Becoming Triumphant Over Temptation
(How To Overcome Temptation)
Today we are continuing an in depth study on the book of James. We have looked at how you can have power over your problems. We have discovered that God wants you to make wise decisions. Today we are going to see how you can be triumphant over temptation.
Remember God wants you to grow up. God wants you to become a Mature Christian. He wants you to reach Spiritual Maturity and He has given us a guide book – The Bible – to teach us how to become Spiritually Mature.
Remember that the book of James is a very practical book. It could be the most practical book in the Bible. It is a manual for Christian living. James starts out by giving practical advice right from the beginning of the book and continues through to the end. Let’s go ahead and read our text for today. It is found in James chapter one verses twelve through seventeen:
“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. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 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. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:12-17 (NKJV)
There is a prize – a reward – for those who endure over temptation. That’s what James tells us in verse twelve.
“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 (NKJV)
The Bible tells us that those who endure temptation are blessed – in other words they are happy – and that they will receive the crown of life. Happiness comes from having a life that is under control. When you say no to temptation it produces happiness in your life. The question is, “How can I handle temptation? How can I be triumphant over temptation?” James gives us four principles to handle temptation. Here is the first:
1. Be REALISTIC About Temptation
Here is a fact: Everyone is TEMPTED
If you think that by being a Christian you will not be tempted – you are wrong. Everyone is tempted – even Christians are tempted. Look at what James tells us in the first part of verse thirteen:
“Let no one say when he is tempted,” James 1:13a (NKJV)
Go ahead and circle the word “when”. James does not say, “If you’re tempted.” He doesn’t say, “Should you be tempted.” He says, “When you’re tempted.” Temptation will happen. It’s a fact. You will never out grow it. You will never become so spiritual that you are never tempted. How can I say this – because throughout the Bible believers are tempted. Even Jesus was tempted! The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted at least three times by Satan himself.
Remember that after Jesus was baptized that He went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days? He had spent forty days in the wilderness in fasting and prayer. Then the Bible tells us that after the forty days, Satan comes along and tempts Jesus – asking Him to turn stones into bread. Asking Him jump off a pinnacle of the temple. Asking Him to bow down and worship him. You see even Jesus was tempted and you and I will be tempted too.
You know there’s a misconception going around. There’s a falsehood that’s being told by some people that says: “Once you’re born again – once you are a Christian – you’ve got it all together and you will never be tempted.” Folks this just isn’t true. We all have struggles. We all have weaknesses. We all are tempted. Look at what Paul tells us in First Corinthians chapter ten:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.” 1 Corinthians 10:13a (NKJV)
Go ahead and circle the words – “common to man”. That means that we are all in the same boat. That means that we all have temptations and the temptations you’re dealing with – others are dealing with too. The same exact temptations you are struggling with – other Christians are struggling with too - they are "common to man". Here is a fact: Satan wants you to believe that you are the worst person around. He wants you to believe that there is no one as bad as you. We tell ourselves: "I must be bad to have such thoughts. I must be bad to think such things. How could I think such things?" Then we start asking, "Am I really saved? Have I really accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior? Surely Christians don’t think such things." But the fact is: we ALL are tempted. We all have the same problems and the same thoughts. They are “common to man”.
Let me make this plain. Listen up! It is not a sin to be tempted. It is not a sin to have bad thoughts. It IS a sin to give in to temptation. Someone has said, "Thoughts are like birds flying though our minds - it’s OK for them to pass through - just don’t let them nest there." Face the fact – you are tempted – I am tempted – we all are tempted. It is common to all of mankind. You will be tempted. Be realistic about temptation.
Point two:
2. Be RESPONSIBLE With Temptation
Let’s turn to our text again. Notice what James tells us in verse thirteen:
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” James 1:13 (NKJV)
Folks here is what we call “passing the buck”. People love to blame someone else for their problems. When things go wrong we love to blame others for it. We blame the government, we blame the environment, we blame our DNA, we blame our upbringing, we blame neighbors, we blame our spouse, we blame our kids, we blame the devil, we blame God, blame . . . blame . . . blame!
Will Rogers talking about American history said there were two great events that have changed the face of America. The first event was the passing of the buffalo. The second event was the passing of the buck. We love to blame others for our problems. We love to pass the buck.
Did you know that the first time that God is blamed for a man’s problem is found all the way back in the book of Genesis chapter three? Adam disobeyed God. He ate from the tree that God told him not to eat from. After Adam disobeyed God – God came looking for Adam. When He found Adam – God asked Adam if he had eaten from the tree that He had told Adam not to eat from. Do you remember Adam’s response? It goes something like this – “The woman which You gave me – she gave me the fruit and I ate it.” If you read the scripture closely you will see that Adam is blaming two people for his sin. First he blames Eve – obviously she was involved – she gave him the fruit - but he also blames God. Did you catch that? "You gave her to me" – it’s Your fault too!
What does James tell us?
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” James 1:13 (NKJV)
Adam blames God for his problems. God is not to blame. Adam made a choice. The fact is Adam was responsible for his actions. Guess what folks - the fact is – most of my problems I bring on myself. Guess what – you do too! If I’m going to deal with the temptations in my life – I have to realize that I am responsible for what I do with temptation when it comes my way.
