Triumphing
Over Temptation
5/27/12
Scripture
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
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.
I. Truths about
temptation
A. Where do temptations come from?
They come from the world, our own
flesh and the devil. They do NOT
come from God (See James 1:13–15).
However, God will often allow you to
be tempted in order to test your faith
and teach you patience (See James
1:2–4).
B. Lies from Satan
Lie: No one else has ever been tempted like this. You are the only one going
through this and having this temptation. Therefore, it’s OK to give in.
Truth: “There hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common to
man”
Lie: This temptation is more than you
can bear. You have no choice but to
give in.
Truth: “but God is faithful, who will
not suffer you to be tempted above
that ye are able”. James 4:7 says,
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.” You are not strong enough to
bear temptation and resist the devil on
your own, but remember, “I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phil. 4:13).”
Lie (After you’ve given in to temptation): Now God doesn’t love you anymore and He cannot use you (Satan
wants nothing more than to keep
a believer from serving the Lord by
keeping him down and defeated).
Truth: God always loves you. If you
go astray, He is always eager to welcome you back when you confess your
sins and turn back to Him (See 1 John
1:9). God can always use us when we
have repentant, willing hearts.
II. Escaping temptation
A. There is always an escape
route from your temptation.
“…but [God] will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it.”
• When you are tempted, ask God to
show you the escape door.
• Don’t just walk slowly through
the escape door–that might give
you time to change your mind,
turn back, and give in. Instead,
FLEE through the exit! Read about
Joseph’s great example in Genesis
39:7–12.
• Escape routes can be painful
because they require you to deny
the desires of your flesh. However,
giving in to temptation brings the
pain of regret and the agony of
being out of fellowship with God,
both of which are much worse.
Also, remember that the sacrifices
God calls you to make are small
compared to the suffering Christ
endured for you (see Matt. 11:30).
B. Keep your heart and mind pure
1. Memorize God’s Word
See Psalm 119:9–11. If you fill
your mind and heart with God’s
Word, there won’t be room for
wicked thoughts. Before long, you
will begin to love God more and
be less attracted to sin. For more
about keeping your mind pure,
see Isaiah 26:3 and 2 Corinthians
10:5.
2. Serve God
If you get busy doing God’s work,
you won’t have time to dwell on
the things that tempt you. You’ll
be focusing on God and others,
not on pleasing yourself. Today, ask
God to show you how He would
have you serve Him.
C. Ask a godly, trusted friend to keep you accountable.
This person should be someone who
has a close, daily walk with Jesus, and
who is more mature and experienced
than you (your parent or a church
leader). Ask this friend to periodically check on you to see if you are
having victory over the temptations
you struggle with. A good Christian
friend will pray with you and for you,
and will encourage you as you rely on
Christ for strength. See James 5:16.
III. Don’t just avoid
the sin. Avoid the
temptation too!
• Make sure your “DO NOT CROSS” line
is drawn in the right place. Don’t draw the
line right in front of the sin. This is like
walking on the wet, slippery rocks next to
a raging river and thinking you won’t slip
into the water. Instead, draw the line back
a safe distance. Avoid even going near the
“wet rocks” of temptation! If you walk
too close to the edge of sin, you are only
tempting yourself, and that is wrong.
• Do everything possible to avoid situations
that cause you to be tempted to sin. Don’t
expect God to save you from drowning
after you’ve shot holes in your boat!
• For instance, are you tempted to sin when
you are alone with your computer or mobile device? Give the device to your parent
or trusted friend before you have to be
alone.
• Some situations cannot be avoided (for
instance, Joseph probably had to see
Potiphar’s wife every day as he worked). In
these cases, God will give you His supernatural strength to resist and flee temptation when you rely on Him for strength.
Conclusion
God wants you to have victory over the
temptations in your life, and victory can
be yours! Rest in God’s promises that
you CAN be victorious, rely on Christ for
strength, take the escape routes He provides, keep your heart and mind pure, find
a godly friend to keep you accountable,
and draw your “do not cross” lines far away
from the sin. Is there sin in your life that
has its hold on you? Today, ask Jesus to
help you overcome your temptations and
live a victorious life in Him!