“Overcoming Temptation”
02/17/2008
by
Dcn. Chris Nerreau
Text: Matthew 4:1-11
INTRODUCTION: May the words of my lips and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, giving praise, glory and honor to Your name our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen!
Webster’s dictionary defines the word “temptation” in this way – “to lure, entice, draw or pull towards.” I understand temptation all to well…
ILLUSTRATION: When I was a kid, I loved fruit roll ups (actually I still do). I can remember my mother coming home from the grocery store, she would say the same thing every time – “these groceries need to last for two weeks, don’t eat them all in one day!” Then she would say – “and Chris, the fruit roll ups are for school lunch, don’t take any without asking.” Of course late in the evening while everyone was asleep, I would sneak down the stairs, through the kitchen and into the cupboard, all the while thinking to myself – “tomorrow my mom will find out and I am going to be in big trouble! This is stupid!” Yet the temptation was to great. Once I ate one fruit roll up, what did it matter, I was already in trouble so I ate two or three of them.
Does this story sound familiar to you? We have all been there, faced with a moment of temptation. I’ll bet you knew that temptation is one Satan’s most powerful tools in separating us from fellowship with God, but what I bet you did not know that God can use temptation as well, not to separate but to strengthen us.
PROPOSITION: The Bible says (James 1:13) “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.” But, while God does not tempt us, but He does allow us to be tempted.
ORIENTATION: Today I want to discuss why, as we see:
• Temptation From God’s Perspective – v.1
• Temptation From Satan’s Perspective – v. 3-9
• Overcoming Temptation – v.11
TRANSITION: So let’s begin Matthews narrative by looking at the…
I. Temptation From God’s Perspective – V.1
EXPLAINATION: I want to being by saying something that I believe we need to hear – “To be tempted is not a sin.”
HEBREWS 2:13 TEACHES US:
1. IT IS NOT SIN, BECAUSE JESUS WAS TEMPTED: Hebrews 2:13 “For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”
Look with me if you will at our passage today:
Observation – (v. 1)
v.1 “Jesus was led up by the Spirit”
Often times we think that it was the devil who planned the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, but if you look at the passage more closely you will see that it was the Holy Spirit who drove Jesus out into the wilderness. Why?
Having just been baptized, received the Holy Spirit and Heard His Fathers voice, Jesus now is driven into the wilderness for a few reasons:
• To prepare for the suffering of the ministry – Sometimes it takes a desert to prepare us for a storm…
• To show that He was the new “Adam” – In Genesis 3:12 Adam confesses that He gave into temptation (which is sin) Christ the “New Adam” did not.
• To help us as we suffer with a full understanding of temptations power.
Interpretation – (v. 13, 14)
• God’s perspective is not like ours, He see the good in all things, even temptation! (Romans 8:28 – God uses all things for good…)
• God see’s temptation not as a hindrance but an opportunity for spiritual growth, an opportunity to overcome and an opportunity to trust in Him!
• In our passage today, we can see the glorious victory of Christ, as He prevails against temptation, so in that sense even temptation by the Devil can be used by God as a good thing.
• So we see that from God’s perspective – Temptation is a great tool to grow us spiritually.
Illustration – Pastor Church Swindoll once said - “Where there is no temptation, there can be little claim to virtue.”
This is exactly what I mean, that we are called to overcome temptation as a means of growing in spiritual virtue. And it is in this sense that God see’s temptation as an opportunity for success…
Application – Today are you being tempted? From what perspective are you viewing this temptation? Do you automatically consider it a bad thing? Or could it be that God is providing an opportunity for spiritual growth?
• How would your life change if you could in fact overcome this particular temptation?
• In order to overcome temptation in your life, you have first got to stop allowing Satan to define it! It is not sinful to be tempted, and temptation can be overcome!
• Once you view temptation from the perspective of God, it begins to take away it’s power. If you view the temptation as an opportunity for spiritual growth, many times our hearts desire growth more than sin and in that sense you can begin to grow.
• Today, I want to begin by calling on you to take a second look at the temptations you face and ask yourself – “How can God grow me in this situation”
• Remember – 1 Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Transition – When we come to Christ in all humility we experience…
II. Temptation From Satan’s Perspective – (3-9)
EXPLAINATION: While God sees temptation as a wonderful opportunity for Spiritual Growth, Satan sees it as an exemplary time to knock you down. Let’s dig into this a bit and see what I mean…
Observation – (v. 3-4)
v.1 “To be tempted by the devil…”
• This temptation was no surprise, God knew from the outset Satan would arrive…
v.3 “And the tempter came…” (right on schedule… )
o Notice it was after Jesus was weakened in His 40 day fast before Satan came. Satan waited for 40 day’s for an opportune moment before he struck.