OK – so here is where we are – we know that temptation is going to come. We know that we are responsible for what we do with temptation – that brings us to point three:
3. Be READY For Temptation
One of the ways of being ready for temptation is to realize that there is a process that takes place when temptations come. Did you know that James shows us what the process is? Let’s look at verse fourteen:
“Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires…” James 1:14 (NKJV)
Go ahead and circle the words, “drawn away by his own desires”.
This is the first step in the process. There are times when we all have unhealthy desires.
Step #1: DESIRE
The Good News Bible translates this verse: “But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires.” (GNB) Many other translations say, “lustful desires”. These are the desires that are out of God’s will for our lives. That’s what happened to Eve when she sinned. She saw the fruit on the tree. It looked good. She desired it – ate some of it and then gave it to Adam - but that is not what God wanted Adam and Eve to do. He had told them NOT to eat of the tree.
Step two is:
Step #2: DECEPTION
Look at James chapter one and verse fourteen again:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” James 1:14 (NKJV)
Circle the word “enticed”. “Enticed” means to be lured by bait. It is a fishing term. The secret of great fishing is to know what kind of bait to use and how to place it on the hook. Do you know what I have found in fishing? I have found that when I use worms – or any other bait for that matter – if I let the point of the hook show – the fish don’t bite. Why? Because they know that there is danger there. However, if I take the bait and carefully make sure that the point of the hook is covered – the fish will bite. Why? Because they do not see the danger. The same is true with people when it comes to sin.
How many of you have heard people use phrases like, “What harm could it do?” or “I’ll never get caught.”? Believe me – don’t be deceived – small sins can have a great impact on your life. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they won’t make much difference - they will.
The third step is:
Step #3: DISOBEDIENCE
Look at what James tells us in verse fifteen:
“When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.” James 1:15 (NKJV)
Disobedience is the next step in the process. What begins in your mind results in your actions. Sin starts in your imagination. The battle starts with your thoughts. First Satan gets your attention, then he lies to you and that affects your attitude – you think you can handle it, so you commit to the action. You’re caught in the trap. You’ve taken the bait. You jump in head first. Next thing you know – you’re up to your neck in hot water.
That leads us to the next point:
Step #4: DEATH
Let’s look at verse fifteen again:
“When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:15 (NKJV)
Here is the tragic end to the process. Sin causes death. What is death? It is the opposite of life.
The wages of sin is death – spiritual separation from God. Jesus came to give us life – but if we reject Him – if we turn our backs on Him – if we disobey Him we will get death. James makes it plain that we choose the way we want to live. God has given you and I the freedom to choose. You can choose to live the way you want to live – that’s your choice – but God’s desire for you is that you would follow Him. He wants to give you life – abundant life. Jesus says;
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24 (ESV)
The Bible also says:
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (HCSB)
James is warning us of the trap of temptation. It starts simple but it can have a tragic ending. That’s why he gives us point four.
4. Get REFOCUSED When Temptation Comes
Let’s look at James chapter one and verses sixteen and seventeen:
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:16-17 (NKJV)
The key to overcoming temptation is to refocus our mind on the things of God. Remember where temptations come from? They come about because “I want to have my own way. I want to fulfill my desires.” I have my own desires that are not in God’s will. I think I know what’s best for me. I think I can run my own life. Yet the truth is – it’s God who knows what’s best for me. It’s God who has a plan for my life that will keep me out of trouble and make my life full. It’s God who wants to lead me and guide me – so that I can have real life – an abundant life. Let’s read James chapter one and verses sixteen and seventeen again this time from the Holman translation:
“Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” James 1:16-17 (HCSB)
Do you see what James does in this passage? When temptations come - when the desire is already there and deception starts – James turns his attention away from the desire and the deception and he refocuses on "the Father of lights". He changes what he is looking at. He no longer looks at the temptation. He looks to God. James would have us change our focus too. He would have us refocus our thoughts. He would have us change the mental channel. You see the key to overcoming temptation is not to fight the temptation – but simply to refocus your thoughts on something better. Instead of looking at what is tempting you – put your attention on God. Start thinking thoughts like: "He is the Father of lights. He gives us blessing untold. He knows how to give perfect gifts. There is no deceit in Him. He is not out to mess me over. He is looking out for my good. He has my total welfare in mind. He is gracious. He is merciful. He is abundant in loving kindness. No - there is no shadow in Him. There is no deception going on with God. He is pure. He is holy. He is magnificent. He is mighty. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me!"
But guess what – He loves you too. He wants you to be successful. He wants you to become a Spiritually Mature Christian. He wants to give you His best gifts and believe me – His storehouse will never be empty.
So when temptations come – when temptations are knocking at your door – when thoughts start entering your mind that you know are not Godly thoughts – don’t think about the temptation - don’t think about how weak you are – think about how strong God is – think about how great God is – think about how powerful God is – think about how mighty God is – think about how merciful God is – think about how holy God is – think about how pure God is – think about how loving God is – think about how magnificent God is. Realize that God is on your side - that God is there to help you fight the battle - that God is all powerful - and if God is for you - who can be against you. Yes, when temptations come – and they will come - set your mind on God – for God wants you to be - Triumphant Over Temptation.
(Special thanks to Richard Warren for his sermon - "How to Win Over Temptation".)
