’ll find out. It’s gonna be great!”
“I’ll leave you two alone now. We’ll spend a great Sabbath tomorrow.
And then you’ll have a surprise visitor Sunday morning.”
Talk about a whirlwind day, full of Gala events.
Adam & Eve didn’t have much of a chance to be ready for temptation.
The foundational key, for us, is the regular mindset we have day in and day out.
We want the mind of Christ—Philippians 2:5 which is a victorious mindset!
The key is diligently and regularly using the 5 tools in our spiritual toolbox: prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation—and one recently being added: worshiping together and fellowship.
Matthew 6:13—We need to pray daily as Jesus taught in His model prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [the evil one]”
All of us would probably say: “Lead us not into temptation. I can find the way myself!”
I find myself underestimating satan’s deception and influence.
Satan is the source of evil and the primary instigator of sin. The tempter!
We picture deliverance from Satan and his demons in the Day of Atonement this coming Monday, Sept. 25.
James 4:7-8—Resist satan by drawing close to God! How can we really resist a roaring lion standing right in front of us—uncaged? Don’t be a straggler. The Greek word for “resist”=anthistemi means stand against or oppose. But we can think we might not succeed at that. We’ll try. We’ll resist. The best translation is: withstand! Victory! Overcome!
Ephesians 4:22-24 Daily we need renewed by God the Father & Jesus Christ living in us through Their Spirit of self-control so that we are so occupied with doing God’s ways that we don’t have time to be tempted to flout them.
When we set our heart on the things above (Colossians 3:1), then our interests in “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) diminish.
* Consider the consequences
“You shall not surely die”
“Well, that cute talking snake says if we eat this every day, we’ll be healthy and live forever.
I don’t see any doctors around here!”
[Note: Bible doesn’t say the tempting fruit was an apple]
Our sins caused Jesus to suffer and die and it earns eternal death for us.
Sin adds grief, subtracts faith, multiplies trouble and divides brethren! Most of us don’t do so well with math, just like we don’t do so well with sin!
But we won’t have to worry so much about defending from and intercepting “the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25) if we’re moving steadily downfield toward the goal line.
Yes, to have victory over temptation, we need to consider the negative consequences. Yes, but
Far more powerful is dwelling on the wonderful, positive results of doing right
Powerful is the joy of pleasing God!
David wished: May all my thoughts, all the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You (Psalm 19:14, 104:34).
Here’s a thought we should be thinking: Luke 12:32—“Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
When I was going out-of-state to college, my mother was worried about me drinking, even though she knew it would be in moderation. I promised her I would wait until age 21 to ever have any alcohol. Doing that to make my mother happy was such a stronger pull that motivated me long past the deadline.
In one class the instructor Les Stocker asked for reasons to avoid pre-marital sex, and the class dutifully contributed the usual penalties for messing up.
I was barely staying awake.
The instructor jolted me to attention when he turned the age-old temptation problem in a completely positive direction: He said the reason to avoid pre-marital sex is so you can have a wonderful wedding and night! You would never know what you denied yourself if you didn’t make it to that glorious day.
Our mindset must be to avoid bad consequences and pursue good results that make God, mate, family and others happy.
But we also must physically avoid sin.
* Don’t go near her house
Adam and Eve standing right under the branches
of the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
while talking with the serpent.
They should’ve been standing under the Tree of Life.
Proverbs 4:14-15 says whatever sin might be the issue, don’t go down her path.
If we want to be resurrected into God’s House of rising sons … and daughters, don’t go near “The House of the Rising Sun!” We have to choose the right Doors.
If you can’t resist gluttony with ice cream, chuckle when now deceased humor author Erma Bombeck says “If I had it to do over, I’d eat more ice cream!” In the Great White Throne Judgment, I plan to offer her some Haagen Dazs! But if instead of gluten-free, you have to concern yourself with glutton-free, don’t keep Haagen Dazs in your frig!
In spite of all attempts to keep a lid on it, suddenly temptation’s in front of you! And starting to melt if you don’t lick it!
* The most important step I keep overlooking
“Eve, we should go ask God.”
“Oh, we can trust this cute talking snake!
“All the time we’ve been here,
I’ve had my eyes on this scrumptious looking fruit!”
James 1:13-15—God’s not tempting you. We are tempted by the three hissing S’s: Self, Satan and Society.
.
We absolutely need God’s help to resist and conquer these three sources.
Matthew 26:41—Jesus advises us to keep watching and praying that we enter not into temptation, and He set the example. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not rely on Himself though He was God in the flesh (John 5:30). He prayed for one hour, then He prayed again, and then again—and He would have kept on praying—until He had His will in total submission to God’s.
Rom. 12:1-2—“that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Remember the popular TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” At the moment of highest tension, Regis Philbin would ask “Is that your final answer?” Jesus’ answer to His final test must be our answer in temptation: “Your will be done, not mine!”
On the show, a contestant could call on a lifeline. Jesus is our lifeline, and we must call on Him at the moment of temptation.
What makes us think we can resist on our own power! Too often it’s because we at the moment of weakness we don’t really want to turn away.
It’s sad to admit but sometimes: Yes, I should cry out to God for His help! Wait!—not yet. Let me just stick my toes in the water. I’ll stop when I see the line in the shifting sand. What riptide?
In “The Pattern of Failure—Lessons from 246 Pastors Who Fell Within 2 Year Period,” Garrett Kell warns, “If you flirt with sin, you will fall into sin. Sin’s slope is slippery. The longer you walk along the edge of the abyss, the more likely that your feet will sllip . . . The men in the study put themselves in dangerous situations again and again.”
At the first hint you are being tempted, immediately cry out to God!
This is the step in the temptation process where I usually fail.
