Having Victory Over Temptation

Introduction

Christ Before Bethlehem - pt.1-6

I. Christ, the Founder

II. Christ Foreordained

I. Salvation Through Faith in Christ

The Constant Throughout the Bible (Heb. 11)

III. Christ Foreshadowed

Explicit Connections: (i.e. Jacob’s Ladder, Bread from Heaven, The Rock in the Wilderness, The Passover Lamb, Brazen Serpent, Tabernacle)

Implicit Connections: (i.e. the Ark of Naoh, the Ram for Isaac, Boaz)

IV. Christ Foretold: Prophesies concerning Christ are Logistically & Statistically Impossible

V. Christ Foreseen: Pre-Incarnate Appearances of Christ (Christophanies- i.e. Jesus in the Burning Bush, Fiery Furnace, the Wilderness - Hagar, Wrestling Jacob, Jesus with Abraham)

The Incarnate Christ - pt.1-2

I. The Mother: Was Sanctified, but not Sinless; was an Instrument, not an Intercessor; was to Be Respected, not Revered

II. The Method: Christ Regains His Divinity; but Gains Humanity

III. The Motivation: To be Qualified, to be Crucified, to Cleanse Our Sins, Driven by Compassion

Learning from a 12 Year Old

I. His Foundation: They were Faithful (v41-43); They had Faults (v48)

II. His Formation: His Immaturity; His Impulses; His Inquisitiveness (v46)

III. His Focus: On His Father’s House (v46); About His Father’s Business (v49)

The Jesus We Know Not

I. The Person of Character: What we Don’t Know; The Life of Jesus from 12-30; What we Do Know; Jesus was Sinless

II. Precepts that Determine Character: Our Influence; Our Instruction; Our Idleness; Our Impulse Control; Our Integrity

III. The Principle: Guard your Influences; Gain Instruction; Be Immersed in the Things of God; Control your Impulses; You will Live a Life of Integrity

The Baptism of Christ

I. The Significance of Baptism:

What it Is - It’s a Testimony of Faith in Christ; It’s an Identification with Christ;

What it Isn’t - Baptism is NOT a Part of Salvation; Water Cannot Wash Away Sins; Exclusive to Water

II. The Symbolism in Baptism: The Death, Burial and Resurrection; Therefore it is Done by Immersion

A Change has Taken Place: The Surrendering of the Flesh & Rising to New Life; Submission to the Will of God

III. The Special Nature of Christ’s: It Featured a Forerunner; It Foreshadowed His Future; It Featured the Fullness of God

Today we’re going to examine this message titled “Having Victory Over Temptation”

I began to write "The Temptation of Christ." - But then I realized that Jesus was tempted continually and that indicates a singular event.

I then began to write "The First Temptation of Christ." - But that makes it sound as though he suffered no temptation until he was 30 years old and that's not true.

Finally I settled on the title "Having Victory Over Temptation".

I believe this to be an extremely important topic as we will only go so far in our Christian walk as we have the ability to win the battles of temptation in our life.

After Jesus was baptized the first thing that he did was go out into the wilderness and endure this temptation of Satan.

Matthew's account is pretty bland in that it says: Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

Mark’s account is a little more dramatic: Mark 1:12–13 “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”

Now as we consider this before we go any further, I want you to see something and that is the Bible says “the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness”. God did not tempt Jesus. Satan did; however God will put us in positions at times where temptation will surely come.

(Ill.) As I consider the possibility of being elected, I also know that temptation will surely come. Lobbyists like vultures roam the halls of the Capitol, hoping to "inform" you on certain legislation. They will inform you in tempting ways. But if I should happen to get elected, it's because God put me there. He will have put me in a place where temptation comes, though he is not the tempter himself.

There are some valuable lessons for us all to learn and apply to our hearts and lives here today.

Listen you can have victory over temptation if you've been born again. God has given you his Spirit and in that there is power if we will only heed it.

The first thing that we must learn if we’re to have Victory over Temptation is to know How the Enemy Operates

I. How the Enemy Operates

Proverbs 20:18 “Every purpose is established by counsel: And with good advice make war.”

If our purpose of having victory over temptation is to be established, we must take counsel and understand the methods of the enemy.

