Becoming: Victorious - 1 Peter 5:5-11

As we conclude our series Becoming the Road from Here to there a series in which we’ve been taking an in depth look at the book of 1st Peter... In a Message that I’ve titled. Becoming: Victorious

1 Peter 5:5–11 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Be sober and vigilant... Be alert. WAKE UP... open your eyes...

What’s so interesting here is that Peter is actually sharing with us the very same thing that Jesus shared with him in Matthew 26

In Jesus darkest hour he asks peter to go with him to the Garden of Gethsemane.

He asked Peter to watch and pray. And while Jesus was telling the father...

“if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; BUT, not my I will, but Your will be done.”

And Jesus comes back to Peter the one who promised to be there for him and he was sleeping...

I have shared before … I had a really bad week in HS … I was visiting a friend in Delaware … spent the night … headed to church the next morning

Totalled the truck … stressed out … family was angry … girlfriend had been along … parents weren’t real happy I was the guy driving her around …

Left her house friday night … headed home … tired, stressed out, worried about the accident … fell asleep … about 1/2 mile from my house … crossed the center into the fence …

Jesus comes back from praying.... his eyes are probably still red from crying... The Bible tells us that when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane sweat-like blood fell from his brow... YES it’s that time

and he comes back and he sees peter (snoring)...

The guy that a few moments ago in Matthew 26:35 says, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

when he needed the most support... he fell asleep. and this didn’t happen just one time or 2 times...3 times Jesus went away to pray and 3 times Peter fell asleep.

Check out what he tells him...

Matthew 26:40 “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”

Peter much have felt like one big loser... like a failure...

This is what Peter is reminding us. As he’s writing these words he’s taken back to the Garden. the place where he fell asleep instead of being alert... and he’s pleading with us… stay awake … don’t forget what’s at stake, don’t forget there’s an enemy, and don’t forget that you aren’t just fighting yourself

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

In the Greek the word devil means adversary... enemy... the accuser

He’s out like a roaring lion looking to whom he may devour.

Why does Peter compare the Devil to a Lion.

dangerous

powerful

sneaky - imitator

The Devil is an imitator… the Bible say that someone else is a lion... Jesus... is the lion of Judah… the devil seldom starts by rolls something out obvious … small compromises … little decisions … little lies, just a taste, just a dabble, toe in, deniable

quick message, quick peak … we just went to lunch … we’re old friends from HS … what’s $5 or $50 or $500 or $5,000

2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

So Peter tells us that the Devil is like a roaring lion because we need to watch out he’s dangerous...the devil is an imitator...

Something else that we know about the Lion is that the lion is opportunistic… picks off the weak, picks off the lonely, picks off the wounded

And how does our enemy attack us...

Matthew 26:40–41 ESV

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

So the way that Satan devours us is through temptation … The way that he eats us up is by tempting … By attacking us when we are weak.

Satan wants to devour us ... He wants to embarrass us ... He wants us to feel bad…guilt … shame … can’t tell anyone about that … I would never confess that … no one can know

The Devil knows that he can’t get to Jesus directly the only way for him to hurting Jesus is by hurting us...Temptation is an old problem.

It's been around since Adam and Eve.

When God made Adam and Eve he made them perfect... they were victorious... and the devil wanted them to be losers so what did he do?

in the Garden he tempted Eve... when she was alone...when she was most vulnerable…when her husband wasn’t caring well for her … Sin entered the world... and after sin enters the life of a person...there’s shame... there’s guilt there’s depression... embarrassment... When we are living in sin we don’t even feel good coming to church... we want to hide from God... we don’t even want to look at the bible that we use to read on our nightstand... we delete the bible app from our phone...Just like Adam and Eve did after they ate the fruit... they hid from God they were ashamed...Satan wants us to be LOSERS...

And the only way that he can make us feel like a loser is by tempting us...By shoving us in the direction of sin...

By preying on us and attacking us in our area of weakness! We all have weaknesses... Even the strongest Christian has a weakness...

