TRIUMPH OVER TEMPTATION (#3)
Genesis 39:1-23
When we toy with temptation, we put ourselves in a position to drift into serious danger: A woman was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. She was enjoying the comfort of relaxing on an inflated cushion that kept her afloat. When she realized that she had been swept far from the beach, she began to scream, but no one could hear her. Later, the coast guard found her five miles from the place where she first entered the water. She did not see her danger until she was beyond her own strength and ability to return.
The remedy for the battle with temptation is found in Romans 13:14 "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
Our text speaks of a young man who faced a terrible time of temptation. Instead of falling, like so many do, Joseph weathered the storm of temptation and won a great victory in his spiritual life. He stayed clean in a situation where many would have fallen.
Every person in this room faces temptation in one form or another. I believe most of us want to live clean lives; we want to please the Lord; we want to win over sin!
To do this, we need to know how to win the war over temptation. Our text gives us some insight into how to do this. I want to preach on this thought – “How to Triumph over Temptation.”
#1. JOSEPH’S TESTIMONY– v 1-6.
• He had a Personal Relationship – v 2a. “The Lord was with Joseph,…” He was a prosperous man in the house of his Egyptian master.
The Bible is very clear that Joseph had a personal relationship with God. He knew the Lord and was walking with God by faith.
That is why it is so important for each of us to search our hearts to be sure we are in a personal, faith relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:10 “Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;…”
• He had a Powerful Testimony – v 3. “And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”
Joseph’s faith was lived out before those around him. Everyone saw that something was different about the life of Joseph.
Men Saw God In His Walk. The way Joseph lived among the Egyptians marked him as different. Can men see the difference in us?
Matt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Men Saw God In His Work. The Lord blessed Joseph and all he did. When our walk with the Lord is as it should be, men will see the hand of the Lord and His activity on our lives.
Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
• He had a Prosperous Occupation – v 4-6. “And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored.”
Here was a young man with a righteous precedence. He loved God and he walked with Him faithfully.
While this is the right way to live, we also need to understand that this makes you a prime target for attack. The devil likes nothing better than to defeat, destroy and devastate true men and women of God.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Our adversary isn’t concerned about nominal Christians. He hates those who live holy lives. He wants those who are in the fight!
A life lived for Jesus is a life that will be attacked (2 Timothy 3:12).
#2. JOSEPH’S TEMPTATION – v 7-19.
• The Caricature of the Temptation. Despite Joseph’s walk with the Lord and holy lifestyle, temptation still stalked him. His temptation was…
Sudden – v 7. “And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.”
Shocking – v 7. “and she said, Lie with me.”
Sustained – v 10. “And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.”
Strategic – v 11-16.
This is how temptation works! It will entrench itself within your mind so deeply that it becomes the center of your thoughts. It relentlessly pressures the mind to act on the desire. Then, when it sees an opportunity, it pushes you to bring those thoughts to life!
• The Character of the Tempted. By watching how Joseph conducted him-self during this attack, we can learn how stand when temptation stalks us.
He faced it with a FIRM refusal – v 8-9. “But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife:…”
He faced it with a FAITH-BASED refusal – v 9. “…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
He faced it with a FAITHFUL refusal – v 10. “And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.”
He faced it with a FINAL refusal – v 12. “And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”
• The Construct of Temptation. Before we leave this section, I want to point out a few essentials about temptation: Temptation…
1. Is never from God. James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”
2. Is responded to from within. James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
3. Must be dwelt with correctly. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Deal with it RIGHT away. Don’t allow it to linger in your life and grow out of control. Get before God and ask for His help!
Deal with it REALISTICALLY. Sin is more powerful than you are. Jesus said this to His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Deal with it RUTHLESSLY. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 9:43-48. Regardless of what you have to do, get away from it!
Deal with it ROUTINELY. Learn to be consistent in your resistance. If you aren’t, you will be caught off guard and overcome!
Deal with it RIGHTEOUSLY. Remember the Lord’s promise in 1 Cor 10:13! God will make a way of escape, just be sure you look for it! Many give in to temptation, not because they can’t get out, but because they don’t want out of it!
#3. JOSEPH’S TRIUMPH – v 20-23. “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.”
• It may be hard to understand at first glance, but Joseph benefitted from his stand against temptation. There are three ways in which this is true.
He triumphed with the Savior – v 21, 23. Notice how the Bible says that the Lord continued to be with Joseph and to bless his life.
He triumphed with Self – v 20-23. Joseph’s reputation in Potiphar’s house had been undermined, but his character remained intact! He had successfully weathered the storm of temptation and he retained the ability to look into the mirror without guilt! That’s worth more than any- thing sin can offer you!
He triumphed with Sovereignty – v 22-23. It may look like all Joseph got for his refusal was trouble. After all, he was thrown into prison. But because he stayed true to the Lord, he was in the center of God’s will for his life, even though it may not have appeared so on the surface.
CONCLUSION: Satan wants to trap you and he wants to destroy your life! Don’t let that happen! Remember – 1 Cor 10:13
