A BIBLICAL PROTOCOL FOR DEALING WITH TEMPTATION
MATT. 4:1
1. INTRODUCTION. ALL OF US STRUGGLE AT SOME POINT IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE WITH TEMPTATION. FROM THE TIME THAT WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING UNTIL WE LAY DOWN AT NIGHT, WE WRESTLE WITH THE TEMPTATION TO SUCCUMB TO THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRAY, COME TO CHURCH, AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, EVERY LAST ONE OF US HAS BEEN TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. YOU MAY SING WITH THE MELODIOUS VOICE OF AN ANGEL, YET YOU WILL STILL BE TEMPTED. YOU MIGHT QUOTE THE SCRIPTURES POETIC ELOQUENCE, YET YOU WILL STILL BE TEMPTED! YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ALL OF US FACE TEMPTATION, BUT THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATIONS. THE SONG SAYS YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION FOR YIELDING IS SIN. SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A BIBLICAL SOLUTION FOR DEALING WITH TEMPTATION.
2. THE TEXT. AS WE LIFT THE CURTAIN ON THE TEXT, WE COME TO A VERY FAMILIAR SETTING DEALING WITH THE TEMPTATIONS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS THE CHRIST, BY THE DEVIL.
a) JESUS HAD JUST BEEN BAPTIZED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHEN HE IS LED INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL.
b) HE HAS FASTED FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS.
c) NOTICE THAT THE DEVIL DID NOT COME TO HIM UNTIL HE WAS PHYSICALLY WEAK FROM HUNGER.
d) AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE DEVIL KNOWS JUST WHEN TO TEMPT US. HE KNOWS OUR POINT OF WEAKNESS.
e) I STOPPED BY TO TELL US THAT FOR EVERY SPIRITUAL MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE, TEMPTATION WILL SOON FOLLOW.
f) YOU CAN BE ON THE PINNACLE OF PRAISE, AND TEMPTATION WILL KNOCK ON THE DOOR.
g) ALTHOUGH JESUS WAS GOD IN THE FLESH, HE WAS SUBJECT TO THE FRAILTIES OF HIS HUMAN BODY.
h) AND IF THE DEVIL, THE ADVERSARY, THE ACCUSER, THAT OLD SERPENT, WILL TEMPT JESUS, REST ASSURED THAT HE HAS OUR ADDRESS.
3. TEMPTATION. THE WORD TEMPT IN THE ORIGINAL MEANS TO TRY. IT MEANS TO TEST.
a) THE DEVIL TESTED JESUS.
b) THE DEVIL’S TEMPTATIONS ARE AN ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT GOD AND US, BY GETTING US TO DISOBEY GOD.
c) NOTICE IN HIS FIRST TEMPTATION OF JESUS; KNOWING THAT JESUS WAS HUNGRY; HE TEMPTED JESUS TO SATISFY HIS PHYSICAL HUNGER BY TURNING STONES INTO BREAD. HIS SATANIC ATTACK WAS AN EFFORT TO GET JESUS TO USE HIS POWER FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES. CERTAINLY, JESUS COULD HAVE IF HE WANTED TO, BUT HE WOULD NOT GIVE IN TO THE DEVIL.
d) MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, WE MUST NOT GIVE IN!
e) IN THE SECOND TEMPTATION, THE DEVIL TAKES HIM TO THE PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE AND CHALLENGES HIM TO THROW HIMSELF DOWN; QUOTING PS. 91:11-12, CITING THAT GOD WILL GIVE THE ANGELS CHARGE TO BEAR HIM UP, LEST HE DASH HIS FOOT AGAINST A STONE. THE DEVIL KNOWS THE WORD OF GOD. THIS WAS A TEMPTATION TO TEST GOD’S CARE.
f) AGAIN, HE COULD HAVE IF HE WANTED TO, BUT CHECK THIS OUT DON’T JUMP JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN.
g) IN THE THIRD TEMPTATION, HE SHOWS JESUS THE KINGDOMS OF THE LAND AND THEIR GLORY, AND OFFERS TO GIVE THEM TO JESUS IF JESUS WOULD JUST BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP HIM. THIS WAS A TEMPTATION OF COMPROMISE.
h) JUST AS JESUS DID NOT BOW, WE MUST NOT BOW TO THE SEDUCTIONS OF THE DEVIL.
i) THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL ARE PLAUSIBLE, MEANING HE DEALS WITH OUR ABILITY TO REASON.
