7 - How Do I Handle Temptation? the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations (2 Peter 2:9)

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1 7 - How Do I Handle Temptation? 1 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations (2 Peter 2:9) Two weeks ago in our series of messages about what every believer should know, we addressed the importance of the Cross and the empty Tomb in the life of believers. This was insightful and very well received. We learned about the power to live the Christ life and to possess abundant life. Yet here is the problem. We don t always live in that victory. We don t always live the abundant life. There are times when our old nature overwhelms us and we find ourselves defeated. Paul talked about that in Romans 7:19, For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Here is Paul, the same person who wrote about how we are to have victory and abundant life, telling us that there are times when he struggles with sin. So our question for last week that every believer should know the answer to is this: What happens when a believer sins? What happens when we know the right thing to do, and we know the source of the power to do it, but when we don t and we sin against the Lord what do we do? Right off we were reminded that our relationship with the Lord is never at stake. It is eternal. We are kept by the power of God, not in our power to live right. However, we also learned that our fellowship with the Lord suffers deeply when we consciously and willfully sin. We saw the horrible affects that sin has in our own lives; spiritually, mentally, emotionally and even physically. Then we saw how King David found cleansing, wholeness, and new energy for ministry in the Lord. Today I want us to look practically and biblically at the topic of temptation. The question is this: How Do I Handle Temptation? Let s begin with something Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 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. (1 Cor. 10:12-13) PRAY In this verse we see that we are not alone. Temptation is a common experience for all Christ followers. Right away that helps me! Are there times when you fell like you are the only one who feels tempted beyond your ability to handle it? Well, first thing God wants you to know this morning is that you are NOT alone. Two truths to grasp on to: (1) all your fellow Christ followers have the same experience, and (2) Jesus is right there with you, working on a way for your to endure or escape. I don t know about you, but that makes me fell better already! Look with me and let s see what the Lord wants us to know right here in our Bible has to tell us about temptation. 1 - The Common Experience of Temptation. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. What that means is, whatever you and I are going through, we must remember that we are not the only ones to go through this temptation. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we forget that. Temptation makes us feel isolated. It seems our whole world is reduced to the object we are longing for. Satan has the blinders on us so that this thing is all that we can think about. But Paul tells us that this is one of Satan s oldest tricks. It is just a byproduct of being human, and God has a solution.

2 2 Throughout the Bible you see the Devil using temptation as a tool to bring believers down and destroy their fellowship with God. Some like Samson were consumed by temptation. Others like Daniel stood firm against it. I want you to note something very, VERY important here. Jesus was tempted too. Heb. 4:15 tells us that 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. That means the holiest Man to ever walk this earth felt every urge we feel. But He never gave in - He never sinned. Now I hear you say, Yes! But he was God and I am not! That is totally true! You and I are both very glad that He is God and we are not! What must we learn two things from this? To begin with, simply put: temptation is not sin! So many people miss this. They think that just because they have been tempted, that they have sinned. Then, feeling guilty and ashamed, they most often follow the temptation to the very act of sin. Listen: temptation is neutral; giving in to temptation is what leads to sin. Secondly, the means Jesus used to deal with temptation are the same means He has given to us! Let me remind you of Jesus great temptation that Matthew records in his Gospel. After begin tormented day and night for 40 days, Satan really poured the pressure on Jesus. Each time Satan came at Him with another temptation, Jesus answered with the Word of God. That is what stopped Satan in his tracks! Believing in the Word and doing what it says is a powerful tool against our enemy. Jesus taught us that, and for millions of Christ followers it has remained true. Trust and do the Word! A great preacher once said, You can t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair. Temptation is like a fork in the road. It presents us with the demand for a choice. Often we think life would be much better if we didn t have forks in the road, but the Bible offers no magic formulas for that kind of life. Rather it assures us that we ll come to those forks regularly, and we must choose which way to go. Some forks lead down the road to sexual immorality, others to gluttony, materialism, revenge, and on and on. But there is one that leads to Christ and that is the path we must find and follow. As a matter of fact, the wiser and more mature the Christian may be, the more treacherous and subtle the forks in the road. Choices are not easier the more mature you are. They are more difficult. The advanced level of maturity calls forth advance opposition and trickery. The important thing to remember is that we are walking with the Lord and He is there to hold our hand and give us wise counsel. There is no path that He has not already been down. His direction is right and true every time. 2 - The Controlled Environment of Temptation. The second think I want you to grasp in this passage is that God controls the limits the temptation can take. Notice also that Paul wrote, But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. This assures us that God has set the parameters on the enemy s use of temptation. God allows temptation for many reasons. But as He does so, we have His promise that He places a limitation on the intensity of the temptation. He knows our capacity in every area; He knows what we can bear, and exactly where the limits to our endurance lie. If you hear someone say, I was overcome by temptation; it was more than I could withstand, don t believe a word of it. That person had better come up with some other excuse, because the clear biblical truth is that God allows only temptations that we CAN handle. Now they have to be handled His Way, but they can be handled. Christians throughout history attest to this. The issue is not based on our impression of our ability or limits, but on His precise understanding of what we can and cannot handle. If you and I give in to temptation, we must be man/woman enough to admit we did so by sheer choice and not because it was out of our control. The trouble may be intense, but God s love is immense. Never worry about the limits of your strength; focus on the limitless quality of His strength.

