Triumph Over Temptation

Institute of the Word and Ministry

2003

James 1:12-18 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." NIV

How can we triumph over temptation? This is a battle that every person faces. There is no one on the face of the earth who avoids the battle with temptation. It is part of the curse of mankind. It is written in the genetic code. We are born with the curse of a sinful nature that has been part of the human condition since the fall of Adam and Eve.

How can we be victors instead of victims when it comes to temptation? Does the “Devil really make you do it?” Are you responsible for your choices, or just the product of upbringing? Are you a victim of your environment? Are you a martyr? We are going to learn that circumstances neither make or break us, but they certainly reveal us. God has a way of allowing us to be tested in order that we might become better, strong, more developed in character, while also seeing our weakness and need for His strength.

Key: Maturity is seeing god’s intended purpose for allowing trials in our lives!

Consider:

1. How do you define testing and temptation? How are they different? Similar?

2. Where did evil come from?

3. Why shouldn’t I blame God when a temptation makes me stumble?

These are some of the issues we will be addressing as we glean insights from James on how to handle temptation. The battle is real and we see the scorched ground, the deadly consequences of failure, the scars from the breakdown in relationships all around us.

2 Corinthians 2:9-11 "The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." NIV

How can we triumph over temptation?

Some have chosen not to fight, but to give in to temptation. Oscar Wilde once said, “I can withstand anything except temptation. The only way to get rid of temptation is to give into it.” This is no less than “losing to a loser.” What a tragedy, when people give in to a defeated foe. So how can I fight temptation, and learn to say no when everything in me wants to say “yes?”

James 1:12 "When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will reward them with life forever. God promised this to all those who love him." NCV

The person who is able to face temptation, and win the battle is a fortunate, “happy” person. This is the prize or reward for staying true and obedient to God. This is when life is at it’s best.

During World War II, Winston Churchill commented that “Nothing is so exhillerating in life
as to be shot at without result.” There is something about being in the fight of the battle and coming out victoriously that heightens the senses.

Saying “no” to temptation produces a happy life. The “crown of life” literally means “life itself.” Real life comes when we learn to say “no” to temptation, living to please God in all things. The reward is “vibrant life.”

Tests: Greek -- "peirasmos", used for both…

Trials: from God – providing an opportunity for growth and character.

Temptations: from Satan – designed for our destruction and ruin.

I. Anticipate Temptation (13a)

James 1 :13a "When tempted,” NIV

It does not say “if” you are tempted, but “when” you are tempted. Expect temptation to come into your world. Pay attention, keep your eyes open and alert. This is the common experience of every blood bought believer. Satan hates you and has a terrible plan for your life. He knows nothing of surrender, a truce, or a raise white flag. This is why Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." NIV

The good news is that God has provided everything we need to win the battle.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." NIV

Temptation is “common to man”, meaning that it is an ailment that we “ALL” suffer. No one is immune to this condition. No one gets a “pass” or “get out of jail free” card when it comes to temptation and its consequences. This is why no one should be intimidated when coming to a worship service. Everyone has something in common – temptation.

Illustration: Merrill Womack – Crashed a private plane. He ripped the seat belt right out of it’s anchor because he had so much adrenaline flowing in his body. 3^rd degree burns over his entire body. He said that he didn’t experience pain, and it was probably due to the burning of the nerve endings by the grace of God. His head was the size of a marshmallow. He was able to walk to a service station to ask for help. When he approached the service station attendant, the man was horrified. He put Merrill in the back seat of his car, and drove him to the hospital while Merrill continually sang to the Lord. The singing may have saved his life since it kept his lungs working to full capacity. Merrill would require 50 operations on his face. Later while singing in a church choir, two women vomited and he had to leave.

Merrill chose to glorify God with his life, rather than die bitter.

We are to thank God for the results of the trials, not the trials themselves. I remember a man who got shot 7 times in the face by his girlfriend, and lived. He blames God for what happened. I think that he should thank God that he’s still alive after being shot 7 times.