Temptation is Assured

One thing that I believe is obvious but merits acknowledgement and that is that Temptation is assured.

Satan is a defeated foe. This we know for sure; however the performance of defeat is still yet to come in our time. That being said we understand that while we are on this earth and in this mortal flesh, we will suffer temptation.

Wouldn't it be nice if when the moment we got saved our choices were put on autopilot and we’d never had to worry about temptation again? Oh what joy that would have been - yet, part of being a Christian is to make choices to be ‘Christ-like’. TO DEMONSTRATE OUR LOVE TOWARD GOD BY OUR OBEDIENCE UNTO HIM!

No, Temptation is certainly assured

He Comes when you’re Weak

We notice here that Jesus has been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and the Bible says he was hungered.

He is obviously very physically weak, and when your body is starving to death in that fashion, it also affects you mentally. So Jesus is in a very weakened state and it's then when Satan appears.

Satan will bring temptation to you:

At the end of a bad day

When sickness comes into your life

When you’re overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities

He’ll also come when you’re hands are idle

When you’ve not been around the Word of God and the Things of God

Whenever you are weak is when you really need to be on guard.

He comes when you’re weak

He Promises Large, Fulfills Small

Look here at some of the things that Satan was offering.

Satan started small in his first temptation - just food.

Sadly it's the small things and temptations that get a lot of people. Satan never has to go further than that.

(Ill.) You think about what Judas sold out Christ for: only 30 pieces of silver to trade for his soul.

His second temptation was a supernatural intervention - if He put Himself in harms way, God was going to save Him.

Do you know what Satan will do? He'll put you in positions of temptation and then he'll whisper in your ear and say, 'Don't worry God's gonna take care of you in this.'

(Ill.) I endeavor to do my best when working the construction. It may not be THE best, but it’s MY best. And there’s been times where Satan will say “You could save yourself a lot of time & money if you’d just do this… And it’s tempting to think “Well, God knows MY situation…”

But church don’t be fooled - What you’d gain from that is nothing compared to what you’d lose.

His final temptation was to be ruler of the world!

Satan literally here promises Christ the world.

So many people are misled by Satan. He brings temptation in the form of drugs or sex or whatever the case may be and he will make you think that you can have it all with no consequence.

Church but that's just the thing. He promises you all these big things but what you actually get in the end is very small.

(Ill.) Think of the person who is tempted to indulge in alcohol or drugs. Satan promises them the world and they get that high… And it feels for a moment as the world is at their feet. In no time at all what they're left with is a life in ruins and a constant feeling of trying to get back to that high.

Oh make no mistake. Satan will tempt you with things and make you think that they are good but they will leave you destroyed.

He promises large but fulfills small.

He Twists the Word of God

We see in his second temptation that Satan now is turning to the Word of God to try and justify his temptation.

I believe there is a lot of that happening in the contemporary church.

(Ill.) Here’s one of my favorites: Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

Many will use that to justify their sin - but never finish the phrase: Matthew 7:1–2 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

You see the scripture is not condemning judgment only unrighteous judgment.

(Ill.) Here’s another: 1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

Many present the Love of God as though it’s the only aspect of God worth speaking of. In addition to projecting it as greater than any other aspect of His persona.

Know this: God is Love, but God is also Just - the Bible tells us: Psalm 89:14 “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” In other words: Everything that God is based upon, is His Just Nature.

His Love doesn’t trump His Justice, they work together:

A Just God sends sinners to Hell

But a loving God died for them that they may escape it.

Satan will twist the Word of God

His Attacks are Physical, Spiritual & Mental

Notice something about these three attacks:

The first one was on the physical - he targeted Christ’s hunger

The second one was on the Spiritual - he targeted Christ’s Spiritual knowledge and His comporting to the truth.

The last one was on the mental - he targeted Christ’s pride

Know this: there is no aspect of your being that he will not target for temptation.

If we’re to have Victory over Temptation is to know How the Enemy Operates, then…

II. How to Withstand the Onslaught

Be Prepared

I spoke earlier about how Jesus was both physically and mentally weak and that's true but it's important to know that spiritually He was very strong.

Jesus surely was not ignorant. That temptation was coming so therefore he had prepared himself for the confrontation.

