1. The saying, "Opportunity only knocks once," has been around for a long time. A recent caveat to this saying has been added, "but temptation bangs at the door constantly."
2. Matthew 6.13
3. Yeshua (Jesus) knew of what he spoke -- Matthew 4; Luke 4 -- note: 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Luke 4.13
4. Some of the answer to this petition is in our personal conduct
a. Temptation/Trial -- don't put ourselves into situations of testing
b. Evil -- resist -- 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. James 4.7-8
I. Origin of Evil
A. Atheist's Questions
1. If a God -- why is there evil in the world?
2. If God is good, where does evil come from?
B. Attempted Explanations
1. Ancient Persia --
a. Zoroastrianism -- 2 gods diametrically opposed to one another -- one good; the other evil
[Masonic Lodge -- Albert Pike in 19th Century -- "There are two gods, Jehovah and Lucifer -- we worship Lucifer"
b. Zoroastrianism looked forward to the victory of their good god and a 1000 year of peace and tranquility
2. Isaiah's view -- Isaiah 45.5-7
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me, 6 that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create woe [calamity; evil], I am the LORD, who does all these things.
a. Predicted Cyrus -- the Zoroastrian king would deliver the Hebrews from captivity and return to the Land -- 100 years before
b. Would show He was the only true God
1) Opposition to Zoroastrianism
2) Creator of good and evil -- hardened Pharaoh's heart; sent the lying spirit (Jehoshaphat and Ahab -- 2 Chronicles 18 -- Micaiah predicted their failure --
18 And MicaiŒah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left; 19 and the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, 'By what means?' 21 And he said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.' 22 Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; the LORD has spoken evil concerning you." 18.18-22
3) Serves his purposes
4) Satan is evil but not a god
II. Problem of Evil
Have you heard about the guy who was trying to lose weight, but came to the office one day with two dozen donuts?
His co-workers asked him why he got the donuts if he was trying to lose weight. He answered, "I came to the corner where the donut shop was, I told God that if He wanted me to buy some donuts, He'd have to provide a parking spot right in front of the donut shop. Well, God answered my prayer. On the eighth time around the block, there it was!"
A. The Blame Game
1. As the atheist above -- Holocaust -- Why did God let this happen? -- Better question -- why did MAN let this happen?
1938 -- League of Nations met in Evian, France to discuss rescuing the European Jews. Adjourned deciding to do nothing -- 6 million of the 9 million Hitler killed were Jews.
2. Easy to blame God
[Recent holocausts -- Stalin -- 55 million; Cambodia; Sudan -- 80% voted to kill off the other 20% -- did we learn nothing from Hitler?
3. Christians do not want to blame God or themselves -- shift blame to Satan
a. Eve -- Genesis 3.13
b. Adam Worse -- Genesis 3.12 -- blamed God
B. Personal Responsibility -- Deuteronomy 30.15, 19
15 "See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.// 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,
1. Can't blame God -- James 1.14-15
14 but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.
2. Defeat Evil in our lives with the help of God --- 1 Corinthians 10.13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
3. God tests (not tempts) -- Abraham -- Genesis 22; Yeshua (Jesus) -- Matthew 4; Luke 4; Disciples -- Revelation 2-3
III. Protection from Evil
[Greeks had a race in their Olympic games where the winner was not just the first to cross the finish line; it was the first to cross the line with his torch still lighted -- we want to protect our flame and keep it alive
A. Reality Check -- Evil is Powerful
Take the "South Indian Monkey Trap"! It was developed by villagers to catch small monkeys and then to sell them. They would hollow-out a coconut, cut a small hole big enough for a monkey's hand to slip into it, put some rice in it and chain it to a stake. Tempted by the rice, the monkey would reach its hand in, grab the rice and instantly be trapped. Why? Because the monkey stubbornly held on to the rice in its fist and was unable to pull its fist back out. Why? Because he values it.
1. DSS -- Cave 11 -- "Let not Satan or an unclean spirit rule over me."// "Do not lead me into trials too difficult for me."
2. Similar to Psalm 119.133
Keep steady my steps according to thy promise,
and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
B. A Greater Power -- Good News -- Romans 1.16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live."
1. Power for Freedom -- Isaiah 61.1-2
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good tidings to the afflicted;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
a. Demoniac -- Mark 5
b. Issue of Blood -- Mark 5
c. Death -- 1 Corinthians 15
d. Freedom from captivity
2. Power to transform -- Romans 12.1-2
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6.9-11
3. HS Power
Conclusion
1. A Catholic boy was in confession: Bless me Father for I have sinned... Father, I had bad thoughts... PRIEST : Did you entertain them? BOY : No Father... but they entertained me!
2. We have a daily struggle with temptation/trial and need deliverance
3. Need the assistance of God -- incapable on our own
4. "History records the fate of two men who were condemned to die in the burning days of Queen Mary. One of them boasted very loudly to his companions of his confidence that he would stand firm at the stake. He did not mind the suffering; he was so grounded in the gospel that he knew he would never deny it. He said that he longed for the fatal morning even as a bride for the wedding.
His companion in prison in the same chamber was a poor trembling soul who could not and would not deny his Master; but he told his companions that he was very much afraid of the fire. He said he had always been very sensitive to suffering, and he was in a great deal of dread that when he began to burn, the pain might cause him to deny the truth. He besought his friend to pray for him, and he spent his time in very much weeping over his weakness and in crying to God for strength. The other continually rebuked him and chided him for being so unbelieving and weak.
When they both came to the stake, he who had been so bold recanted at the sight of the fire and went back ignominiously to an apostate's life, while the poor trembling man whose prayer had been "lead me not into temptation" stood firm as a rock, praising and magnifying God as he was burnt to a cinder."
[as quoted by R. Kent Hughes. Abba Father; The Lord's Pattern for Prayer. (Wheaton, ILL: Crossway Books, 1986.) pp. 92-93]