Ultimately, temptation is designed by Satan to separate us from God and lead us to bitterness and a hardened heart that blames God for what has happened to us.

II. Accept Responsibility For:(13b-14)

James 1:13 "…no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" NIV

God has given us desires and drives that are good when used properly. Eating is normal; but gluttony is sin. Sex in marriage is God given, sex outside of marriage is an abomination to the Lord. So when we step over the line into sin, who is to blame? Whose responsibility is it? Can I blame my parents for dropping me on my head when I was born? Was it the result of the “board of education” that I experienced in the Principals office in elementary school?

A. My Desires - Evil

James 1:14 "…our own evil desires." NLT

Sin always starts with an inner desire. It works itself from the inside out. Have you heard a person use foul language and then comment, “that wasn’t really like me.” The truth is that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What is on the inside will come out. Evil desires start inside of our hearts. We cannot blame someone else for what is going on inside of us.

My Sin is not God’s Fault

“no one should say, “God is tempting me.”

Satan is the master at tempting us to sin, and then, when we fall, blaming God for allowing the temptation. No wonder he is known as the “great accuser.”

Will Rogers said you could summarize American history into two great movements: the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck. We have the blame game down to a science. The person smiling, surely has found someone to blame for every problem. It is time to grow up, take responsibility, and quit blaming everyone else for sin. This is a sign of maturity.

Adam blamed Eve whom God gave him. Eve blamed the snake. The snake didn’t have a leg to stand on…J. The human race has learned to play the blame game quite well. But as long as we find someone or something else to blame, we will not learn what God has in store for us.

Being tempted is not sin. After all, Jesus “faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15 NLT).

The sin is not in the temptation. Sin comes in our response to the temptation. There are some believers who get depressed for being tempted. They need to take heart that Jesus was tempted, he was perfect, and without sin. It is when we “give in” to temptation that we sin.

We realize that it is “my desires” – this is an inside job! It involves what is going on inside of my heart.

B. My Deception - Self Deception (14b)

James 1:14 "…lure of our own evil desires." NLT

My Sin is not Someone Else’s Fault! Quit fooling myself!

How do I know when I am being deceived? How do I know when I’m being “self deceived?” Is this another oxymoron? The Bible says that “every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

Be alert, and pay attention, because temptation does not warn you in advance. Surprise attack is always the most effective strategy. Temptation breeds on deception. It is one of Satan’s best weapons. Why should he change strategies when it has worked so well for centuries.

Satan is full of pride and is it any wonder why he uses pride in the lives of people to his advantage? Those who are overconfident are often those who are most vulnerable. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. The New Testament also communicates this principle of being aware of costly self deception, 1 Corinthians 10:12 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" NIV

How can we be better equipped for Satan’s temptations? How can I better battle my own evil desires? 2 Corinthians 2:11 reminds us that we too should be "very familiar with his evil schemes." NLT Why should Satan try a new strategy when his old one is working so well? His bag of tricks and deception have been working well for centuries.

There is a lure just waiting to hook us! The bigger the catch, the bigger the hook.

A friend of mine enjoys alligator hunting from time to time. The bigger question is, “who is really doing the hunting”, the alligator or the alligator hunter? if you know what I mean.

Bill Stewart tells about his alligator hunting experience in Louisiana as follows. You take a dead chicken and hang it 18 inches above the water where 12 foot long alligators like to hang out. The gator rises out of the water and swallows the chicken whole with the hook deeply imbedded in the chicken. Once the bait is taken, and the hook is deep in the belly of the gator, the hunter arrives to retrieve the rope that is now attached to a gator. The alligator hunter proceeds to pull on the rope. If the gator can be pulled toward the boat, the gator is small. However, if the boat begins to be pulled to the gator, this is an indication that the gator is BIG. It is good to know how big the gator is on the other end of the rope.

It is important to realize that you and I are being hunted. There is a lion on the loose. There are mangled bodies all around us. But there is no reason for us to lose to a defeated foe. Though Satan is a defeated foe, he is not a powerless foe.

