Temptation - In The Ring With The Devil Series

TEMPTATION – IN THE RING WITH THE DEVIL

Bob Marcaurelle homeorchurchbiblestudy.com

James 1:13-15

“A person is tempted when he is lured (a fishing term) away and trapped by his own evil desires. His evil desire conceives and gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Eph. 6:10-12

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so you will be able to take your stand against the devil’s schemes (devices, plans, strategies etc.)

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (people). It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

DESCRIBING TEMPTATION

Temptation is not a fork in the road where we have a choice. It is the DESIRE, the “want to”, to take the wrong road and disobey God. It can be wicked like committing adultery or simple like not attending church.

Temptation is the PRIMARY WORK of Satan. He comes on the Bible scene in Eden and tempts Eve to disobey God. Then through her, he tempts Adam.

It comes from TWO DIRECTIONS.

In the case of Job, Satan uses the infliction of suffering to DRIVE us from God’s will. When his life fell apart, his wife, who suffered too, said “Curse God and die” (Job 1).

In the case of David, he uses the enticements of sin to DRAW us away (2 Samuel 11). Bathsheba, by bathing where David could see her was saying, “Come on over to my house big boy.”

Satan is not a hideous looking demon. He can be a beautiful woman or a handsome man. One song said,

“Somebody’s knocking / Should I let him in / Lord it’s the devil / Would you look at him / I’ve heard about him / But I never dreamed

/ He’d have blue eyes and blue jeans."

Temptation is a TEST. 1 Corinthians 10 says God, “allows us to be tempted, but not more than we can handle”. Satan wants us to fail the test and God wants us to pass.

It can defeat us in OUR STRONG POINTS.

“Whoever thinks he is standing firm should be very careful; so he will not fall.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

Satan knows and attacks our weaknesses. But he is powerful enough to get is in our strong areas. Most men’s weak point is a beautiful, seductive woman. We can see why David did what he did. But his strong point was love for his soldiers. Yet Satan got him to have Bathsheba’s husband, one of his soldiers, killed in battle, costing the lives, no doubt of many soldiers.

If anyone told David beforehand that he would do that, he probably would have killed him on the spot; but Satan is strong. Peter’s strong point was bravery and love for Christ, yet out of fear He denied knowing Jesus (Mk. 14). That’s why he wrote:

“Be on guard, your enemy the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking out whom he can devour.”(1 Peter xx)

Never say you will “never” do something. Moses rage (Num. 12:3; 20:8-12) / David’s murder of Uriah (2 Sam 11-12); Noah’s drunkenness and nakedness (Gen. 6-9) and Abraham’s sins against Sarah twice (Gen. 12:14 & 20:2), warn us we can commit any sin a lost person can commit.

We pay lip service to our belief in Satan but he is as real as God and Jesus tells us in His pattern prayer to take him seriously. A virtual army of invisible, evil spirit-beings, with schemes and strategies designed just for us invade our mind, our emotions, our wills and our souls when we are trying to live right.

DEFEATING TEMPTATION

1. Remember the Cost

Galatians 6:7

“Don’t fool yourself. God is not going to be mocked. Whatever a person sows is what he will reap.”

James uses the image of a fisherman using an enticing lure. Fishing is fun; but not for the fish! There is desire; the decision to give in; and then death; like a dead fish on the dock gasping for breath.

David found forgiveness but his baby died and a son he loved rebelled against him and ended up being killed and thrown in a ditch like a dog.

A man who had grown up in my long pastorate came to see me a few months ago. He said, “Preacher Bob, something you said when I was a teenager that has come true in my life. I joined a spa, met an old girlfriend, had a short affair and now I am about to lose my family. You told us:

“Sin will always take you further than you want to go; it will keep you longer than you want to stay and it will cost you more than you want to pay.”