Dealing with Temptation
Matthew 4:1-11
May 2, 2004
Introduction
As we begin our time together in the Word of God, I would ask that you turn in your Bibles to Matthew 4. If you¡¦re using the Bibles in the seats, this is on page 682.
In December of last year, we began to look at the book of Matthew. And we continued on that track until we began the 40 Days of Purpose.
Now that¡¦s over, I want us to continue being people of purpose by studying the book of Matthew.
Originally I had only intended to look at the Sermon on the Mount, because it¡¦s so practical. And we¡¦ll be getting into that pretty soon. But there is a lot we can learn from the entire gospel.
And the theme that keeps going through my head for the book of Matthew is this: ¡§Real Christianity for real people.¡¨ Catchy, huh? My desire for our time in Matthew is that everyone who hears these messages will get the idea that Jesus had some very practical things for us, and that His words are relevant and applicable today.
And in our passage today, we see that very clearly. So please follow along as I read the first eleven verses of Matthew 4.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ "
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" `He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ "
7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’¡¨
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ "
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Let me set the stage here: Jesus had just come off an awesome experience at His baptism.
And now He¡¦s in the desert, being tempted by the devil. He¡¦s hungry, thirsty, tired, worn, and weary. Anybody here been any of these? Okay.
And it¡¦s during this hard time that the devil comes up to Him and tries to get Him to fall.
He is facing major temptations. The devil is basically saying, ¡§I can make all this go away if you¡¦ll just do what I say.¡¨ That was the temptation. ¡§I¡¦ll make your life better and more enjoyable if you¡¦ll just do what I say.¡¨
You see, temptation always offers to make our life easier or better.
Well, today we¡¦re going to look at this beast of temptation, and we¡¦re going to find some practical ways to help us get past them and overcome them.
Now let me warn you up front that we are not going to cover everything there is to know about temptation and how to deal with it, okay?
No doubt you¡¦ve heard messages about this before, and I¡¦ll probably miss something you think I should have said.
But I¡¦m like everybody else in one sense ¡V when God is emphasizing something in my life, I kinda miss other things sometimes.
So today I¡¦ll be sharing some things that I think God would have me emphasize, okay? I¡¦m not ignoring other things, just focusing on these things.
So let¡¦s start to look at¡K
Keys to recognizing and handling temptation.
Parts of this message will be a bit of review from a message in the 40 Days of Purpose, when we dealt with becoming like Christ, which is the process we call discipleship. But I think you will find it helpful to review.
The first key to dealing with temptation is to¡K
1. Know what temptation really is.
Temptation is not sin. Temptation is the opportunity to sin.
How do we know that temptation is not sin? Because the Bible says right here in our passage that Jesus Himself was tempted, and the Bible is equally clear that Jesus did not sin.
So it¡¦s very important that we learn what temptation really is and how it operates. Let¡¦s take a look quickly at James 1:13-15, and I want to give us¡K
Three truths about temptation:
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Truth #1: God is not the source of
temptation.
God is holy, pure, and perfect. Sin is anything but. God allows temptation, but He is not the source. It just doesn¡¦t get any plainer than that.
Truth #2: The source of temptation is our
own evil nature.
No more claiming ¡§the devil made me do it.¡¨ Why? Because he didn¡¦t; you did. You followed your own desires, your own appetites, your own habits.
The devil knows how to play on those, that¡¦s for sure ¡V but he doesn¡¦t make you do anything. The choice begins and ends with you.
Notice what it says in verse 14:
but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
You probably 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 donuts if he¡¦s trying to diet, and he answered, ¡§Well, as I came to the corner where the donut shop was, I told God that if He wanted me to buy some donuts to have a parking spot open right in front of the donut shop. And on the eighth time around the block, there it was!¡¨
Some of you are wondering if you have time to go get some donuts before the pot-luck after church today¡K
Truth #3: Temptation, if not dealt with,
leads to sin.
No duh, Brian! Okay, okay. But it needs to be said, if for no other reason than the fact that now you cannot claim ignorance.
The first key to dealing with temptation is to understand what temptation really is. The second key is to¡K
2. Recognize patterns of temptation.
You may have never thought of this, but temptations many times follow patterns that are tailor-made to the individual.
But I think it¡¦s safe to say that there are some times when temptations seem to be particularly vicious.
„h After big spiritual victories.