"dragged away and enticed ..."

"dragged away" is a hunter's term which literally means "snared in a trap".
"Enticed" is a fisherman's term which means "lured by bait". The secret of great fishing is in the bait. The right kind of bait for the right kind of fish. How many fish will you catch with a bare hook? You've got to put bait on it, and the right kind of bait for the right kind of fish.

What bait do you think is most effective in today’s culture? Fame, fortune, power and pleasure have been the pitches that Satan has used to strike people out for ages.
What kind of bait does Satan like to use on you?
Do you have a price where you would sell out?
People rarely think of the consequences of sin. They play with fire until they burn the house down!

Sin always looks good. The bait is always appealing. The bait never reveals the consequences. David never anticipated when his adultery with Bathsheba would cost him:

Death of his baby son

Murder of a brave soldier (Uriah)

Rape of a daughter (Tamar)

Rebellion of a favorite son (Absalom)

Is it any wonder that Satan works hardest to tempt those who are the biggest threat to his work? Don’t be surprised when Satan and his evil henchmen are taking notice of you, you must be doing something right.

We all have blind spots! We need one another to help protect ourselves from evil. Dear know that “alert formation” where they all look out for any danger.

blind spot noun (1872) 1 a : the nearly circular light-colored area at the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball and which is not sensitive to light — called also optic disk — see eye illustration ^{^[i]}

X O

Close your left eye, and with your right eye look at the X. Without glancing, see if you can still see the O. Move this piece of paper forward and back until the O disappears in your periphery vision. This blind spot is caused by the optic nerve in the back of your eyeball.

We all have blind spots, areas of self-deception. While everybody has blind spots, few can name their own. The very nature of self-deception is that you don’t know that you are being deceived. On the other hand there are some who just don’t want to see certain things. These people stick their head in the sand, and refuse to acknowledge reality.

“The French have a phrase for it —trompe l’oeil, or ‘fool the eye,’”

Christians are notorious for playing the game of fooling the eye. They come to church all dressed up and looking good on the outside. Some operate as if the goal in life is to “look good from afar.”

According to the Christian pollsters, it is time to face the facts:

1% of churches are growing

4% of our (churched) teens are saved

54% of Christian marriages end in divorce

20% of pastors have a child addicted to alcohol or drugs

40% of pastors admit involvement in Internet pornography

90% of pastors admit they’re discouraged.

Accountability without transparency is futility. We need soul brothers and soul sisters who will speak the truth in love and help us to deal with our blind spots.

C. My Disobedience – Sin (15a)

James 1:15 "This desire leads to sin..." NCV

The slippery slope to destruction starts with desire which leads to deception. Temptation always looks better than it really is. Desire turns to deception and deception turns to disobedience.

The battle always starts in the mind! 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. " NASB95

The slippery slope of disobedience starts with what seems to be an innocent thought, but it always ends up with a sinful action. What is the harm of an innocent fantasy? It is a battle of the mind. What starts in the mind will sooner or later take hold and be acted upon.

I remember hearing a woman make a comment that, “just because you have ordered your meal, doesn’t mean you cannot continue to look at the menu.” Just a few months later it came out that this woman ran off with our married minister of music. When comments like that are made, I have an inner alarm now that goes off, “warning, warning, warning Will Robinson.”

Desire leads to deception, deception leads to disobedience. Disobedience leads to death.

D. My Death – Consequences (15)

James 1:15 "…sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." NIV

Sin always has consequences. The price is always higher than imagined or anticipated.

The guy who runs over a child while driving 100 miles an hour in a residential neighborhood never planned on killing the child, but the terminal choice was made when the man drove 100 miles an hour.

The process leading to death is a slippery slope. No one falls into sin in one giant step. Adultery, and unfaithfulness in marriage don’t just happen in one big “accident.” Each step taken is more dangerous and risky.

