Enduring Temptation And Overcoming Sin

ENDURING TEMPTATION AND OVERCOMING SIN

Study Text: James 1: 12 – 16

Introduction:

- One of the greatest challenges of living the Christian life is dealing with temptations. This is especially true for new Christians: For it can be frustrating to know that your sins have been forgiven, only to immediately find yourself bombarded by temptations to continue in your sins.

- Temptation is the enticement of our natural, God-given desires to go beyond God-given bounds. We can blame our failure to resist temptation on others, Satan, or God Himself, but in reality, we are the ones who choose to indulge.

- Being tempted is not, in itself, a sin, Our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted on every side, yet without sin (Hebrews 4: 15). But failing to adhere to the boundaries that God intended, and therefore yielding to temptation is a sin, and will certainly bring adverse consequences.

- In order to wisely counteract the pull of temptation, we must guard our minds and bodies with the whole armour of God. Scripture offers us wisdom, while the Holy Spirit gives us discernment and forewarning in the difficult times.

- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:

1. The Process and Stages of the Temptation

2. The Pressure and Strategies of the Tempter

3. The Power and Strength of the Tempted

1. The Process and Stages of the Temptation

- We are daily assaulted with a wide range of temptations, and we all have one area where we are particularly susceptible.

- The means of temptation are the properties of the world: The Lust of the Eyes, The Lust of the Flesh, and The Pride of Life. 1 John 2: 15 – 16.

- The process of temptation involves several sequential stages with one leading to the next unless the sequence is interrupted. These include:

1. The Creation of a Lust

- Lust is a strong desire for something. Satan makes it look like that sinful thing you desire will get you where you want to go right now. It will meet your needs. Why deny yourself? At this stage the opportunity may not be there yet.

2. The Drawing away by the Lust

- When the craving for the sinful thing becomes so strong and gripping as if one’s life depend on it. An opportunity for a pleasurable, but sinful desire or act comes, and one is being encouraged to seize the opportunity fast and satisfy the desire.

3. The Enticement with the Lust

- This is a stage when all one could see is the pleasure or benefit one would get from the sinful desires, and not the consequences of fulfilling the desires.

4. The Conception of the Lust

- This is a stage where someone appears that he has lost control over restraining from carrying out or obtaining the sinful desires, especially when it is still available.

5. The Fall by the Lust

- This is the real action stage, where one actually carry out the sinful desire. This is the sin with a consequence of separation from God until a forgiveness is sincerely sought.

- Victory is possible over the temptation from stage one to four, except that it becomes more difficult as one progresses in the stages.

- Let us consider some examples:

1. The case of Eve: Genesis 3: 1 – 6.

- Satan succeeded in making Eve to see that the forbidden fruit is good to look upon, good for food and that it will make one to be wise.

- We can notice the properties of the world: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, and also observe all the above stages that led to the fall into the sin.

2. The case of David: 2 Samuel 11: 1 – 5.

- We can also carefully observe the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, and the stages of temptation as David fell into the sin of adultery.

- He saw the woman, and discover her beauty, and he started to desire sinful pleasure with the woman. He went to the extent of inquiring about her and how to get her, and he used his position as the king to order the woman to be brought.

2. The Pressure and Strategies of the Tempter

- Satan is only interested in tempting the Christian and not the unbeliever. After all, he already has the lost person.

- He loves nothing better than causing one of God’s children to fall into sin. However, temptation, while it cannot be avoided, can be overcome! While it is hard to endure, temptation can be used to help us grow in Jesus.

- The Devil’s main objective, as far as you are concerned, is to cause you to fall so that God is dishonoured and you become useless to the Kingdom work of God.