FACING
TEMPTATIONS
SOURCES OF TEMPTATION:
1. Satan – The
Tempter:
Since the beginning of the world,
Satan has been the chief agent of temptation.
He enticed Eve into eating the
forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:1).
He provoked David to number
He tempted Jesus and challenged
His son hood. (Matthew 4:3).
Even today Satan prowls like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour (I Peter
5:8).
Satan tempts men to disobey God
and to doubt His goodness, love and grace. But we have our hope in the Most
High for the Bible says in I John 4:4 ‘He who is in you is greater than he who is
in the world’.
James exhorts us in James 4:7 ‘Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil
and he will flee from you’.
2. Evil desires:
People are led into temptation by
their evil and selfish desires.
Gratifying the cravings of human
nature and following its desire traps them into sin.
‘Each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is
dragged away and enticed’. (James 1:14).
3. Temptation
does not come from God:
God does not
tempt men.
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‘When tempted no one should say “God is tempting me” For
God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He tempt anyone’ (James |
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‘The cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the
boasting of what he has and does not come from the Father but from the
world’. (I John 2:16). |
ALLUREMENTS THAT LEAD TO
TEMPTATION:
1. Temptation of food:
Ø
Esau sold his
birthright for a bowl of red stew (Gen 25:29).
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Eve was trapped into
sin for the lure of the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6).
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On the other hand,Jesus endured the temptation of Satan even after fasting
for forty days (Matthew 4:3).
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I Corinthians
2. Temptation of wealth:
v
Ananias and Sapphira were tempted into
keeping for themselves part of the wealth pledged to
be given to God. As a result of their sin they died (Acts 5).
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On the other hand
Peter strongly refused to be bribed by Simon, the sorcerer who wanted to buy
the gift of God with money (Acts
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‘People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a
trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and
destruction’ (I Timothy 6:9).
3. Temptation of lust:
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God was angry with
David who was tempted to take another man’s wife.
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Lust was the root
cause of the fall of Samson.
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On the other hand in
an alien land Joseph said ‘No’ to sexual immorality when he was tempted by
Potiphar’s wife and even suffered persecution.
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I Corinthians
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Paul exhorts us in
Romans 12:1 to offer our body as living sacrifices. Our body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit.
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Moreover we are not our own but were bought at a price.
Therefore we must honor God with our body
(ICor
4. Temptation of high position:
ü
James and John
requested Jesus to grant them positions at His left and right in the
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On the other hand
Jesus washed the feet of His disciples for the Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve.
ü
Let us be like the guests
in the wedding feast who took a lower place in the feast and when the host came
he honored the man with a higher place.
ü
‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who
humbles himself will be exalted’ (Luke
5. Temptation of better prospects:
On the other hand
Jesus rejected Satan’s proposal to give the kingdoms of the world.
God has wonderful
plans for the one who trusts in Him.
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans that I have for
you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you a hope and a future”.
6. Temptation to doubt God’s
goodness and His mercy:
In the midst of suffering we are
often tempted to doubt God’s presence and His goodness. While wandering in the
desert the Israelites started grumbling and cursing God. On the other hand in
the midst of severe physical and mental suffering Job never doubted God’s
goodness or condemned Him. Instead he praised God for everything including his
suffering. God is not a silent spectator in our suffering. He will provide His
grace, which will see us through our suffering.
Psalm 55:22 says ‘The Lord will not permit the godly to
slip and fall’.
7. Temptation to flee, for fear
of persecution:
God commanded Jonah, the prophet
to preach in the sinful city of
TEMPTATION MAY COME THROUGH
PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE TO US:
Eve offered the forbidden fruit to Adam and made him a partner in her sin.
Jezebel instigated King Ahab and stirred him to commit a murder.
Job’s wife provoked Job to curse God for all his suffering.
When Jesus was speaking about His death on the cross, Peter rebuked him saying “This shall never happen to you”.But Jesus immediately recognized the devils intentions and replied “Get behind me, Satan”.
Even if temptations come from people close to us we must out rightly reject them. Deuteronomy 13:6 says ‘If your very own brother or your son or daughter or the wife you love or your closest friend secretly entices you…. Do not yield to him or listen to him’.
REPURCSSION OF FALLING IN
TEMPTATION: Our evil desires lead us into temptation, and temptation
leads us to sin. Romans
GOD HELPS US TO ENDURE
TEMPTATION: God remembers that we are only dust, a passing breeze
and like flowers of the field that are here today and gone tomorrow. God will
never allow us to pass through a temptation, which is too difficult for us to
overcome. ‘No temptation seizes 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’ I Cor
CHRIST – OUR MEDIATOR: Jesus says to Peter “Simon, Simon Satan has asked to sift you as wheat .But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail.” Luke 22:31. Jesus is still our High Priest, mediator and our advocate before God who is continuously praying and interceding was us so that we may endure temptation.
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS: In
the wilderness Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world in its entire
splendor at the cost of worshipping Him. He challenged the Son hood of Jesus
and the love of the Father for His son. At the time of temptation Jesus was
hungry. He was alone in the wilderness with no one to encourage Him. In spite
of all adverse conditions Jesus overcame the temptation. Satan left Him until
‘an opportune time’ and then came back. In fact Satan followed Jesus from the
cradle to
PEOPLE WHO ENDURED TEMPTATION:
1. Elisha refused to accept payment for healing Naaman, the leper.
2. In an alien land Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine.
3. When Joseph was the overseer in the house of Potiphar, he said ‘No’ to sexual immorality.
4. Job rejected evil counsel given by his wife and friends and stood firm in his hour of suffering.
5. Shedrak, Meshak and Abednago refused to worship the king and faced persecution.
HOW TO FACE TEMPTATION AND
ENDURE IT:
1. God’s word: The word of God is the sword of
spirit-‘sharper than any double edged sword’. In the wilderness Jesus faced
Satan with this sword. Every time Satan said “It is written”, Jesus responded
“It is also written”. If the word of God is engraved in our hearts then the
Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s laws in times of temptation.
2. Prayer: It is noteworthy that Jesus was
fasting and praying in the desert before Satan came to tempt Him. It was prayer
that gave Jesus the strength to combat the temptation. Jesus taught His
disciples to pray ‘Lead us not into temptation’.We also need to be alert and
watchful of the divisive Devil and cravings of the flesh, lest we should give
away in the hour of temptation. In the
3. Total submission: We need to submit our bodies as a sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Romans 12:1. Let no cravings of flesh entice us and lead us into temptation. We need to submit our worldly desires and ambitions to God. We need to submit our time and talents to God.
4. Fellowship of believers: ‘Though one may be
overpowered two can defend themselves’ Ecc 4:12.The fellowship of believers
inspires and motivates us to endure temptations.
REWARD OF ENDURING TEMPTATION:
To all those who stand firm in the hour of temptation God has
promised eternal life. ‘Blessed is the man that endures temptation for when he
is tried he shall receive the crown of life” James