How to Handle Temptation

this morning we're going to look at man's oldest problem: temptation

this is something that goes as far back as Adam, yet is as contemporary as today

you may feel a little like Alexander Woollcott, who said, "All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening"

sometimes, even when we know what is right, it's difficult to say no

in the immortal words of Oscar Wilde, "I can resist anything but temptation"

now, right off the bat it's important to distinguish between trials and temptations

the Bible uses the same word for these two terms, but with two very different ideas

there's a big difference

trials are situations designed by God in order to help us grow

temptations, however, are designed by Satan in order to cause us to sin

the Bible promises a reward for those who withstand temptation

(James 1:12) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial [or temptation], because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

in the Greek games of that day, a head wreath was given to the winner

the equivalent today would be a gold medal

God promises us a victor's prize when we meet a temptation head-on and prevail

not only that, but our lives will be blessed or happy

I want to resist temptation!

the question is, how?

how do I handle temptation?

the Bible, which is very practical in this area, gives us three principles

ONE: BE REALISTIC

(James 1: 13 NASB) Let no one say when he is tempted...

the Bible doesn't say, "if you are tempted," the Bible says "when you are tempted"

temptation is a fact of life

I am tempted, you are tempted, Jesus was even tempted

I remember hearing a preacher once say, "I haven't been tempted in thirty years"

I remember sitting in the pews saying, "Yeah, right!"

if you're not being tempted, you're not even alive!

some people think that the more spiritual you become, the less temptation you'll face

but the most spiritual person who ever lived - Jesus Christ - experienced great temptation

the Farmer's Almanac once said, "Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it starts avoiding you."

well, that's a crock

we all face temptation - young and old, rich and poor - it really doesn't matter

we're all tempted

there's a misconception that once you follow Christ, you're not supposed to be tempted again

that somehow we've all arrived and can fake it

"No, I would never think of doing that - how could anybody?"

but reality check here - we're all tempted

we might be tempted in different areas, but make no mistake about it

we're all tempted

in fact, it's not even wrong to be tempted

it's not sinful to be tempted

Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was "tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin"

it's sinful to give in to the temptation, but it's not sinful to be tempted

we need to be a little bit more transparent than we usually are

we all have the same struggles

you are not tempted because you’re evil; you’re tempted because you’re human

be realistic, and expect temptation

TWO: BE RESPONSIBLE

it's amazing how much we love to blame others for our own struggles

we love to blame other people, Satan, or even sometimes God

how many times have you heard someone say, "The devil made me do it"?

well, before you begin blaming someone else, take an honest look at yourself

for one thing, don't blame God for your temptations

(James 1:13) When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone"

God never tempts anyone

in fact, God takes an active role in limiting the temptations you face

don't blame God for your temptations

Billy Graham said, "God never tempts any man. That’s Satan’s business"

don't blame external circumstances or people for your temptations

I sometimes find myself saying, "He made me angry," or, "If I hadn't been in that situation, then I wouldn't have been tempted"

but Jesus said:

(Matthew 15:19 NLT) For from the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander

in other words, temptations and sins don't come from external sources - they come from within

don't blame God and don't blame other people

the fact is that I bring most of my problems on myself

and so do you

if we're ever going to be able to handle temptation, we have to accept responsibility for ourselves and stop blaming others

first, be realistic: expect temptation

second, be responsible: don't pass the buck when you're tempted

THREE: BE READY

when temptation comes, be ready

be prepared

(1 Corinthians 16:13) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith.

(Matthew 26:41 NLT) Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.