* What Christ did to resist and overcome temptation
“Hasn’t God said you can’t eat of every tree of the garden?”
“No, He says we can eat of any of them except this one”
Matthew 4 when being tempted by Satan, in every case Jesus did not hesitate, reason or listen to angels debating on His shoulder.
There was a poor country pastor dismayed by his wife splurging on a $350 dress.
Wife: The Devil whispered to me “You look great in that dress. You should buy it!”
Pastor: At first temptation you should have commanded “Get behind me, Satan!”
Wife: I did but then he said it looks great from the back, too!
Jesus did not discuss with Satan!
Jesus decisively answered Satan’s lures with “It is written …” Jesus knew His Bible! He inspired every word of it (2 Timothy 3:16), He lived it, and He wielded it (Hebrews 4:12)!
Psalm 119:11 instructs “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
The Bible notes Satan’s three best shots at Christ.
At the end of the third temptation, Jesus commands “away with you Satan!”
But Satan did not wait until the end of 40 days. Luke 4:2 says Jesus was tempted 40 days.
Satan must have thrown some other tempting offers: “Hey, aren’t you the one who said it’s not good for a man to be alone? 3-1/2 years with those stinky fishermen is gonna get old real fast!”
Jesus’ victory over Satan’s temptations should fire up our resolve.
Heb. 4:14-15—“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted (tested) as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5—“bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”
I Corinthians 10:13 Paul warns us, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. [Samson, strongest man in Bible, Solomon wisest, David man after God’s own heart all gave in to sexual temptation.]
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.”
* Flee!
Adam & Eve should’ve said
We’re outta here before God said you’re outta here!
Verse 14—Paul added “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
What tempts you regularly … is it an idol for you? Anything that comes between you and God? Anything you put before God in time, money and priority? We all have some idols to smash!
The classic story about fleeing temptation is in Genesis 39:9. Joseph was stuck in Potiphar’s palace as a slave. He did what he could to stay far from Mrs. Potiphar because day in and day out she would plead with him: come lie with me. Joseph knew she wasn’t talking about: you tell one and I’ll tell one.
He’d tell her what she had in mind would be sin. When she grabbed him by his tunic, Joseph wriggled out like Houdini and fled! When you flee, leave no forwarding address!
* Counsel with a minister or trusted friend, church member or accountability partner
If we follow these biblical instructions, we can resist and conquer any temptation.
We can … but when we fail …
I John 1:8-10 While we’re in the flesh, before being resurrected, John says if we say we have no sin, we lie and know not the truth. God be thanked:
God is ready to forgive (Psalm 86:5)!
The Prodigal Father pictures God the Father. That he spotted his prodigal son when he was yet far away shows how much his mind was on his wayward son and longing for his return so He could restore their relationship.
So there is one more step in the process the Bible gives for resisting & conquering temptation:
* Repent and yield to God’s forgiveness
Temptation exposes our real selves. C.S. Lewis observed “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.”
Tempted is translated from the Greek word perirazo meaning “to test, try, prove.” You won’t overcome the full force of temptation until you hang in there long enough.
1 Peter 5:10—“But may the God of all grace, who called us to is eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you”
Jude 24, New International Version—“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy”
The Church of God today must do as Christ told all seven of the Churches of Revelation: overcome!
We must not only resist temptation but crush it into oblivion:
Remember how God had ordered Israel to kill all the inhabitants of Canaan when they entered the Promised Land lest they would intermarry and yield to the temptations of the pagan gods.
David in Psalm 18: 37-38, 42—“I did not stop until they were conquered. I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet . . . I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them under the gutter like dirt”
In 2 Kings 13:14-19 Elisha told the king of Israel Joash to take his arrows and strike the ground. So he struck three times only. “And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck 5 or 6 times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it.”
If only we will follow these steps I’ve given you of the Bible’s complete process for not only resisting temptation but overcoming it.
Romans 8:37—“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
“I send [my word] out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Isaiah 55:11
18 FREE eBooks (pdfs) to read, download or print
- “Building the Family of God” (179 pages)
- “Christ, Our Passover Lamb Has Been Sacrificed for Us. So Let Us Celebrate the Festival” (26 pages)
- “The Days of Unleavened Bread” (32 pages)
- “The Feast of Pentecost—Jesus Christ is building His Church of firstfruits to live by the power of the Holy Spirit” (22 pages)
- “The Feast of Trumpets: A Turning Point for Human History & a Turning Point for Us” (25 pages)
- “Yes, I Want to Be Aligned with God’s Will” (13 pages)
- “NAHUM: Justice for God’s Enemies, Comfort & Deliverance for His People, A Lesson for Us All” (19 pages)
- “Now Concerning Spiritual Gifts, Brethren, I Would Not Have You Be Ignorant” (12 pages)
- “The New Earth—with Its New Jerusalem and New Phase of the Kingdom of God” (16 pages)
- “Is Your Name Written in the Book of Life?” (11 pages)
- “MEEKNESS: For Those Who Want to Be Blessed & Have the Power of God” (12 pages)
- “What Is the Key of David?” (9 pages)
- “Leading Us to Our Glorious Destiny” (10 pages)
- “What the Book of Zechariah Means for Us Today” (14 pages)
- “Few Know God’s Complete Financial System & Are Being Blessed for Keeping It” (10 pages)
- “How to Pray More Effectively” (27 pages)
- “What the Bible Teaches About How to Fast More Effectively” (19 pages)
- “Lazarus & the Rich Man—What Does This Most-Misunderstood Parable Really Teach?” (13 pages)
I hope you can’t resist the temptation to read all of these! But I highly recommend you first read “Building the Family of God,” the first one on the list for a good reason. This one gives you the plan of God, your purpose for living, and understanding of the complete Bible.