Luke 4:13 “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”
o It is possible that the opportune time was during Jesus prayer in the garden before the crucifixion, tempting Jesus not to take on the cross, thus the sweat of blood.
o Satan will wait for your weak moment as well and he will say you – “you should be happy” or “go ahead you deserve it” or “God has not called you to suffer” ect…
v.3 “And said to Him, “if you are the Son of God…”
o The temptation is to cause Jesus to question God. In the previous chapter, God said – “this is my beloved Son”. Satan questions God.
o This is the same thing Satan did in the garden – “did God say…”
o Satan will try to get you to question God as well and cause you to ask yourself – “is God really there” or “did God really say to do this or that or not to do this or that”.
v. 3,6,9 “The Three Methods Of Satan’s Temptations…”
o V. 3 “Command These Loafs” – A call to give into the temptation of self gratification. We give into the gratification of the flesh often.
o V. 6 “throw Yourself down” – A call to give into the temptation of putting God to the test. We often give into the temptation of putting God to the test when we sin recklessly trusting God will save us.
o V. 9 “Bow down and worship me” – A call to give into the temptation to worship false God’s (ie. money, sex, fame, fortune, power ect.)
Interpretation – (v. 13, 14)
• What I want us to see here is that unlike God, Satan views temptation as a moment for failure and disappointment, as such:
o You should not be surprised when the tempter comes
o You should not be surprised he waited until an opportune time
o You should not be surprised if he takes any of the following tact’s:
Physical gratification – (You deserve it)
Putting God to the Test – (You can sin, God will save you)
False God’s – (Money, Pride, fame ect. Will make you happy now)
Illustration -
In the floods of New Orleans, many people looked at the suffering of those poor people not as a tragedy that needed to be overcome but as an opportunity for profit. This is exactly how satan views it, he see’s our weakness in moments of temptation as an opportunity to hurt God (and us for that matter) and pounces upon it.
Application –
• Satan wants to see you fail, miserable and broken…
• We see in temptation the opportunity for growth (God) or failure (Satan).
• How are you doing?
• Where are you being tempted? Are you willing to trust God that there is a way out, that God allowed this to come into your life because you can handle it and that if you are willing to deprive yourself immediate gratification or the desire to go against His will you will be blessed?
• Take time to calmly look at the temptations of your life and assess how you are doing, look at them from the perspective of God and satan and evaluate your actions.
Transition – So we have seen temptation from God’s perspective and satan’s but what about…
III. Overcoming Temptation – (v.
EXPLAINATION:
In this passage Jesus provides for us an method for overcoming temptation, let’s take a look at it…
Observation – (v. 2)
v.4 , 7, 10 “But He answered … Jesus said…”
• Jesus begins by acknowledging the temptation!
o Jesus names it, calls it what it is, which is the first step in overcoming it!
• Jesus refutes it with the word of God. If ever it was important to know the Word of God, it is in moments of temptation. God’s promises are the tools that help us win.
• You cannot defeat temptation with physical strength, but rather with words, the living double edge sword of God, the word of truth and life.
v. 10 “Be gone Satan”
• Jesus commands Satan to be gone… Christ gives us power over satan, but we must USE IT!
v. 11 “Then the devil left Him…”
The Bible says – James 4:7 “resist the devil and he will flee from you”
Interpretation – (v. 13, 14)
• Jesus provides a model for us to follow, it includes:
o Naming the temptation
o Refuting it with the truth of God’s word
o Commanding satan be gone, using the power Christ has given us
Illustration -
• The other night my wife and I were arguing. She was adamant that I was doing some things wrong and I was adamant that I was not. At one point during the argument she named my sin and refuted me with a basic Christian principle, (it was not until she did this that I could see my sin). While I could withstand her arguments of opinion, I could not stand up to God’s word.
• We do not stand against temptation of the devil or this world alone, we have been given power over all of creation and over satan, that power is found in the name of Christ! Let’s use it.
Phil 4:13 “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me”
Application –
This model Christ has given us is great only if we decide to use it! Many temptations break us because although we know the truth and in a sense instinctively know how to avoid or defeat temptation, we do not want to.
• How do you deal with temptation? Do you seek to defeat it in your own strength? Or seek to defeat it by pretending it does not exist?
• How would you life be different if you began to apply this model that Christ has given us and you were able to begin having victories over temptation?
• Today Christ has provided a model for us to follow, will we? Do we trust God enough to at the very least, fight temptation?
Transition – So in conclusion…
Conclusion:
Today we have seen temptation from:
o The Perspective of God – An Opportunity For Greatness and Spiritual Growth
o The Perspective of Satan – An Opportunity For Failure and Fractured Relationship
Today We Have Seen How To Overcome Temptation:
o Name it
o Refute it with God’s Holy Word – The Double Edge Sword
o Command Satan to be Gone in the name of Christ
Closing Illustration:
When I was a kid, I was attempting to jump over a small brook in two jumps, one onto the stones in the middle of the brook, and then a final jump to the other side. The stones in the middle of this brook were very slippery and my friends all told me not to do it! This of course was a temptation to do it, to prove them wrong. As such, I leaped with all I had, I hit the slippery stones, I fell into the water and banged my head. I then proceeded to get up, run home crying and told my mother that I slipped and fell. Well that was only partially true! The reality was that I gave into the temptation of pride and it stung me!
Sin is not something we “fall” into, we have a choice when temptation arises, and the choice is one of greatness or failure.
I do not expect that we will win every time or even most of the time, I do however believe that if we want to win, in Christ, WE CAN WIN!
Begin to look at temptation with new eyes and see that it can be good!