3 3 When we face temptation, we can stand firm knowing that Jesus has already been there, His spirit is with us now and that God is strong enough, even if we are not, to see us through. As we learn to trust these truths and wield them as a sword, we will know the victory God wants for us. As much as I hate it, I need these tests. In school we had to have tests to find out what we had learned and then progress on to the next grade. Without the occasional test, how would we measure our growth in Christ? Without temptation, how would we learn to trust His way and might working within us? How would Christ be exalted? Through our strengths? No! We are exalted in our strengths. He is exalted in our weaknesses when He can show forth His strength. 3 - The Certain Escape from Temptation. But with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. When it comes to temptation in our lives, God begins with the end in mind. He already knows exactly the plan He has for us to escape or endure. We tend to think of Him as watching us anxiously, ready to throw us a rope if things get too tense. But in truth, God has it all mapped out, long before we were ever born. He knows our character, our circumstances, his plan for victory and our maturity. As our crisis unfolds, God has already provided a way of escape. Please engrave this truth into your hearts. When you are tempted, know that there is an escape hatch nearby and the door is open. Hebrews 2:18 tells us that Jesus knows exactly how to help us because He has likewise been through temptation. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Heb. 2:18) What it means in effect is that Jesus says, I know what you are facing. Follow Me - let Me show you the way out. I found a way, and I will show it to you. Think with me to the last time you were tempted and gave in. Whatever the gravity of the temptation, regardless how rapidly it might have come on or how fierce it was, there was a defining moment in the instant of decision. The way of escape was, in that moment, made clear to you. Do you remember? There s always a point at which the still, small voice whispers to us with the directions out of the maze. A thought rushes through the head: This is wrong. I can avoid this. Right here is the best time to walk away. But if we push that moment aside, if we permit the birds of temptation to nest in our hair, then victory becomes more and more difficult. When you see the Exit sign glowing in the dark, push it open and make tracks! Missionary Jim Elliot said, Don t put yourself in a position to see how good your resistance is. When you feel temptation coming, get out of there. The Greek word for escape in this passage is that of a narrow passage out of a treacherous canyon. You have only one chance to take it without being led deeper and deeper into the abyss. Over the years, counseling those who have been drawn into adultery, they have all affirmed that there was a defining moment - a window of opportunity for escape. At that point they could have walked away safely, but they did not, and they fell. If you ignore the early warning lights, you will find it harder and harder to put on the brakes later. God whispers to us, This is the way of escape. Ignore it at your own peril. The Temptation-Tamers Checklist Time to get real practical. Let s let the Word of God help us know how to tame the temptations that enter unbidden in our lives. 1 ~ Recognize the Possibility of Temptation. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Never fall into the trap of false security. Never be one to say, I can t believe it happened to me! Note the first part of our passage today. Therefore let him who thinks he stand take heed lest he fall. It CAN happen to you! No one is above temptation at some level.

