FIGHTING TEMPTATION
I Jn 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
(KJV)
I Jn 2:16-17
16 for all these worldly things, these evil desires-- the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance-- these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself.
17 And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.
(TLB)
2 Pet 1:3-4
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(KJV)
*** Here is two scriptures that are directly opposites but deal with the same things.
*** Tell tale signs of a backslidden heart.
*** Putting things before the house of God means putting it before the god of the house.
*** This scripture gives us the summary of all you can be tempted with.
*** …Tempted in all points… means all categories.
*** Whatever the details are that you are dealing with today it fits into one of those categories.
***And if you live for God long enough you will find that the enemy will change the details but the category is still the same.
*** God is dealing with categories.
*** They didn’t have all the details that we have, so when Jesus goes out in the wilderness to fight temptation the enemy tempted him in all categories.
*** Before you die you will be tempted in every category.
*** Your highest moment is only a sign that you are about to face your greatest temptation.
*** Jesus was just launching his ministry.
*** He was beginning a ministry that would last for the next 2000 years.
*** He went from obscurity to notoriety and went straight into temptation.
Matt 4:3-10
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
(KJV)
*** Right when you are getting things together, that’s when the enemy comes at you with some old something you thought you got away from.
*** There is no feeling like the feeling that your past is trying to come back.
*** Look at the Israelites Moses has convinced them that they don’t have to be slaves any more…and they are on their way out and all of a sudden they hear the hoof steps of 600 chariots and horses behind them.
*** Here comes the same devil they thought they got victory over.
*** And when they got scared they start complaining.
*** Things come in cycles…it’s coming up again!!
*** And God just directs us back to what He has already given us.
*** You have the power to overcome the obstacle confronting you already in you, you just have to tap in to it.
*** What is that in your hand?
*** I have already equipped you with the power the escape this temptation.
*** From the very beginning when sin entered the world, sin had to enter the world by an open door through Eve it was those three categories…
Gen 3:6
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
(KJV)
*** Good for food- lust of the flesh
*** Pleasant to the eye- lust of the eye
*** Desire to make one wise- pride of life
*** Everything came in, in categories. The next time the enemy comes upon you, you just say,(it’s the same thing, no new thing).
***So the problem with temptation is curiosity. The problem with curiosity is that this will somehow be different from that.
*** And eventually you begin to figure this out after multiple failures.
*** That’s why it’s difficult to talk to your kids you are trying to warn them--you figured it out.
*** All that’s in the world these three that’s all there is.
*** It will change dresses, put on a different suit, it will offer a different position, it will create a different opportunity, opportunity to be jealous, etc.
*** There are always opportunities to be jealous about stuff and its easier to succumb to it rather than do battle with it.
*** Sometimes you are tempted with stuff you don’t even realize what it is.
*** So how do you defeat this?
*** When you are tempted and you want to breakthrough, you always go in the opposite direction.
*** Lust of the eye--perception! The problem is that sometimes by the time you get the right perception you done made some bad mistakes.
*** When it sets you back!
*** But God says you’ve been delayed but not denied!!
*** It just means that you got to wonder in the wilderness a little bit longer and more flesh has to die before you come into the promise land, but it does not mean you will not come into the promise land.
*** It’s important that you be delayed, God has to teach you not to make poor choices again.