Samson continued to give hints that we closer to his real source of strength until it cost him his eyes and his life.
David was supposed to be off leading the soldiers in battle. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing when the temptation of Bathsheba came across his screen.

God hates death! Sin brought death into the world. One day it will be removed, but for now, death is a reality. It is the absence of the real life that God intends for His people. The ultimate reality of death is that it is spiritual separation from God.

The “crown of life” spoken of here is most likely, “life itself.” The reward of refusing to give in to sin is happiness, and the fruit of being able to enjoy life to the full with no regrets.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." NASB95

There are consequences to all my choices. I have the freedom to choose. However, I cannot choose the consequences of my choices.

Brokenness:

I must come to the point of brokenness before I surrender to the Lord and His will for my life. I must be willing to humble myself and admit my need. Otherwise, I am stuck in the vicious cycle of, desire that leads to deception, deception that leads to disobedience. And disobedience that leads to death.

In order to overcome temptation, in order to break a bad habit, first I've got to be realistic, and admit I have a problem. Then I've got to be responsible and not blame anybody else and quit making excuses. Then I get ready by understanding what happens during temptation so I can learn how to avoid it.

III. Acquire God’s Perspective

James 1:16-18 "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created." NIV

James is not changing the subject abruptly! He is giving a powerful truth for helping Christians overcome temptation. It is the principle of focusing attention on the right things. Look unto Jesus. You don’t win a fight by only staying on defense. If all you focus on is what not to do, you will be in trouble. James is telling us to focus on our never changing God who is faithful and able to make us stand.

When David fought Goliath, he kept his focus on God, and so Goliath looked small! Focus on your problems and God looks small. Focus on God and all our problems look small.

When the spies entered the land, 10 of them focused on the giants in the land, and so they became as grasshoppers.

When it comes to sin, don’t focus on the sin, focus on God! This is what we call the spiritual replacement principle! Whatever gets your attention captures you. Turn away from sin by turning to God first.

Romans 8:6 "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, " NASB95
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." NIV
James 1:18 says, “…He chose to give us birth through the word of truth…” This is talking about being born again. This is where we start afresh and new with God. This is the single most important principle in overcoming temptation, and that is having Christ in us fighting the battle.
1 John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." NIV

The power for victory is yours when Christ comes into your life. For many Christians, though their freedom has been bought and the jail cell door is open, they are still choosing to live in the prison of bondage to sin. The Christian life is an impossible life to live on our own power, but with Christ in us, we have the ability to win every battle.

Martin Luther said, "We cannot keep the birds from flying over us, but we can keep them from making a nest in our hair." Temptation is all around us, but it is not “sin” to be tempted. The issues is what we choose to do with the temptation.

What is the reward? A happy, blessed life is the reward for the person who endures temptation. It is a good feeling to know that character, and Christ-like-ness are being developed in one’s life.

Conclusion:

What temptation has plagued your life? It is time to take ownership for failing to overcome the temptation. It is time to surrender to the Lord, and allow Him to renew your heart. He is the master at cleaning up messes. Then it is time to enter into an accountability relationship with someone who can ask you anything.

The following list as a helpful guideline for avoiding sexual immorality in the church.

Squeaky Clean Ministry

1. Thou shalt not visit the opposite sex alone at home.

2. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex alone at the office.

3. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex more than once without that person's mate. Refer them.

4. Thou shalt not go to lunch alone with the opposite sex.

5. Thou shalt not kiss any attendee of the opposite sex or show affection that could be questioned.

6. Thou shalt not discuss detailed sexual problems with the opposite sex in counseling. Refer them.

7. Thou shalt not discuss your marriage problems with an attendee of the opposite sex.

8. Thou shalt be careful in answering cards and letters from the opposite sex.

9. Thou shalt make your secretary your protective ally.

10. Thou shalt pray for the integrity of other leaders.

http://www.rockypeak.org/lgl/Institute/JamesTitles.htm

^{^[i]}Merriam-Webster, I. (1996, c1993). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (10th ed.). Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster.

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