Introduction:
A. How many of you have enjoyed reading the comic strip “Cathy” over the years?
1. “Cathy” is a comic strip drawn by Cathy Guisewite.
2. It features a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life — food, love, mom, and work — the strip gently pokes fun at the lives and foibles of modern women.
3. One of the strips did a good job of illustrating temptation and how it leads to sin.
4. One day Cathy was struggling with her diet.
a. Frame 1 showed her saying to herself, “I will take a drive, but won’t go near the grocery store.”
b. Frame 2: “I will drive by the grocery store, but will not go in.”
c. Frame 3: Then she said, “I will go in the grocery store, but will not walk down the aisle where the candy is on sale.”
d. Frame 4: “I will look at the candy, but not pick it up.”
e. Frame 5: “I will pick it up, but not buy it.”
f. Frame 6: “I will buy it, but not open it.”
g. Frame 7: “I will open it, but not smell it.”
h. Frame 8: “I will smell it, but not taste it.”
i. Frame 9: “I will taste it, but not eat it.”
j. Frame 10: “Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!”
B. Does that resemble your experience with temptation? It sure does mine!
C. The transforming truth that I want us to be encouraged by today is the truth that we can overcome temptation.
1. Do you know that is true? Do you believe that that is true?
2. I’m here to tell you that God wants us to know and believe that that is true – We can overcome temptation.
3. Let’s spend a few moments talking about the reality of temptation, and then the remedy for temptation.
4. Hopefully we can leave this place more determined and more prepared to win the battle against temptation.
D. Look again at a few verses from our Scripture reading from 1 Corinthians 10.
1. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 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.” (1 Cor. 10:11-13)
I. The Reality of Temptation
A. When James wrote his letter and addressed the issue of temptation, he said, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”(James 1:13-15)
1. I like the way James addressed the subject so directly and in such a matter of fact way.
2. These are not wistful thoughts from a preacher’s study, but these are the painful, difficult realities of life.
3. Temptation strikes us all.
4. It affects us at school, in the workplace and in the home.
5. It affects parents as well as children, and leaders as well as followers.
B. James leaves no question that temptation’s assault will come.
1. Notice that James says, “When tempted…” not “If tempted.”
2. Just like death and taxes, trials and temptations are inevitable in this life.
3. We will never be without temptation. Never.
4. We are certainly in for a big surprise if we think that when we become a Christian all our old struggles and temptations will be automatically and instantly be left behind.
5. The Christian life is a life of conflict. We are in a spiritual battle.
6. There are opposing forces constantly trying to draw us away from God.
7. Even though people around us may not appear to be doing so, everyone is wrestling with temptation just like you and me. Temptation plays no favorites.
C. Here’s an important thing to keep in mind - Temptation itself is not a sin.
1. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus himself was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.”
2. Temptation is simply the invitation to sin. We sin when we decide to accept the invitation.
3. Jesus was invited to sin, just as we are, but Jesus always refused the invitation.
4. So, first of all we need to realize that Temptation is INEVITABLE. It is the reality we must face.
5. The good news is that there is a remedy for the reality of temptation.
6. I’ve chosen 10 remedies to share with you. Each of us need to discover which of them work best for us.
II. The Remedy for Temptation
A. The first remedy for temptation is to RECOGNIZE the lies of temptation.
1. The first lie is “You are too strong to allow yourself to give into temptation.”
a. Satan would love for us to be overconfident about our spiritual strength.
b. When we are overconfident we don’t take precautions, we don’t run from temptation, we allow ourselves to play with fire believing that we won’t get burned.
c. That’s why Paul said, “So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12)
d. Someone has said, “He who thinks he stands strongly is he who stands wrongly.”
e. Peterson’s The Message is a good paraphrase of this verse, “Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.”
f. We must keep in mind that getting into sin is not out of the question for any of us, so we must not toy with temptation, believing that we are too strong to give in to temptation.
g. The notion that “it couldn’t happen to me” is a false notion, indeed!
2. A second lie is “No one else faces the kind of temptation that you have to face.”
a. That lie functions to give us permission to give into temptation.
b. It also gives us permission to keep quiet about our struggle, after all, no one else can relate to what I am facing, right? Wrong.
c. Paul declares, “No temptation has seized you, except what is common to man.” (1 Cor. 10:13a)
d. The truth is that all temptation is common, none of it is unique.
e. We are all so similar in this way. The kinds of things that tempt us today are the same things that have tempted people from the very beginning.
f. We are tempted by things like pride and envy, covetousness and lust, power, fear and revenge; just to mention a few.
g. Our temptations, in general, are not unique.