Jesus had just been baptized by John, endorsed by the Father, and visited by the Holy Spirit.
„h During hard times.
Notice that verse 3 says that Jesus was hungry, and then the devil came up to Him and tried to get Him to make some food.
Sometimes the devil comes to us in our most vulnerable times.
Maybe it¡¦s hunger, like in the case of Jesus. Maybe it¡¦s the painful end of a significant relationship. Maybe it¡¦s the loss of a job, or financial strain, or family tension, or something else.
And the enemy loves to take advantage of those times to tempt you to sin.
„h During times of separation from family or friends.
Loneliness is a fertile ground for temptation. If you travel a lot, this is very important. You need to be intentional about focusing your thoughts on other things rather than your loneliness.
If you don¡¦t, sin is crouching at your door, waiting to devour you. Don¡¦t get caught in the trap. Move away from the trap and read, watch Christian television, or something.
Before we move on to the next key for dealing with temptation, let me say something very quickly. Temptation is rarely blatant. Generally temptation doesn¡¦t just come up to you and say, ¡§Here I am! Here¡¦s your opportunity to really blow it!¡¨
Most of the time, temptation is very subtle, appealing to you in soft tones, sneaking up on you, and it¡¦s very important that you identify ways the devil brings temptation to you, so you can be prepared.
Let¡¦s move on to the third key for dealing with temptation, and that is to¡K
3. Learn how to handle temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 says this:
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 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.
Some actions to take in handling temptation:
„Ï Know it¡¦s coming.
This verse says it¡¦s coming, so don¡¦t live in denial. You will face temptation. You are not above temptation. You will face it whether you believe it or not. Remember, if the Father did not even keep His own Son from facing temptation, He¡¦s not going to spare you, either.
Remember, your temptations are generally like everyone else¡¦s. Human nature has not changed a whole lot since Adam, and God is fully aware of your temptations and weaknesses.
And you need to understand something here. The reason temptation is so tempting is because it looks good. That makes sense, right?
If sin grossed you out, the temptation to do it wouldn¡¦t be as great.
When the devil tempted Christ with all those lands, it must have looked good. I mean, who wouldn¡¦t want power and land and all that stuff, and all He had to do was bend His knee to Satan.
Many times temptation comes in the form of legitimate desires being met in illegitimate ways.
For instance, money for food is a legitimate desire, even a need. Robbing banks to get that money is not good.
Sexual fulfillment is a legitimate desire. Obtaining that fulfillment outside of marriage between a man and a woman is illegitimate.
My point here is that temptation often dresses itself up as a legitimate need.
„Ï Prepare your mind.
When you know something¡¦s coming, you can prepare for it.
Romans 12:2 ¡V
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
2 Corinthians 2:10 -
we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
How do we prepare our minds? There are several ways:
First, recognize the patterns that I mentioned earlier. Be aware of those things that draw you toward sin.
Another way is to develop spiritual habits of prayer, Bible reading, and accountability.
Another way to prepare your mind is remind yourself that every temptation is an opportunity. When you choose to obey, you become more like Christ. When you follow the temptation, you become less like Christ.
And a fourth way to prepare your mind is to do what Jesus did ¡V memorize Scripture so you can use it to defeat the lies of the devil.
Most of you probably noticed that in our passage today. Three temptations, and each time Jesus quoted Scripture. And hey, notice something else here ¡V the devil knows Scripture. He twists it for his purposes, just as he did in the garden of Eden, but He knows it, believe me.
But the more you become familiar with Scripture, the better off you¡¦ll be. Memorize passages that deal with the particular temptations most common for you.
If you are tempted with sexual immorality, memorize verses dealing with that. If you are prone to cheat on your finances or business deals, memorize verses that talk about integrity. Or if your prone to gossip, memorize verses about how to control your tongue.
„Ï Avoid areas of temptation.
Intentionally alter your path so you do not come across whatever temptation you fight the most.
In an episode of that great gospel program, "Hee Haw." Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, "Well then, stay out of them places!"
„Ï Drop the rope.
Don¡¦t get in a spiritual tug of war with temptation. Don¡¦t fight ¡V run.
2 Timothy 2:22 in the Living Bible says to-
Run from anything that gives you¡Kevil thoughts¡K
If you think you can just stand up to all the temptations you will face, just understand that you¡¦re setting yourself up to fail.
