Intro: I think I have mentioned before, I have a chipmunk living in my house. He’s a very sly little animal. He’s very cute to look at, and no one would ever want to hurt such a little animal. Yet, he’s also very destructive. He’s made a home up under my vinyl siding and is chewing away at the insulation of the house. I have set several traps for him, but he seems to be avoiding my traps. I know once I catch him, I can kill him. But I won’t be able to do anything to him until I can catch him in one of my traps.
In the same way, Satan comes to us as an angel of light. He is very appealing in his tactics. Often temptation comes to us in things that seem very desirable to us. We want to give in. But we know also that yielding to temptation will do great damage to us. If Satan can catch us in one of his traps, he would quickly destroy us. We need to be wise and avoid the snares of Satan. This morning we want to talk about a snare that Satan has used time after time to be the downfall of many strong Christian leaders.
Think with me about some of the great men of God: David, the man after God’s own heart. Solomon, the wisest man alive in his day. Samson, a great judge of Israel. Judah, the son of Isaac. Joseph, the man who could interpret dreams. All these men faced the snare of sexual sins.
Think in our own day, and the list goes on: Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, author and teacher Gordon McDonald, Christian singer Michael English, I’m sure you could name many more. One of Satan’s greatest snares in our society today is the snare of sexual sins.
We need to realize we are in a battle in the sexual arena!
I. Understanding the real battleground.
When the Revolutionary war occurred, the British had a lot of troops here in the colonies. After the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence, there began to be several skirmishes between British troops and American militia forces. Now, the British found in a typical British way. The all had on their Bright red jackets, they all lined up in a row, and the all marched to a drummer as they went from place to place. Now the Americans dressed in coonskin caps and deer hide jackets, they hid behind trees, and came and went silently. The British were used to fighting “courteous” battles, they weren’t used to the bush fighting of the colonists.
We need to understand how the devil attacks us. Let’s realize that sexual temptation is not a problem of our flesh, but a battle for the mind. Men and women do not go out and have sexual relationships with others, leaving their spouses and families behind, just on the basis of physical pleasure. Sexual sins come about because Satan has already won the real battle, the battle of the mind.
This morning let’s realize that the real battle of sexual sins is a battle that takes place in our minds. In Deut. 5:21 we see in the 10 commandments, God tells us "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." The problem comes from the desire of our hearts. Prov. 6:25 - Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. The battle is not a physical one, but a mental one. Jesus knew this when he clarified the commandment about adultery. He was faced with many hypocrites who justified themselves on what they did or did not do. Jesus stated But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. The sexual sin was a sin of the mind, a sin of the heart.
Where do the problems arise? We desire what we see for ourselves. Actually in our society the greater problem is that we desire what we imagine. Fantasy is one of the greatest problems we face in the area of sexual sins. Remember what the bible tells us in proverbs: "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!" We crave our secret sins. We have a society where we are given airbrushed pictures that have been retouched to take all perfections out of the models’ looks. We fantasize about wanting the perfect looking partner. Or we fantasize about someone who loves us deeply. We read romance novels and we wish we had someone who loved us sacrificially, who loved to be with us, meet our needs, and devote themselves to us. We fantasize, and reject the truth. And our fantasies lead us farther and farther away from reality. We justify ourselves saying that fantasy won’t hurt us. But we deny the truth that living in fantasy is denying reality: Satan is winning the war for our minds.
Phil. 4:8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. The way to win the war is to understand the battleground. Satan does not try to get us to fall in sexual practice until he has first of all gotten us to lower the drawbridge to our minds. That’s why beer commercials feature scantily clad women. They know they need to get people thinking about the women and think, “well, if I drink that beer, I’ll have women like that all over me.” Women in bikinis and beer have nothing in common! Satan is out to win the battle of our minds.
#Calvin & Hobbes comic:sports car, moms looks, Maybe you guys need to drink more beer”
Rom. 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In Philippians, “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” 2 Cor. 10:5 gives us the understanding of how to understand the battleground: We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
If the battleground is first in the mind, then we need to control our minds and keep them obedient to Christ. As you drive down the road, you see a billboard with a scantily clad woman--avert your eyes. Control your thoughts. Let your mind and your thoughts and your desires be obedient to Christ! Ps. 19:14 - May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
First we need to understand the real battleground. Next,
II. We need to arm ourselves for the battle: our weapon is wisdom
Look with me in Proverbs 2 as we find our real weapon for the battle: wisdom.