So we know he’s out to get us... he’s a roaring opportunistic no good Lion...that wants to hurt us, he wants to destroy our marriages…our families, our church, our community … He hates God, and wants to destroy anything that God is about

So the question that we need to answer today is

How Can I Win Over Temptation - Becoming: Victorious

1) Anticipate it.

Anticipate temptation. Don't be surprised by it. Don't be intimidated by it. Don't be shocked by it. Instead, be prepared.

Need to know that your opponent/enemy is going to attack … & you need to know how

When temptation comes we usually have three common reactions:

Shock. "How in the world could I think a thought like that?"

Frustration. "Why do I keep falling in the same area over and over?"

Discouragement. "I'll never change!"

You need to understand up front that it is not a sin to be tempted. Sin is giving in to temptation, not being tempted. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted.

You can't stop the birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair. You can't stop Satan from bombarding your mind with ideas but you can decide to not dwell on them.

I remember in college listening to a chapel speaker … it isn’t the first look that gets you into trouble … it’s the 2nd, it isn’t the unaware glance … its the return … it’s the pursuit

Where did that come from? Wasn’t expecting that … thought, visual, opportunity, impulse … this happens to us when we’re trying to get close to God

Where did that one come from? I can't believe I thought that! We start to get all intimidated. I must not be a good Christian; maybe I'm not even a Christian at all.

It is not a sin to be tempted and you will never outgrow temptation. You're never going to get to a point in your spiritual life where you can say nothing bothers you anymore. You will be tempted not because you're evil but because you're a human being. Welcome to the human race!

It's what you do with temptation that makes it either right or wrong, good or bad…and one of our best weapons against the enemy is anticipation

What is the antidote? Instead of being shocked, intimidated, or surprised when Satan puts these thoughts in your mind, you need to be prepared for them.

Matt. 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Be prepared. Be watching for it. Be prepared for it. Be ready for it. Don't be surprised. Just know where it's coming from -- "It's just the devil again."

When God gives you an idea in your mind we call it inspiration. When the devil gives you an idea in your mind we call it temptation.

You are free to choose which thoughts you dwell on. We must become purposeful, and intentional … we must learn to capture our thoughts, and look for ways out …

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

1 - anticipate it .... 2

2. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT

Accept responsibility for the temptations that occur in my life. Don't blame God. Don't blame other people. Don't blame the devil... "The devil made me do it!" Even the devil cannot tempt you without your cooperation.

"Temptation is the pull of his own (Circle "his own") desire.

James 1:14-15 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.”

If you had no internal desire the devil couldn't tempt you. Remember he is a roaring lion that’s looking for weaknesses in his prey ... He’s going to look for the areas in your life where you are the most vulnerable.

This is why the comparison is so dangerous … because the enemy is a student of us both as humans and as individuals … we are all good at saying … I see their sin, and boy am I glad that I don’t do that … remember last week … this is why humility is so important … this is why accurately seeing ourselves is so powerful … we have to be honest about ourselves, our struggles … we may not sin like they do and frankly the enemy is more than happy that you don’t … He wants you looking at theirs and not your own .... If you're facing temptation right now, you're facing a secret habit or hang up or hurt, you're never going to find freedom until you see it, recognize it, own it

I know there are some of you hear that have been hurt... You’ve been hurt badly... So long as we fix our eyes on the other person, their wrongdoing, their sin, so long as we let ourselves blame them for our attitude, behavior, response …

Just as temptation is as old as Adam and Eve, so is making excuses. But We’ve got to go further than that.

1 - anticipate it .... 2 accept responsibility for it

3) ASK GOD FOR HELP

this feels so simple it’s almost ridiculous

God has a 24-hour hotline. You can call Him anytime. He is willing and waiting to help you with any temptation. He's not blown away by it. He doesn't say, "No kidding!" He's not surprised. He already knows everything going on in your life. He just wants you to admit it.