The late English writer, Oscar Wilde, once said, "I can resist anything except temptation!"
Run. Our passage in 1 Corinthians doesn¡¦t say that God will provide a way to beat the temptation into the ground. It says that God provides a way out!
If you take the way out, you¡¦re wise. If you don¡¦t, you¡¦re foolish. It¡¦s that simple.
¡§Yeah, but Jesus didn¡¦t run away!¡¨ Well let me tell you something. You aren¡¦t the holy Son of God. You aren¡¦t the incarnate Word of God. And you aren¡¦t the one who was qualified nor powerful enough to conquer sin. So don¡¦t bother trying to act like super-Christian. It won¡¦t work, and you¡¦ll end up failing.
The Bible does not say we are to resist temptation ¡V it says we are to get out of there.
Let me say it again. Drop the rope. Okay? Say it with me. Drop the rope. You might want to write that down on a little card or something and stick it somewhere you can see it frequently.
It¡¦s foolish to keep putting yourself in the path of temptation and think you¡¦ll never get hurt.
These last three things we¡¦ve looked at regarding handling temptation are meant to help you do one thing: starve the temptation to death.
You see, if you can deny temptation by doing what we¡¦ve just mentioned, then eventually it will shrivel up and die, at least for a while.
When you have trained your mind and body to occupy themselves with something else, these things can become less of a temptation.
Starve the sin and feed the fever of love and obedience for Christ.
4. Find encouragement in Christ.
You know, folks, we don¡¦t often understand something, and it¡¦s this: Jesus bumped into life, just like we do.
He had friends growing up, family, He had a job, he had to deal with people all the time, and what have you.
He got hungry, thirsty, had to go to the bathroom, blow His nose, and even spit.
He was no different in His human life than you and I. He went through the same hassles you and I go through.
So He understands. He understands relationships and how people can both build you up and tear you down.
And He understands temptation. He¡¦s with you and He knows what you¡¦re going through. So find encouragement in Him.
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Ahhh. You see, Jesus didn¡¦t just go through all that so He could jump up and down going, ¡§Oh yeah. I did it. I beat up the devil. I came. I saw. I conquered. Oh yeah.¡¨
It¡¦s so key that you understand that one of the reasons Jesus went through the temptations, was because He knew you would need help. Hello! He did it for YOU!!
How does He help us? Three ways, very quickly.
First, He gives us His Word, the Bible, to help us see where we need to become more holy.
Second, He gives us His Holy Spirit, who helps us recognize and say no to temptation and sin, because we are powerless to do it on our own.
And third, He gives us the hope that one day temptation will no longer be an issue, because we will be in heaven, where no sin and no temptation exist, only perfect purity, as we look on the face of the Savior.
Conclusion
Okay, I think you¡¦ve got the idea about temptation. You¡¦ve got some tools now to help you nip it in the bud.
But what happens when you blow it? What happens if you yield to temptation and follow it into sin?
Allow me to read 1 John 1:9 ¡V
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Let me just give you three very quick steps, which are not in your outline, but that you might want to write down.
First, confess your sin. Confessing is just agreeing with God that it¡¦s sin. That¡¦s all it is. God already knows that you¡¦ve sinned, so it¡¦s not like you have to tell Him!
Second, rest. Rest in the forgiveness that God promises to those who confess. Because you know, as real as the sin is, forgiveness is just as real. When you have confessed your sin, it¡¦s forgiven. So rest in that.
And third, repent. Change your mind, your attitude, your outlook, and your actions toward that sin. Use the tools we¡¦ve given you today to help you recognize and run from temptations.
Why didn¡¦t I put repent second and THEN rest? Because I think it¡¦s easier to repent for the long-term when we understand just how wonderful forgiveness really is.
We¡¦re so bent on beating this sin, we don¡¦t take the time to relish what just happened when we confessed. And when we contemplate the fact that our fellowship with the Father has just been restored, we fall more in love with Him, are more appreciative of the sacrifice of Jesus, and more willing to allow the Holy Spirit to develop holiness within us.
Right now, I want us to take a moment in silence, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind anything in our lives that we need to confess as sin, and then I¡¦m going to pray that God would help us in those areas, to not only recognize the sin for what it is, but also to help us recognize the temptation, so we can look for the way out God will provide.
Let¡¦s be silent for a moment.
Pray