3. A third lie is “You didn’t have a choice.” “You couldn’t help it.”
a. In other words, the temptation was just too strong for me, and I could not overcome it.
b. As much as we might want to comfort ourselves with that thought, it just isn’t true.
c. 1 Cor. 10:13 clearly says the opposite, “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.”
d. We understand from Scripture that God is not the one who does the tempting, but God is the one who puts a limit on temptation’s power and He is the one who also provides a way of escape.
e. Notice that the text didn’t say that God will show us the way of escape, it simply says that He will provide the way.
f. We have to look for that way of escape and then take it.
g. But the truth of the matter is that we always have a choice.
h. Regardless of what the temptation is that we are facing, God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, and God will provide a way for us to stand up under it.
i. That’s the truth!
4. Once we recognize the lies of temptation for what they are, then we are ready to apply the next remedy for temptation.
B. A second remedy for temptation is to simply RESIST it.
1. Do you remember Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug program back in the 1980s called “Just Say NO?”
2. That little, two letter word can work wonders.
3. We don’t give into every salesman who asks us to buy his or her product, do we?
4. We don’t give into every commercial on TV just because it is aired.
5. Neither should we give into every temptation just because it comes our way.
6. James wrote, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
7. The Bible tells us that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and He resisted, then Satan gave up until a more opportune time. (Luke 4:13)
8. Therefore, we shouldn’t passively resign ourselves to Satan’s attacks, we can resist him and then we will get some relief.
C. A third remedy is to REQUEST God’s Help.
1. Heaven has a 24 hour emergency hotline, and God wants us to ask him for assistance.
a. When temptation strikes, we don’t have time for a long conversation with God.
b. Rick Warren describes these kinds of pray as “microwave” prayers, because they are quick and to the point.
c. They are the calls of “SOS” or “Mayday. Mayday.”
2. The Bible promises that our cry for help will be heard because Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle.
a. Heb. 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, ,but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
3. And because God loves us, and is so patient, he doesn’t mind it if we have to cry out to him 100 times a day for help in overcoming temptation.
4. We can ask him for the power to do the right thing and then expect him to provide it.
D. A fourth remedy is to RECOGNIZE Your Pattern of Temptation and Be Prepared for It.
1. All of us know that there are certain situations that make us more vulnerable to temptation than others.
2. These situations are unique to our personal weaknesses, and we need to identify them, because Satan is already aware of them and is trying to use them against us.
3. After we identify our typical pattern of temptation, then we need to prepare to avoid those situations as much as possible.
4. Like the guy who broke his arm in two places and his doctor told him to stop going to those places.
E. A fifth remedy is to RECITE Scripture.
1. The only person to ever live without sin was Jesus, and how did He overcome temptation? He quoted Scripture. When Satan shot a temptation at Jesus, Jesus shot back with Bible.
2. Hebrews 4 tells us that the Bible is the sword of the Spirit, and we must not go into the battle without our sword! Amen!
3. Rick Warren wrote, “If you don’t have any Bible memorized, you’ve got no bullets in your gun.”
4. Here are a couple of great verses from Psalm 119.
a. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” (vs. 9)
b. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (vs. 11)
5. D.L. Moody used to say, “Sin will keep you from the Book, or the Book will keep you from sin.”
F. A sixth remedy is to REFOCUS Your Attention on Something Else.
1. Temptation begins by capturing your attention.
2. The more you focus on the temptation, the stronger it draws you into its web.
3. Therefore, sometimes ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it.
4. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power.
5. So if we will just turn out attention to something good and wholesome we can avoid the sin.
a. So, change the channel, turn off the TV, get up from the computer, leave the area, walk away from a group.
b. Do whatever is necessary to turn your attention to something else.
6. Often it is when we have too much free time that we get into trouble.
7. So when temptation comes, we must refocus our attention in the right direction and busy ourselves with good things.
G. A seventh remedy is to REVEAL Your Struggle to A Godly Friend or Support Group.
1. If we are loosing the battle against a persistent sin, then we need the help of others.
2. Some temptations are better dealt with - with the help of others who pray for us, encourage us and hold us accountable.
3. That’s why James wrote, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)
4. Hiding our struggles only tends to intensify them.
5. Often the reason we hide our faults is pride.
a. We want others to think that we have everything under control.
b. Yes, it is humbling to admit our weaknesses to others, but fear and pride are the very things that keep us from getting better.
H. An eighth remedy is to REMIND Yourself of the Consequences of Sin.
1. When we sin we hurt ourselves and the people around us.
2. If, somehow, along with the enticement of sin, there could be a glimpse of the consequence for sin, then temptation would not be nearly as appealing.
3. If King David while being tempted by Bathsheba’s beauty could also have glimpsed the consequences that would be the result - the death of a new born, the destruction of his family, and the pain of remorse – then I don’t think he would have given into the temptation.
