Recognizing Temptation

Introduction

Some of us wear corrective lenses. Our vision is not what it once was. Depending on your vision you may have some issues seeing things up close or seeing things far away. Sometimes driving at night is challenging because the glare from the lights causes us not to see lane deviations and other things at night in effort to drive safely. Poor vision will cause you to run into things or maybe trip and fall over things because your vision does not allow you to see everything you need to avoid accidents.

Temptation works in a similar way. If our sight is not viewed through the corrective lenses of salvation we may fall victim to things that we just did not see coming.

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Understand that Satan knows what your eyes like to look at, he knows what you truly desire in life, as he knows the concerns you have. His tactics include distractions. Often times his ability to distract happens during a time of tiredness, frustration, and physical weakness. These are the times we need to be most cognizant of our connection to Jesus. The beauty in this text is the humanization and our ability to relate to the way Jesus deals with the enemy. Jesus does not perform a miracle in this moment, Jesus used a tool that we have today. Jesus used the word to overcome Satan.

Jesus has just been baptized, the heavens opened up to Him and Jesus is endorsed by God. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. If God endorses us we can overcome. God’s endorsement does not make us immune to temptation. Understand that our commitment to God could provide an avenue for Satan to come at us a little stronger. We’ve read that Job was a righteous man, Abraham was a righteous man. Understand that righteousness does not keep you from being tempted, but it should give you an avenue to use the word of God to resist the devil.

Satan Isn’t Negotiating with You

Pay attention to when Satan shows up. It wasn’t until Jesus was led up to the wilderness in an isolated place. There’s no Peter, James, John. His parents aren’t around, the disciples aren’t around. It’s just Jesus, God and Nature.

Satan masks his distractions by questioning your identity. God has just announced that this is my son. Satan turns around and and questions the sonship of Jesus.

Those questions of doubt often times discourage us. Do not be discouraged, understand that God has called you, designated you, endorsed you. We belong to Him. Don’t let the questioning of the enemy push you to a place of devaluing yourself. Satan shows up after Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights. Don’t let the “if” of Satan push you to a place of losing sight of what God has called you to be.

“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread”.

It seems innocent, Jesus has been fasting for over a month. He’s hungry, I imagine He’s tired. This is the time that Satan likes to strike when we have strong desire of the flesh. Be careful and be alert in times in which you’ve abstained from something. This portion of the text is a notion to understand that we can’t use our giftedness or influence or power to cause us to appease the flesh. We all have power, we all have some influence and when we use it to gratify the flesh we are not using it the way God intended for us to use it. This is why Jesus responds “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. This is the lesson that God wanted to teach the children of Israel according to Deuteronomy 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

Understand that gratifying the flesh might lead to temporary pleasure but listening to God is what is truly life-sustaining.

We have nothing to prove to Satan. We do not owe him an explanation, Satan is not looking for negotiation, the desire is to kill you. Jesus could have turned the stones to bread but it would have been a situation of Him obeying the will of Satan. We have to be careful with even the smallest request from Satan because it never just stops there. His goal is total destruction, eternal damnation, and total devotion to his evilness. Why abandon spiritual discipline just because you have the power to do it?

Understand Satan used subtle and easy distractions to make sin look innocent. Be mindful that He has a low hanging fruit mentality as well. If satan can trap us with the simple things there’s no reason to tempt us with the major issues. We might be asked to turn stones to bread, but it could be a conversation we shouldn’t be having, it could be withholding information when we know the truth will set us free.

You’ve Already Been Approved

When you look to qualify for a loan, often times you don’t just show up at the realtors office or the car lot without doing any pre-work. Often times we seek a pre-approval to see what your amount looks like before you start doing the official paperwork.

Jesus had already been pre-approved. This wasn’t so God could examine Him. God was already pleased by Jesus. Jesus was already approved by God. If we are Christians we have been stamped with approval. Temptation is just an opportunity to show what we’ve been approved to do. We ought to say thank you because Jesus was tempted for our sake. I’m thankful because Jesus overcame the devil with the same weapons that are available to us today. “It is written”. The strategy is to rely on what you’ve already been given. We’ve been given the word of God, we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the power of prayer!

Public ministry is Built on Private Victory

Church it’s football season and understand that the beauty of a victory on Sunday afternoon is a reflection of the private work players do Monday through Saturday.

Similar to a defeat, often times defeat happens because the work wasn’t put in before the big stage. You can’t expect to overcome satan when the only time you talk to God is when you are faced with a problem. We have to prepare ourselves privately to be triumphant publicly. What does devotion to God look like when you aren’t amongst the saints. What does praise look like when you aren’t in worship service. What does grace and mercy look like when you aren’t around Christians. Sometimes in life the greatest victory you will have happens in the privacy of your own life. Sometimes it’s just you and the word!

Again you have nothing to prove to satan. He knows the power you possess. Understand he will tempt you with power and influence to see how you will respond. Sure Jesus could give His angels charge, but why prove something that satan already knows.

Matthew 4:6-7 “and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ””

The enemy will show you things that seem profitable and beneficial. He takes Jesus up to a high moment to see all the kingdoms. I like the Lukan documentation of this interaction. “showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time”.

I know you’re struggling right now, looking for a way out, looking for a leg up. Understand that there is always a condition with giving in to the enemy. He’ll flaunt this idea of authority in your face, but remember the authority was already given to Jesus. Satan can’t give me anything at the same clip that God can provide it. Satan takes, Satan destroys, Satan kills. God gives life, and gives it abundantly. Understand there is always a condition. Luke 4:6 “And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”

Eventually you’ll just have to hit Satan with the Lil’ Duval. I’m living my best life, I ain’t going back and forth with you devil!

Matthew 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ””

God Tends to You!

Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

I know you’ve been through a lot, I know you’ve struggled with some things, but know that after you’ve gone through some things God will minister to you! God is not just a God of protection, God is a God of healing.

If you’re looking for public victory this morning, you are going to have to show devotion during the private moments of your life.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Temptation, Resisting

So often we say “Maybe” to sin instead of “No,” leaving the option open for us to say “Yes.” This is not resisting Satan or the temptations placed before us. We are like the person trying to get rid of a salesman on his doorstep without saying a firm “No” and closing the door. Though we say we are not interested in buying Satan’s product—sin—we leave the door ajar and continue to discuss the tempting wares. We leave open the possibility for the devil to make a sale. To resist temptation we must say a firm “No” and shut the door