*The Getting of Wisdom - vs. 1-6 - to get wisdom to withstand sexual temptations, we must seek diligently. Just as a treasure hunter scans the beach back and forth diligently with a metal detector, we must seek God’s wisdom. It’s not enough to pray a quick prayer, God help me to be wise. We need to know the word of God and read it. Ps. 119:9 - How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
*The Guarding of Wisdom - 7-11 - Wisdom guards us. It is like a large shield that deflects the blows and weapons of the enemy. It is like a compass that directs our paths. It is like a homing signal that takes us where we want to go.
*The Attacks to wisdom - look at vs. 16-19
Sexual temptation is an attack against doing what is right. We are not wise when we yield.
Satan uses “seductive words” - it sounds so good, we want to give in
Satan creates opportunity - she was alone, she left her partner - in Prov. 7 we see an adulteress creating just the right opportunities to cause one to fall. Why is it Satan doesn’t try to make us fall using ugly women or mean, obnoxious men. He uses that which appeals to us.
*The Consequences of Wisdom - 2:20-21 - those who are wise will be blessed; but those who are not will face consequences in this life and the life to come.
We are in a battle. We need to understand the real battleground is our minds. We must arm ourselves with wisdom and the knowledge of the word of God.
III. We Must Plan our Battle against sexual sins - we must arm the troops
Winning over sexual sins is as simple as A-B-C!
A. Avoid questionable situations - Look over in Prov. 5:8 - Here in the passage about the adulteress, it encourages us to stay far away. We would think it foolish for an alcoholic to go sit in a bar and sip on a water. It would be foolish for a car thief to walk past car lots browsing. It is also foolish for us to play around with temptations in the area of sexual sins. Don’t let yourself look at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue: it’s just a temptation to go further down the road. Don’t go exploring questionable websites on the internet. Don’t rent “sexy” videos or watch questionable cable TV shows: they only lead you down a path that you don’t want to go down. Temptation is all around us. We need to avoid temptation and live. I Cor. 6:18 tells us to Flee from sexual immorality. Don’t allow yourself to think, “I can handle it.” No! We can’t! Flee!
B. Build a good marriage - to those who are married, the best way to keep from going down the wrong road to sexual failure is to build a good marriage. Prov.5:15-20. (Read) Let yourself be overwhelmed, intoxicated with love for your spouse. Feed a man at home, and he won’t go out to a restaurant. Let your marriage be a safeguard against sexual temptations.
C. Confess your faults to one another. Prov. 5:21 tells us For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. God sees us as we really are. Let’s admit the truth about our struggles to one another. James 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. If we are struggling in the area of sexual sins, we need not to cover it up. Ps. 32:5 - David says of his sin - Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" --and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah [Pause and think of that!]
Let’s find help from others in the area of our sexual sins.
D. Determine to be obedient - Prov. 5:7 - Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. We need to make a commitment in our heart not to turn aside from the right way, the way of the Lord. We need to determine we will not entertain or play around with temptation. Rather we are to resist the devil and he will flee from us. So often Satan tries to wear us down over time. Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph daily to sleep with her. Day after day he refused. This was not just a string of lucky days. Rather Joseph had determined he would be faithful to his master: his earthly master and his heavenly master. We need to determine in our hearts we will not allow Satan to use sexual sins as a stronghold of sin in our life.
Concl: Satan sets his snares for us. The good news is that victory is ours for the taking. Prov. 2: 9-10 - Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. There is nothing more pleasurable than knowing you are doing the right thing. Hebrews talks about the “pleasures of sin for a season.” But sin which is pleasurable quickly turns bitter. However, when we flee temptation and do right, we find a pleasantness in our souls. Let’s make the determination to follow God and flee temptation. Let’s encourage one another and check up on one another. Let’s not let one of us fall to the snare of sexual temptation. Shall we pray. . . .
