Fighting Temptation

FIGHTING TEMPTATION

Matthew 26:41

Few things weary the Christian more than battling enticements to sin. The constant allurement to engage in thoughts, words, and actions that go against the will of God is what temptation is all about and it weighs heavy on the soul of the one who longs to please God. Temptations can happen at any time and often come unexpectedly. They occur with such frequency and intensity we tend to get overwhelmed by them. Yet we don’t need to despair because God has ways of defending his children from the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). As the psalmist put it, God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1 HCSB).

We must understand that God himself never entices us to sin: No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone (James 1:13 HCSB). God does, however, permit us to undergo temptation, not because he wants us to sin but because he wants us to see how weak and vulnerable we are without him, and conversely, so he can show himself strong to us as we learn to depend on him during the trial. So temptations give us opportunities to see ourselves as we truly are—weak and vulnerable to sin, and God as he truly is—strong and able to empower us to triumph over sin.

We face temptations because we happen to be on the battlefield of a cosmic war that’s raging between the forces of good and the forces of evil, and the forces of evil want to solicit us into serving their cause. But on an even deeper level the forces of evil attempt to persuade us to sin because they hate the Lord we serve and by enticing us to sin they are really attacking God. Russell Moore elaborates:

Temptation is so strong in our lives precisely because it’s not about us. Temptation is an assault by the demonic powers on the rival empire of the Messiah. That’s why conversion to Christ doesn’t diminish the power of temptation—as we often assume—but actually, counterintuitively, ratchets it up. If you bear the Spirit of the One the powers rage against, they will seek to tear down the icon of the Crucified they see embedded in you (1 Pet. 4:14; Rev. 12:17). Ultimately, the agony of temptation is not about you or me. We’re targeted because we resemble Jesus our firstborn brother. We all, whether believers or not, bear some resemblance to Jesus because we share with him a human nature in the image of God. As we come to find peace with God through Jesus, though, we begin a journey of being conformed more and more into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The demons shriek in the increasing glory of that light, and they’ll seek even more frenetically to put it out of their sight.[1]

Michael Green agrees:

So long as men stay within [Satan’s] realm and do not cross out of it into God’s; so long as they believe his propaganda about the dullness of the Christian life and the injustice and meanness of God; so long he is content. But let them once doubt the propaganda, let them begin to be attracted by the glorious image of God in Jesus—then that spells danger. And the murderer of souls pursues them vigorously…

…when… a man becomes a Christian, then [Satan] attacks that man mercilessly in order to spoil his Christian life.[2]

In short, temptations come at us because we remind the devil and demons of God and they hate God and anyone who reminds them of God. They attack God by trying to draw us away from God and into sin. This only intensifies after we begin to follow Christ.

So what hope do we have? How can we resist temptation? Jesus provided the answer only hours before he died. He was in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray because he knew he was about to be arrested and crucified. He took Peter, James, and John near to where he would pray. He was full of sorrow and distress, because he knew what was about to happen to him, so he asked them to stay awake with him. They didn’t. While he was praying for the cup of suffering to pass from him if possible, they let fatigue overcome them inside of an hour. When he returned to them and found them sleeping he was disappointed. Nevertheless, he knew they were facing temptation, therefore he graciously revealed the way to fight it: Stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41 HCSB). What a remarkably simple solution to the problem of temptation. To stay awake means to remain in a constant state of readiness, to always remain on the alert, to keep watch. It means to be on the lookout for all the ways Satan might use to lure you into sin. It means to pay attention to the ways and means God may provide to enable you to escape temptation. And to pray, as you know full well, means to ask God for help. Prayer is the defense missile that can shoot down any temptation the enemy launches at us. The famous Puritan John Owen once wrote, “Let him who would spend little time in temptation spend much in prayer… Prayer puts our souls into a posture of opposition to every temptation.”[3]

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught us to pray against temptation in this way: And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6: 13 HCSB).The first part of that verse means that it’s appropriate that we ask that we not have to face temptation. Maybe we would face fewer temptations if we would make this request more often. But in the last half of the verse Jesus tells us to ask for God to deliver us from the evil one. That means that during those times when we do undergo temptation we must pray for God to save us from the devil. The Greek term for deliver, rhyomai, is used seventeen times in the New Testament, always with God as the deliverer. It refers to bringing someone out of severe danger. The devil is dangerous. The Bible says he’s like a roaring lion that prowls around looking for anyone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). If you were about to be attacked by a roaring lion and you knew someone was nearby who could help wouldn’t you cry out desperately for that person to help?