Why don't we ask God for help when we're tempted?

a) Because we honestly don't want it. We want to give in. WE LIKE IT! We know it's wrong. We know it's bad. We know we're going to pay for it. We know it’s going to kick us in the butt.

We don’t ask God for help because we really don't want it.

There are times we really do want His help when we are tempted, but we don't ask

b) feelings of shame and embarrassment - because we're too embarrassed because we keep falling in the same area over and over again.

We don't want to come back and say, "God, it's me again." You keep falling and you're too embarrassed. He already helped you and here you are falling again in the same area. Don't ever be embarrassed to ask God for help because God, unlike human beings, does not have a limit to His patience. It goes on and on forever. His love is everlasting. His compassion endures forever. God never gets bored, never gets impatient, never gets irritated when you come to Him for help -- "God, it's me again. This is the fifteenth time today!"

If you have to come to God 200 times a day and say "God, I'm being tempted again. Help!" He will.

Why does God want you to come to Him? Because He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to earth and Jesus went through everything you went through which means He understands. You have a sympathetic God. He knows what you're going through.

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 - anticipate it .... 2 accept responsibility for it … 3) ask God for help

4) ADMIT MY STRUGGLE TO A FRIEND.

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

You don't have to admit it to everybody, you don’t have to post it on Facebook ... Find someone you can trust... a fellow believer that wants to help you kill sin in your life... And tell them your struggle. Ask them to keep you accountable. Someone that can pray for you.

You need to associate with people who can help. You need to build a support network around you for the areas you're weak … Reinforce good intentions.

You need to reinforce the good relationships in your life and limit the relationships in your life that are taking you in the wrong direction.

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.””

1 - anticipate it .... 2 accept responsibility for it … 3 Ask God for Help … 4 Admit struggle to a friend

5. AVOID TEMPTING SITUATIONS

Proverbs 14:16 “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.”

Don’t put yourself in a position where you are going to fall into sin.

You have a drinking problem... Stop going to the bar… quit trying to have just one

You have a gambling problem... Stop going to the casino...

I told you all … diabetes .... I keep giving away candy … gave some to one of folks who is a school teacher … gave some to the younglife leaders who were here this weekend, heading to camp … I don’t want it sitting outside my office everyday when I walk by … I know that I have fallen under that temptation far too many times … the other day I was getting food for Scripture and Smoke … I bought a pumpkin pie … why … because I don’t like pumpkin pie

Psalms 119:59 “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;”

Psalms 1:1-4 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Far too many of us treat that lion like a pet … we might lock him in a different room, or find him a cage … but we keep him close, we feed him on occassion, we like how his fur feels in our hands, and sometimes, when we are lonely, vulnerable, late at night, had a fight with our spouse, overwhelmed by life, health, money, job … we visit him, just for a little bit, we’ve got him under control this time and so we let him out, no one else can see, no one else needs to know, just for a minute .... and when we are devoured, bleeding in the corner, crushed … guilt, shame, frustration, blame … avoid the tempting situations … kill sin or it will be killing you

1 - anticipate it .... 2 accept responsibility for it … 3 Ask God for Help … 4 Admit struggle to a friend … 5 Avoid Tempting Situations

6) TAKE HOLD OF THE PROMISES OF GOD

Claim the promises of God that He has given in His word about temptation. Everybody needs to memorize this verse!

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

How many times have we said:

If you had been in the situation, you would understand. It was absolutely impossible to resist.

I had no choice but to give in." My wife had done, my husband said … my kids made me so mad … my boss is such a jerk … that other driver … did you hear what happened at the school board meeting …

"You're calling God liar!" God says He'll always make a way out. It may tough, difficult, or painful. It might even be embarrassing. But there will always be a way out. You cannot legitimately say, I had no choice but to give in." You did have a choice. God makes sure of that. That is His promise.

So when you’re in a difficult moment... when you are being tempted... When that sneaky snakey roaring lion has you by the leg...

Take hold of the promises of God!

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

1 John 4:4 “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”