(Ill.) Several years ago at one of our church picnics, we somehow figured it was a good idea for Brother Jeff, Brother Jim Delancey, and me to have a foot race. I will say that this is before I came to the realization that age and weight might have slowed me down some. Nevertheless we got ready and raced. I ended up coming in first - the first loser that is.

Other than overestimating my middle-aged abilities, do you know what I didn't do? Prepare. I did not consider stretching or doing some sprints in the time leading up to it and I didn't bring cleats, which was one Of the contributing factors to my downfall.

I tell you this to stress the importance of being prepared. The Boy Scouts used to tell you about the importance of being prepared but now it's not even the Boy Scouts…

You must be prepared and the best way you can be prepared is to starve the flesh.

Starve the Flesh

What was Jesus doing for forty days? Starving his flesh and putting it into subjection.

Temptation may take a physical form but make no mistake, it is a spiritual battle. You will never win a spiritual battle if you spend your time feeding the flesh.

(Ill.) Imagine you have two bank accounts you can make deposits in. What one are you going to draw from? The one with money in it. The more you deposit into each one, the more you’ll draw from them.

This is the same principle when it comes to the Spirit vs. the Flesh - you’re making deposits to their accounts: and whichever you’re making those deposits in, you’re going to draw from it through the course of life.

Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

You must starve the flesh

Depend on the Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

God has given us instructions in life.

(Ill.) Men have a poor reputation for asking directions when trying to find a place. It's a little different now with the advent of GPS but historically speaking men would not typically stop and ask directions.

And here's the thing about that: you may end up eventually getting there but it'd probably take you a whole lot longer to do so.

That's the thing about reading and applying the Word of God to your heart. You might end up figuring out how best to raise your children and live your life but often times you find out a little too late because it took you too long because you didn't read the directions.

Depend on the Word of God - it will not steer you wrong!

Realize there’s Something Better

Listen Satan may offer you all kinds of stuff but we have to come to terms with realizing that God has something better for you.

The Bible speaks of the pleasure of sin for a season but it also speaks of the eternal joys of hearing the words "Well done thou good and faithful servant."

Don't sell yourself cheap. God's got something better for you than Satan could ever offer!

Realize there’s something better

If we’re to have Victory over Temptation is to know How the Enemy Operates, then we learned How to Withstand the Onslaught

III. What We Gain when it’s Over

If you Withstand, you will Find Rest

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Jesus withstood the temptations of Satan and we see that he enjoyed rest.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that Satan's always on their case but that's actually not true. There are two outcomes to temptation.

First you can withstand it; in other words you don't give in to it and then he will flee from you, just as he did, Jesus, and just as James 4:7 tells us.

Secondly you can give in to temptation. What you'll find is yourself in a cycle, not where Satan is always on your case, but one where you go from temptation to sin to shame and then back around again.

You never find rest because you never break the cycle.

But if you withstand, we're promised by God that we will find rest.

If you Withstand, you will be Strengthened

Next we see that "angels came and ministered unto him.” He was strengthened.

Every time we resist temptation, we get stronger for the next time… and there WILL BE a next time.

(Ill.) How many of you have laid out a church and then the next week it's a little easier to do so and so on and so forth until you find yourself struggling to get back in? Once you get in that first time, you get strengthened a little bit. It's easier to come back the next week and the next and so on.

This is the same principle for Temptation. If you give in to it, it's easier to give in to it the next time but if you withstand it, it's easier to withstand it the next time.

If you withstand, you will be Strengthened

If you Give In, you will be Sorry

Every time I give in to temptation, I get aggravated with myself about it. I’m ashamed of myself and sorry I did. Has anyone else felt the same?

Church there just is no comparison. The more you resist temptation, the stronger your spirit and the greater your self-esteem will be. The more you give in to temptation, the weaker your spirit and the more shame you endure.

What you gain when it is over is dependent on your response to the temptation.

Conclusion

If any of you are like me, you can think of plenty of times when you've given in to temptation but church I want to encourage you that today is a new day. You don't have to continue down the same path you've been. You can break the cycle of sin and shame.

But it will take

Preparing yourself: Setting your mind on the things of God & make the decision today.

Starving the flesh.

Depending on the Word of God

Realizing God has something better for you!