4. JESUS’ SOLUTION. JESUS DEALT WITH THE DEVIL BY USING THE SCRIPTURES. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR SOLUTION MUST BE TO USE THE WORD OF GOD. BUT YOU CANNOT USE WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW.
a) IN THE FIRST TEMPTATION, JESUS QUOTED DEUT. 8:3, “IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDTH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.”
b) IN THE SECOND TEMPTATION, HE QUOTES FROM DEUT. 6:16, “YE SHALL TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.”
c) THE THIRD TEMPTATION HE USES DEUT. 6:13 “THOU SHALT FEAR THE LORD THY GOD, AND SERVE HIM.”
d) JESUS WAS TEMPTED JUST LIKE WE ARE TEMPTED. HEB. 4:15, TEACHES THAT HE WAS TEMPTED AT ALL POINT LIKE US, YET WITHOUT SIN.
e) THE BIBLE RECORDS THAT AFTER THE DEVIL FAILED HE FLED. THE BIBLE INSTRUCTS US TO RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE.
f) WE CAN BE VICTORIOUS AGAINST TEMPTATION. 1 COR. 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.”
g) IF WE FAITHFULLY SEEK GOD’S FACE IN THE MIDST OF OUR TEMPTATION, GOD WILL GRANT US THE GRACE TO RESIST THE DEVIL!
5. THREE POINTS/CONCLUSION. TO PREPARE US FOR DEALING WITH SUCCESSFULLY WITH TEMPTATION, WE SHOULD DO THE FOLLOW:
a) ONE, WE MUST SPEND TIME ALONE WITH GOD, AND COMMUNE WITH HIM. JESUS SEPARATED HIMSELF FROM THE WORLD. ALONE TIME WITH GOD IS CRITICAL FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY. IT IS DURING THIS TIME THAT WE PRAY, MEDITATE, AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD.
b) TWO, WE MUST TRUST GOD’S ABILITY AND NOT OUR OWN. MANY BATTLES AGAINST THE DEVIL HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO THE FAILURE TO DEPEND ON GOD. ALL OF US CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT IN LEANING ON OUR OWN ABILITY WE HAVE AT SOME POINT BEEN WOUNDED.
c) THREE, WE MUST LIVE IN THE WORD OF GOD! 2 TIM. 2:15 TEACHES THAT WE SHOULD STUDY TO SHOW OURSELVES APPROVED UNTO GOD, WORKMEN WHO ARE NOT ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH. LIVING IN THE WORD OF GOD MEANS DOING THE WORD OF GOD!
• SO, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHEN YOU FEEL THE TEMPTATION TO…
• LIE, SEEK GOD
• GOSSIP, TRUST GOD
• STAY HOME FROM CHURCH, COME TO GOD
• LIVE A LIFE THAT’S NOT PLEASING TO GOD, PRAY TO GOD
• HATE OTHERS, GET IN THE WORD OF GOD
• DON’T JUMP JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN
• YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION FOR YIELDING IS SIN; EACH VICTORY WILL HELP YOU, SOME OTHER TO WIN. FIGHT MANFULLY ONWARD, DARK PASSIONS SUBDUE; LOOK EVER TO JESUS, HE’LL CARRY YOU THROUGH.
• ASK THE SAVIOR TO HELP YOU, COMFORT STRENGTHEN AND KEEP YOU; HE IS WILLING TO HELP YOU, HE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH.
