How to Tame Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:12-14

Introduction

How an Eskimo kills a wolf. (He will repeatedly coat the blade in blood, allowing it to freeze, until the blade is covered. Then, he will place the knife in the snow and as the wolf licks the blood, his tongue is numbed, and his hunger is fueled. The wolf will lick the knife, cut his own tongue and eventually bleed himself to death out of his own lusts.) Satan uses the same tactic to defeat God's children. He knows that he can never have your soul, but he also knows if he can cause us to succumb to temptation, then we will become powerless and useless as Christians. Salvation is not a barrier to temptation!

On the contrary, Satan is more likely to attack the Christian than the unbeliever. After all, he already has the lost person! He loves nothing better than causing one of God's children to fall into sin. However, temptation, while it cannot be avoided, can be overcome! While it is hard to endure temptation it can be used to help us grow in Jesus. I believer every believer needs and wants to know how to turn temptation into triumph. When temptation arises, men usually respond in one of three ways. The primary method for dealing with temptation in to simply give in to it.

Many people live by an “If it feels good, do it,” mentality. They live like animals, doing everything they can to gratify the flesh. Nearly all lost people live like this, but sadly, so do many Christians! Others struggle against temptation daily. They spend all their time fighting temptation in their own strength.

They fight and fail over and over, because no one can overcome his evil nature alone. If we could defeat the power of sin on our own strength, then it would have been pointless for Jesus to die for us. This type of person hates what he does, but he goes on doing it because they do not have the power to stop. Finally, there are those who overcome temptation through the power of Jesus Christ.

They turn their temptations into triumphs. That may sound like wishful thinking to many of you, but I want you to know that you can win over temptation. It is possible to live in victory. There are a few things that you need to know to be able to do this. Let's think together this morning on this thought, “How To Tame Temptation.”

I. The Subject of Temptation (Who Is Affected?)

A. All humans are subject to temptation. (⇒ Best to the least) (⇒ Jesus, Peter, David, etc!)

B. We are daily assaulted with a wide range of temptations. (List some!) (⇒ We all have one area where we are particularly susceptible.

C. It is not a sin to be tempted. (Jesus - Heb. 4:15) Sin enters the picture when temptation is surrendered to.

D. Our greatest danger is to think we have arrived at a place where we are above sinning, v. 12; Pro. 16:18. When our pride tells us that us that we cannot fall, then we are headed for a huge one! Pride in this area just tempts the devil!

E. Why doesn't God just kill the devil and remove the attraction for sin? If that were to happen, then you and I would lose the ability to be overcomers in Jesus. Without opposition, there is no victory! God has not called us to a life of ease, but to one of victory. A victory that we cannot enjoy until we have faced evil and overcome it.

II. The Source of Temptation (Where)

A. v. 13 - “Common” - Do not think your temptations are so great, they are just like the ones we all face. They are just common, run of the mill, garden- variety temptations. We all get the same ones from the same sources. (⇒ 1 John 2:16; ⇒ Eve - Gen. 3) There are three primary sources of temptation: The world, the flesh and the devil. Let's look at these three sources and how they attack us.

B. The World

In the Bible, the word for world means "system or order.” The Bible speaks of this system called the world and says that it is evil. (1 John 2:15; James 4:4) It is possible for believers to become so worldly that they fail to stand out for the Lord. We are to be different and distinct. We are not to allow the world to force us into its mold, Rom. 12:1-2; ⇒ Matt. 5:13-16 The world's idea of beauty - 1 Pet. 3:3. God's Idea is inward beauty of the soul untouched and unspoiled by the taint of the world.

C. The Flesh

Born into everyone of us, from the most innocent child to the most godly adult, is a bent in our nature. There is a leaning toward sin. We inherited this from our first father, Adam. It is called the "old Nature.” (There is a civil war in the heart of every saved person here today - Gal. 5:17! ) When we fail, we try to blame our sin on the devil. Yes, he tempts us and points us toward sin, but we are responsible for the final decision, v. 13. (Even if Satan were gone, we would still sin - ⇒ Millenium - Rev. 2:27.

D. The Devil

His main objective, as far as you are concerned, is to cause you to fall so that God is dishonored and you become useless to the Kingdom work of God. He knows every weakness you have and he exploits them trying to get you to sin. He tells you how great sin will be, that you will get by with it, that you even deserve it, but he hates you and he is plotting your defeat. He loves to point at fallen saints and laugh before God as he stands accusing us of evil. Don't give him the satisfaction!

III. The Seat of Temptation (How)

A. Man is made in the image of the triune God. Man is a triune being, he possesses body, soul and spirit. When you are tempted, it will always be in one of these three areas. We need to understand this principle and understand the areas that will come under attack if we are going to overcome our temptations.

B. The Soul

This is the word used to describe the you that lives inside your body. It speaks of your mind, your will and you emotions. The world is the primary tempter of the soul. The world says to the soul, “You need more, you can have more!” The world always appeals to the ego, or your pride. A worldly person is one who is given over to the pleasures of the world. Lot - Gen. 13:10-12 - Lot looked, leaned, lived and lost in the world.

C. The Body

The flesh, it refers to the "old nature” it always attacks the body. We are tempted to laziness, lust, overindulgence, sexual sin, etc. These are temptations of the flesh! (David with Bathsheba - 2 Sam. 11)

D. The Spirit

The spirit is the primary arena for satanic attack. If the soul is our self-consciousness, then the spirit is our God-consciousness. Our spirit is what sets us apart from the animals. Man alone can know God! It is in the spirit that we can know God. The spirit is the realm of worship, John 4:24, and it is our spirit that worships and communicates with God.

Satan hates this communion and he wars against the spirit in an effort to cut off our fellowship with God. He places doubts in our minds to distract us. He places false doctrine there to turn us away from the truth. Satan attacks the spirit. In Peter's denial of Jesus, the temptation was directed at the spirit. He wasn't under an ego attack, or under sexual assault, he was caused to doubt the truth.

IV. The Subduing of Temptation (What)

A. There are three words to remember when facing temptation: Flight, Faith, Fight.

B. To Overcome the Flesh We Need Flight

The key to defeating fleshly temptations is to flee from them.

1 Cor. 6:18 - "flee fornication”;

1 Cor. 10:14 - "flee idolatry”;

2 Tim. 2:22 - "flee youthful lusts”

You cannot expose yourself to fleshly temptation and expect to walk away untouched - Pro. 6:27 - Situations to avoid!) (Joseph and Potipher's wife - Gen. 39:12)

C. To Overcome the World We Need Faith

Faith that Jesus will take care of us when we willingly give up the attachment to worldly things. If we are loving the world, we are not loving God - 1 John 2:15; James 4:4. If you really want victory over the world, then love Jesus more than you love it - Heb. 12:2. It is our faith in him that offers us the victory - 1 John 5:4.

D. To Overcome the Devil We Must Fight

If we stand up to him and fight, he will flee - James 4:7. You cannot run away from him, but you can drive him away from you. You must face him in the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He doesn't fear you, but he trembles before the blood of the Lamb! Fight Satan and he will flee! ( Eph. 4:27; 1 Pet. 5:8) (Jesus and His temptations - Matt. 4)