“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”
James 1:12
“ 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23

God uses the opposite situation of each fruit to allow us a choice. INTEGRITY is built by defeating the temptation of being dishonest; HUMILITY grows when we refuse to be prideful; and ENDURANCE develops every time you reject the temptation to give up. Every time you defeat a temptation, you become more like JESUS.

HOW TEMPTATION WORKS
STEP 1: Satan identifies a desire inside of you. Temptation always starts in your mind.
“ 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23
22 theft, covetousness,
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Mark 7:21-23
“[There is] a whole army of evil desires within you.”
James 4:1

HOW TEMPTATION WORKS
STEP 2: Doubt. Satan tries to get you doubt what God has said about sin.
“ Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
Hebrews 3:12
STEP 3: Deception. Satan is incapable of telling the truth. He offers his lie to replace what God has already said in his Word.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
John 8: 44

HOW TEMPTATION WORKS
STEP 4: Disobedience. You finally act on the thought you’ve been toying with in your mind.
“ 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 brethren.”
Do not err, my beloved
James 1:14-16

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
1. Refuse to be intimidated. It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, yet he never sinned.
“There hath no temptation taken to 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.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
“ [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.”
Hebrews 4:15

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
2. Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it.
“ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8
“ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41
“ Neither give place to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:27

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
“ Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Peter 1:13
“ 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let thy ways be established.
27
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:26-27
“ The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. ”
Proverbs 16:17

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
3. Request God’s help.
“ And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
Psalms 50:15
“ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16

Instead of giving in or giving up, LOOK UP TO GOD, expect him to help you, and remember the reward that is waiting for you:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”
James 1:12