There are certain times when you will be especially vulnerable to temptation. First, you are especially vulnerable to temptation when things are going well. When things are going well the temptation will be to take your eyes off God and put them on the blessings he has given you. When you do that you become guilty of worshiping the created instead of the Creator. God warned the Israelites that after they defeated their enemies and got settled into the Promised Land that they would be tempted to turn away from their devotion to him. That’s exactly what happened. Consequently they fell headlong into idolatry. Prosperity and success sound wonderful, but they can be detrimental to spiritual vitality. Remember the rich fool. He had so much grain he had to build larger barns to store it all. He assumed he had enough to sit back and take life easy for years to come. But he failed to prepare to meet the Lord, which happened sooner than he ever anticipated. He wasn’t ready. His focus was on worldly things, not God. How much better off he would have been had he stayed awake and prayed not to enter temptation.

Second, you are vulnerable to temptation when you have free time. Recall David who got up from his bed one night and strolled around on the roof of his palace. He looked across the way and saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. She was a beautiful woman and she was taking a bath. Most any man in the same situation would find it hard not to look. James Dobson said, “A man can walk down a street and be stimulated by a scantily clad female who shimmies past him, even though he knows nothing about her personality or values or mental capabilities. He is attracted by her body itself. Likewise, he can become almost as excited over a photograph of an unknown nude model as he can in a face-to-face encounter with someone he loves. In essence, the sheer biological power of sexual desire in a male is largely focused on the physical body of an attractive female.”[4]

If only David had dropped to his knees and prayed for strength. He knew that lusting after Bathsheba was wrong. He knew God’s commandment forbidding adultery. He knew that Joseph had faced the same temptation with Potiphar’s wife and had defeated it by arguing that he couldn’t do such a great evil and sin against God. He knew God could and would give him the strength to do what was right. But David let his guard down, and the devil devoured him. He swept into David’s heart and filled it with all sorts of justifications for his lust. “You are the king; therefore you can have any woman you want. You can be discreet. No one will ever know. You deserve a little pleasure as a reward for all the fighting you have been doing.” When David listened to and believed the lies of the devil he became just like the young man in Proverbs 7 who allowed himself to be seduced by a woman: She seduces him with her persistent pleading; she lures with her flattering talk. ²² He follows her impulsively like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding toward a trap ²³ until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird darting into a snare—he doesn't know it will cost him his life (Proverbs 7:21-23 HCSB). Free time seems so promising, yet it can be one of the most dangerous seasons of life. Therefore stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.

Third, you are vulnerable to temptation when you have just enjoyed a spiritual high. Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to a contest on top of Mt. Carmel. They would build an altar and he would build an altar. They would pray to Baal and he would pray to the Lord. The deity that would set his altar on fire would prove himself to be the true God. The Lord won. Elijah seized and killed the false prophets. That day Elijah saw the greatness and glory of God in an incredible way. But before the smoke of the fire had dissipated Elijah was on the run for his life, fleeing from Queen Jezebel who swore she would kill him for having killed the prophets of Baal. While on the run he stooped to sit down under a broom tree where he prayed to die. He told God he had had enough. So beware. The devil will come hard after you following a spiritual mountaintop experience. Such experiences are wonderful when you have them and you should be grateful for them. But don’t deceive yourself into thinking that your whole life from that day forward will be like that mountaintop experience. The devil is still at large. You will need to pray earnestly after a spiritual high or you may soon find yourself sitting under a tree and feeling like you would rather die.

Despite the struggle with temptation you have every reason to take courage and feel hope. Why? Jesus has triumphed over Satan and temptation: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15 NKJV). When Jesus walked on this earth he faced the full force of Satan’s temptations, yet he blocked every blow. And when he died on the cross he took all the punishment that your sins deserve. Now, if you are a Christian, you stand in Christ, clothed in his righteousness, and armed with everything you need to take on the tempter. You have been set free from sin (Romans 6:6-7, 17-18, 20, 22) in order to serve righteousness (Romans 6:18) and God (Romans 6:22). Therefore Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires (Romans 13:13-14 HCSB).

In closing, take note of three ways to reduce temptation in your life:

1. Avoid the places and things that tempt you.
2. Flee from temptation as soon as you become aware of it because the longer you linger in its presence the stronger its attraction will become.
3. Fill your mind continually with godly things: Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8 HCSB).