(1 Peter 5:8 NLT) Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.

how do you prepare for temptation?

well, temptation never gives us advance notice

it usually catches us very much by surprise

often, it can come at a time of great success, or when we least expect it

(1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT) If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.

nevertheless, there are steps we can take to prepare for temptation

where do you begin?

you begin by understanding how temptation operates

2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT) says, "We are very familiar with [Satan's] evil schemes.

the one thing that you can say about Satan is that he is remarkably consistent

God wants us to understand how he operates, and he hasn't changed his methods very much

it's very easy to understand how temptation works

temptation is never just a one-time act

it's a process, and James tells us the four steps Satan uses in order to tempt us:

first (verse 14), "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires..."

the first step of temptation is desire

temptation begins as an inside job

while there's an outer component - something external - what really kicks in is one of our internal desires

many of the desires that God has given us are routine and necessary

we all have desires to eat, sleep, work, love, to be loved

but a runaway desire is a destructive desire

that's where it begins - with desire

the second step is deception

verse 14 says, "he is dragged away and enticed"

James uses a couple of hunting terms

"dragged away" is a hunting term for getting caught in a trap

and "enticed" is to catch by using bait

the strategy is to take on of our desires, and to drag us away from our normal response by using bait

it's a deceptive trap

what kind of bait does Satan use on you?

you use different bait for different types of animals

the devil knows your hot button

he knows exactly what will work on you

Jesus said in John 8:44:

(John 8:44 NLT) [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his nature; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Satan's character is deceptive

and his chief tool is deception

even though we know this, it's amazing how we still take the bait over and over and over

and we go from step one (desire) to step two (deception)

but temptation always looks better than it really is

the payoff is never there

desire turns to deception

the whole purpose of temptation, by the way, is to substitute something for God

to replace him with a superficial quick-fix that feels good for a moment, but has devastating results

step three is disobedience

verse 15 reads, "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin"

at this point, the temptation shows itself in some sort of action

the bait has been accepted, and disobedience is the result

what starts out in your mind eventually comes out in your lifestyle

that's the way it works

and finally, step four is death

verse 15 concludes, "and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death"

that's the ugly consequence of falling to temptation

if we win over temptation, we get a crown of life

but if we fall to temptation, we get death

that's the consequence

you don't get to choose the consequence; the consequence is built right in

one pastor says, "I am free to have my kicks but I am not free to eliminate the kickbacks. I am free to make choices but I'm not free to choose the consequences"

by yielding to temptation, one may lose in a moment what it took a lifetime to gain

the place to start in resisting temptation in step one

before you take the bait, before you're disobedient, stop!

it's like a novice skier going down a black diamond slope

the time to stop is before the descent

be realistic - you're going to be tempted

be responsible - don't blame someone else

be ready - know how temptation works

we're going to close off this morning with some very practical steps you can take when you're tempted

before we do this, let me remind you that if you haven't been born again - if you haven't begun following Jesus Christ - then you can't effectively resist temptation by yourself

you can fight off some of it, but you need the supernatural power that God gives to his children

the promise I'm about to read is for followers only - but you can become a follower yourself today

(1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT) But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you will not give into it.

what can you do when you're tempted?

believe that God has seen it before

it's nothing new

it's not unique to you

"they're no different from what others experience"

God has seen this same temptation over and over

believe that God will limit its intensity

"He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it"

God will never let you be tempted more than what you're able to bear

he automatically prevents Satan from giving you more than you can handle

and believe that God will make a way out

"When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give into it"

there is always a way out

Satan never backs us into a corner without God providing a way of escape

what's the payoff?

(James 1:12) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial [or temptation], because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

let's pray

you might be here this morning, having struggled in a particular area for years and this morning you realize why you've been losing

you're trying to fight Satan on your own power, but your own power isn't enough

you've never come to God and admitted that you've sinned

you've never given your life to him, and trusted in Jesus to fix the damage caused by your sins

this morning you can pray, "Jesus, I want to be reborn. I want a fresh start on life. Would you forgive all the sins I've ever committed and help me start over today"

that's why Jesus died on the cross

you can invite him to be the controller of your life

you might be struggling

what is your hot button? where does Satan bait you?

it might be that you're struggling with the way you treat your spouse, a tendency toward exaggeration or anger, lust

it could be a lack of control financially or with your weight

God knows what you're going through

he's seen it thousands of times

he wants to help you - to wipe the slate clean, to give you power over temptation

accept responsibility this morning - don't blame others

admit there's a weakness

ask God to help you

thank him that he has promised to limit the intensity of the temptations you face

he has provided a way of escape

ask him to help you

Amen.

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How to Handle Temptation