Victory Over Temptation

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Introduction

If we intend to have victory in the Christian life and in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is one thing that is vital for us to know. We have an adversary who is going to fight us every step of the way.

Satan’s desire (get us out of God’s will, he wants to rob of us our joy)

Satan knows how to tempt us

Living a victorious life requires learning how to overcome the temptation to do wrong that each of us faces every day

Pray

The first step to having victory over temptation is understand the pattern of the Tempter

I. The Pattern of the Tempter

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

There is a certain way that Satan works

There is a pattern

Example: Coaches study the pattern of their opponents (they look for weaknesses)

The Devil keeps using the same tricks (because they work)

We must understand his pattern of temptation

1. The Temptation of the Flesh

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

The first temptation that Christ faced was a temptation that appealed to his physical appetite

The Devil came at a point of weakness (recognize the pattern)

Jacob and Esau - Jacob tempted Esau when he was hungry

When we physically weak

Turn to: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

2. The Temptation of Ambition

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Satan attempted to divert Jesus from his main purpose

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Satan tried to show Jesus a way that he could have power and authority without having to suffer death on the cross.

Satan wanted to divert Jesus way from the plan of Redemptions

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

describes Jesus as “...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Satan wants us to get on the “Easy Road” to success.

It is a temptation to take a shortcut in life

PRO TIP: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN LIFE

Casino and Lottery

Albuquerque or Phoenix

Satan’s plan looks good, but it always takes us away from God

Remember: Success is not making a million dollars, success is doing God’s will for your life!

3. The Temptation of Pride and Sensationalism

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

The final temptation was the temptation of sensationalism

The devil brought Jesus to the highest point of the temple

Historians say it was about 75 feet high

If Jesus jumped off and angels saved him, he could attract a lot off attention by doing a miracle

People today can be tempted to get attention for themselves rather than deflecting the praise to the Lord

I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

II. The Power of the Scriptures

The temptation of Christ not only shows us the patterns that Satan uses to tempt us to sin, but it also shows us how to respond to defeat temptations.

Jesus’ example was a pattern for us

How should we respond when we are tempted? (With the Word of God)

1. They Promise a Way of Escape

Every time temptation comes, there is a way of escape

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2. They Provide a Way of Escape

The Word of God does more than just provide a Promise of Escape, it also provides us the way of escape from temptations!

“It is written” (each time temptation came)

Jesus used the Bible to overcome temptation

Memorize and Quote the Scriptures

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

III. The Promise to the Tempted

We are not alone

We have promises we can rely on

1. There is Victory in the Word of God

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

The Bible is our Authority

We must live and be sustained by the Word, as we are sustained by food

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

2. There is Victory in Submitting to God

The Bible was given to us for analysis and information, it was given for us to USE AND APPLY!

We have victory when by faith we put the Bible into action

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

3. There is Victory in Resisting Satan

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Someone once said, if you don’t want a rotten apple, stay out of the devil’s orchard.

We should leave behind any situation, group, friend or any environment that pulls us down!

We must resist the Devil. Too often we give up without even fighting!

GOOD NEWS: Jesus understands our temptations, because he was also tempted!

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

When temptations come, focus on Jesus rather than the temptation,

Conclusion

We can have Victory over Temptation today, if we want to....but we will never have victory unless we come to Christ as our Savior. Victory begins at the Cross

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Are you born of God?…You can be today