4. We must keep in mind Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
I. A ninth remedy is to REALIZE the Presence of God.
1. We might find the strength to act differently if we are aware each day that we do not travel alone.
2. Our holy God is with us and is aware of every thought and action.
3. Just like the presence of others can keep us from sin, so can the presence of God.
4. So let’s be practicing the presence of God.
J. A final remedy, if all else fails, is to RUN.
1. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality…”
2. Paul gave Timothy this advice in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee the evil desires of youth…”
3. There is a famous scene in the movie Forest Gump when kids are throwing rocks at the young Forest, who is both mentally and physically handicapped.
a. Forest didn’t know what to do, and so his best friend Jenny yelled, “Run, Forest! Run!!”
4. If we find temptation too strong to resist, we might just need to run.
Conclusion:
A. I want to end with two examples of people overcoming temptation – one from the past; one from the present.
B. Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob in the Old Testament, is my hero.
1. I don’t have time to go into his entire story, but most of you know something about Joseph.
2. His brothers sold him into slavery because of their jealousy.
3. He ended up in Egypt and was bought by one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
4. Joseph prospered in Potiphar’s house and became the highest servant in that household.
5. The Bible tells us that Joseph was well-built and handsome – he is not only a spiritual man and a capable man, he is also a hunk.
6. The Bible tells us that after a while, Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me.” You talk about a desperate housewife!
7. Joseph refused and tried to appeal to her reason and her conscience.
8. The Bible tells us that though Mrs. Potiphar spoke to Joseph day after day, he not only refused to go to bed with her, he refused to even be with her.
9. Finally, one day, Mrs. Potiphar cleared the house of all the other servants, and then pounced on Joseph, grabbed him by the cloak and said, “Come to bed with me.”
10. Joseph’s only escape was to run, and that’s what he did, leaving his cloak in her hands.
11. As you know things didn’t turn out good for Joseph at this point. Mrs. Potiphar falsely accuses him and he is thrown into prison.
12. But we have to applaud Joseph – he did all the right things to overcome temptation.
13. He resisted, he avoided, and then in the end he ran. What character he showed.
14. How easy it would have been for him to give into the temptation and then justify it in so many ways.
C. A modern example that I found interesting has to do with Ricky Williams.
1. As many of you know, I’m a Miami Dolphins football fan and Ricky Williams is a running back for the Dolphins who has been suspended several times for a violation of the NFL substance abuse rules.
2. Here is a headline from September 30th of this year that caught my eye – “Miami Dolphins’ Williams avoids temptation during the bye week.”
3. The bye week is a week during the season when a team doesn’t have a game.
4. The article read, “Dolphins coach Tony Sparano told his players to ‘’stay home’’ and keep out of trouble during their three days away from the NFL grind last weekend. But he could never demand each player not be tempted by trouble.”
5. “And that’s what running back Ricky Williams admitted happened to him, if only for a few moments. Williams, in the NFL’s substance-abuse program since 2002 and having tested positive four times, said Monday he was briefly tempted to smoke marijuana while the Dolphins had their bye weekend.”
6. “Williams said the extra free time was the primary reason for the temptation.”
7. Williams said. “It’s greater because, like, Thursday, coach told us we had Friday off, so automatically your mind, which is so constrained since training camp began -- every day is a grind, it’s a grind, it’s a grind -- and then Coach says `you’re free.’ And the mind says, `I’m free, what can I do?’ So there was definitely an urge. But I just thought about what I have to lose and it was easy. The urge didn’t last very long.”
8. Williams said he successfully combated the urge to smoke by meditating instead.
9. Williams said he employs a game plan in case the urge ever gets strong.
10. He said, ’’I have not failed, I’ve been good. To have a thought or have an urge is normal. It’s just what you do with it. You monitor how long it lasts. If it lasts 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour, you’re in trouble. You shouldn’t get to that point.”
11. ``For me the NFL assigns a clinician and so if it got to that point and I was smart, I’d pick up the phone and I’d call him. Talking to someone about it, getting it out of your head will help calm you down.’’
D. In the example of Ricky Williams, we heard at least four of the strategies that we have covered in today’s lesson.
1. First, there is the issue of free time, and not being busy enough. That is often when temptation strikes.
2. Second, there is the strategy of meditation. The Scriptures are a good thing to meditate on.
3. Third, there is the strategy of relationship. When we need help, we should call someone for help.
4. Finally, the is the strategy of focusing on the consequences – Williams focused on what he would lose.
5. So Williams and the NFL are just employing some of God’s best strategies.
E. Our transforming truth for today is such a hopeful one – we can win the battle against temptation.
1. Perhaps you are dealing with some powerful temptations in your life right now.
2. I hope and pray that you will not give into any of the lies of Satan, but I hope you will employ the remedies that God has provided for us to overcome temptation.
3. All of us are sinners, which means that we have not always won the victory over temptation, but thank God that He is a forgiving God.
4. Let’s be sure we have sought God’s forgiveness for our past sins, and that we very intent on overcoming temptation in the present and the future.