4 People falsely believe that because they are committed to Christ, they are spiritual, knowledgeable of the Bible, regular in church attendance, good givers, etc. that they are beyond temptation. That is simply not true. In battle, the enemy s best weapon is surprise. Don t be so proud that the devil sneaks up on you. Dr. Howard Hendricks, professor at Dallas Seminary and great author/speaker for years carried a little book with him. Written inside are the names of over 100 ministers he knew that have fallen. It is there as a constant reminder to him that it could happen to him as well if he is not on guard. He commented in a conference, With the exception of two, all those ministers had in common a spirit of pride and arrogance. Well does Proverbs 16:18 tell us that, Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. 2 ~ Know the sources of temptation The External Source The World For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16) The Internal Source The Flesh Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, (1 Peter 2:11) The Infernal Source The Devil And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. (Luke 11:4) When temptation comes upon us, we tend to respond in one of three ways: Give into it Far to often this is the case. It is easier just to go with the flow and not fight it. We make all kinds of excuses and rationalizations but in the end we have to admit we just gave up! Fight it Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12) Overcome it through Christ the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations Twice in the New Testament, Jesus tells us to pray about temptation. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, in Matt. 6:13, and watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation, in 26:41. Watch and pray. The emphasis is to be alert to danger. Every day we need to begin by praying for God to sharpen our antennae toward the devil s snares. We must seek Him to make us sensitive to the moment of awareness, the moment the escape hatch opens toward safety. Otherwise, temptation overwhelms us without warning. Keep in mind, in the battle of temptation you are facing - The Flesh attacks the Body But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:14-15) - The World attacks the Soul Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim. 6:9) Money is by far not the only worldly temptation, but it is a place for us to start. - The Devil attacks the Spirit For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. (1 Thess. 3:5) 3 ~ Retreat from Certain Kinds of Temptations. There is a time to resist, and there is a time to retreat. Mark Twain once said, There are several good protections against temptations, but the surest is cowardice. In that case, another word for cowardice is wisdom. The Bible tells us three specific times we are to flee temptation: We are to flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 12:14). An idol is anything that comes between you and God. Anything that you draw strength and sustenance from other than a personal relationship with God. When 4

5 you begin to realize that something is taking the place of God in your life, you don t need to ponder it, pray about it, call a committee meeting about it... RUN. We are to flee immorality. Twice in the New Testament we are told to turn tail and run when confronted with immorality (1 Cor. 6:18; 2 timothy 2:22) Sexual temptation is a demonic trump card; there s something unique and terrible about its power. He specifically attacks ministry, marriage, and maturity. He hits in times we are vulnerable: during the storms of adolescence, the trials of marriage, business travel, etc. We are to flee from greed. Only recently have I discovered that this is a temptation we are to flee from. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things. (1 Tim. 6:10-11) All kinds of evils proceed from the mouth of materialism. Don t let greed get its hooks into your life or the lives of your children. In the words of that secular minstrel prophet Kenny Rogers, You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. 4 ~ Resist the Devil and He will Flee from You The Bible tells us to stand firm and hold out. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (Jas. 4:7) The Bible promises us that we can resist the devil in the power of our Lord and the authority of His Word and he will flee from us. Jesus would have us to take up the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. That is exactly what He did. When He was tempted, He did what He would have us to do: take the Word after the Devil. When the Bible says that the Devil departed from Him, the word used is another one for fled. 5 ~ Remove any means of sin far from you. I heard from a friend who was struggling on a diet the following story. It seems there was a man who was overweight and had trouble staying on a diet. However, he became serious about it, stayed with it, worked out daily, and planned his life carefully. He even changed his route to work because he always passed the Krispy Kreme Donut place and got a cup of coffee and a few donuts every morning. For weeks he did well. Everyone was bragging on him. Then one morning he came to work carrying a cup of coffee and two dozen donuts. When asked about it, he said, I accidentally took the old route to work this morning and when I realized I was going to have to pass the donut place, I prayed real hard, God if you want me to stop and get a donut, then I know a parking place will be available right in front of the store. And you know what, on my eighth time around the block, there it was! That fellow needed to read Proverbs 4:14-15, Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. Go to work another way! Run! Retreat! Flee temptation! 6 ~ Replace Bad Influences with Good Ones Proverbs 13:20 tells us, He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. I know this is a touchy point for some, but we need to be really careful here. Indeed we need to know non-believers in order to win non-believers to faith in Christ. But there are also times when we need to stand back, take a hard look, and decide who is influencing whom. Try this. Get up on a stool. Then try to help someone else up there with you. It s much easier for the other person to pull you down than for you to pull them up. We must always be about the work of evangelism, but we must not allow that to be an excuse for unhealthy relationships. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (1 Cor. 6:14) No one in their right mind would consider Paul lacking in evangelistic fervor, but he was also wary of the power of unhealthy influences on Christians. 5

6 6 But let s focus on the positive here. The answer is to replace poor models with strong ones. Find people who will point you to Christ, make you spiritually stronger, hold you accountable. Look for wise believers who will help pull you up with them. What I want to leave you with today is simply this: You can do this! You can be an overcomer! You can have victory! This is possible, doable, and you have your best friend to walk you through it. Phil. 4:13 in the Amplified bible says, I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me - I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me. That s Christ in you, your hope of glory! God is faithful if we will turn to Him in our temptations and trials. He wants us to pass the test. He has given us everything we need. He is alongside us to provide strength. He has even provided a way to escape. Will we take it?