08/7/05 AM
THREE KEYS TO OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
I hate temptations.
They are so hard to resist and so easy to yield to.
Some of us are like children who are told not to go out the door, as they continue to go out the door, etc.
When we misbehave, the Holy Spirit is screaming don’t do it, while we just go right on, and then we find ourselves under conviction and miserable.
I think that most of you here know what I am talking about.
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Endure - To hold up under.
Matt 4:1-11
4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
A. Why did Jesus face this grueling 40 days of temptation in the wilderness?
B. To identify with humanity
Heb 4:14-16
15 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.
NIV
C. To succeed where Adam failed thereby bringing victory over sin to those who believe on Him
-Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
D. To show us how to overcome temptation
FACING TEMPTATION
A. We know Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days but nothing is said of what happened
B. We know Jesus was tempted three times after the forty days were finished
C. This account gets down to where we live on a daily basis, every believer faces temptation
D. Jesus reveals three things we need to overcome temptation
I. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. Jesus’ journey into the wilderness was accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit
B. We are foolish to think we can survive in the wilderness on our own
-Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:2-3
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
NIV
C. We are tiny, puny and weak when compared with the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places
D. Facing temptation on our own is like walking down the streets of New York City alone at night, swimming in a piranha infested river, swimming in shark infested waters with a bleeding wound
E. We need somebody with us who scares the devil, who causes him to tremble in fear.
That somebody is the Holy Ghost.
Jesus set people free by casting the devil out and then said, “greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12
John 16:7
It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Acts 16:18
But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Rom 8:11
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, you can say;
Luke 4:8
Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, (then walk in victory)
The same power that kicked Satan out of heaven will conquer him on earth,
II. THE WORD OF GOD
A. When Jesus was facing temptation He used the Word of God to overcome it.
He didn’t try to argue the devil down or reason with Him.
He didn’t try to impress Satan with a great display of power.
Jesus used the absolute, perfect, complete, pure, and inerrant Word of God.
Satan would have us to believe that we can embrace certain forms of temptation and overcome them any time we want to.
If that’s the case, ask the persons addicted to alcohol, drugs, and pornography to just quit.
Ask the habitual liars, and gamblers and so on, to just quit.
There are some things the Bible says to flee from (fornication, idolatry, love of wealth, youthful lusts).
Don’t try to display your spiritual power by playing with temptation - run from it like Joseph did.
Jesus didn’t try to shout the devil down.
All the shouting in the world will not overcome Satan if we don’t know the Word of God.
B. Notice that even after quoting scripture Satan kept coming back.
C. We erroneously think that if we quote a scripture it will scare the devil to death and he’ll run.
D. Notice, Satan quoted the scripture back to Jesus.
What do you do when Satan gives you a scriptural reason to justify sin?
1 Tim 5:23
use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.
Rom 3:8
we are being slanderously reported as saying — "Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved.
NIV
“We’ll, since you put it that way Satan, I guess it wouldn’t hurt just this one time"
"You know Satan, you do have a good point. I never looked at it that way before"
E. We need to know what the Word of God says, but we must realize that quoting scripture is not a secret formula that is going to magically make the devil disappear.
He already knows what the Bible says
III. COMMITMENT
A. If there is an area where we fail it is here. Everything hinges on our commitment.
B. Jesus quoted scripture but it wasn’t His ability to quote scripture that gave Him victory. He quoted scripture to let satan know what He was committed to.
C. Jesus was committed to the obeying the Word of God.
D. Many people know the Word, can quote the Word and shout up a storm but are not committed to the Word but they have no power over temptation.
They were like the Jews trying to cast out devils saying;
Acts 19:13
"In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."(There was no comittment)
NIV
Its not the hearers of the Word of God that are justified but the doers of the Word.
E. It is our commitment to the Word of God that gives us victory over temptation and sin.
We can’t go around compromising the Word and expect to walk in victory.
We must be committed by being submitted - James 4:7 Submit (comittment) yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Commitment; Listen to the Psalmist David’s heart
Ps 119:1-11
119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
IV. CONCLUSION
A. Notice Jesus was tempted three times and in three different ways.
I Jn 2:16 (all the sin that is in the world is based on these three things), the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,...
B. Jesus was tempted in these three areas, Adam and Eve were tempted in these same areas, so will we be.
C. Temptation in all its forms and fashions will fall into these three categories.
D. While we are in this wilderness we will face temptation but we can overcome if we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, stay full of the Word of God and remain committed to what it says to do.
