Winning Over Temptation

Temptation. We all struggle with it, though no one wants to admit it.
Just when we think weve beaten it; it rears its ugly head again. The
Bible is full of accounts of individuals who were tempted. Some
were victorious; some succumbed. One thing is certain, however
you and I can win over it!
Understanding Temptation
If you study the stories of individuals who were tempted, youll find
theres a very clear pathway into sin.
a.) Temptation Appeals to a Legitimate Need
Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt
anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and
enticed by his own desire. (James 1:13-14)
Notice that last phrase, enticed by his own desire. In temptation,
Satan uses your own legitimate desires against you. (If you think
about it, sin is simply meeting a legitimate need in an illegitimate
way.)
Sin could also be defined as going to the wrong source to get your
needs met. When we yield to temptation, in essence, were telling
God, Youre too slow as we push Him aside to receive our
provision from the world.
As long as were defining things, lets define temptation.
Temptation is Satans offer to meet your need in a way that will
offend God and hurt you. In contrast, Jesus came to give us life, and
life more abundantly. His provision makes rich and adds no
sorrow with it.
b.) Satan Cant Entice You, Without Making You Feel Hard Done By
Before she yielded to temptation, Eve had to believe that God was
holding out on her. Before he fell, (although he had no tempter),
Lucifer must have been saying to himself, How come He gets to be
God, not me? The power behind temptation is a feeling of being
cheated or mistreated by God.

Along with that is the misbelief that God isnt going to meet your
need (at least not for a long time). So, if you dont take things into
your own hands, youre just going to do without! If you ever start
thinking like that, youre at a tremendous disadvantage!
c.) Temptation Requires Broken Focus
Satans third step is to get your eyes off the Word. In Eves case,
the serpent said, Did God really say that? He shook her
confidence in the Word, and then got Eves attention on the fruit
(Gen. 3:6). With her eyes on what was forbidden instead of on the
Word, it was just a matter of time.
d.) Satan Blinds You to the Consequences
For the lips of a strange woman drip honey, and her palate is
smoother than oil; but afterward she is as bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps
take hold on hell, lest you should meditate on the path of life,
her tracks are movable; you cannot know them. (Prov. 5:3-6)
Satan is a master at masking the outcome of our actions. It seems
for a time, that no consequences will follow our path of
disobedience. With the consequences cleverly concealed, the stage
is set. We have an unmet need. Were convinced that God is doing
nothing. Our eyes are clearly focused on the pleasure of the sin,
and were blinded to the consequences. As I said before, from that
point, its only a matter of time.
How To Keep From Falling
However carefully Satan may have laid the trap, you can still avoid
it. Lets look at several things we can do to keep from falling.
a.) Know Your Weaknesses
A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple
pass on, and are punished. (Prov. 22:3)
Heres my paraphrase: Smart people know their weaknesses and
set up boundaries; dumb people leave it until temptation is
breathing down their throat. Socrates said, Know thyself. (Not

bad advice for a non-Christian!) But, Id take it one step further and
say, Know thyself, and then barricade thyself.
In areas where youre weak, set up boundaries that will remove
every possibility of falling. If your weakness is drinking, dont ever
go where alcohol is available. Youve got to be ruthless with
yourself, where sin is concerned! If you never put yourself in a
position where you have an opportunity to yield, you cant fall.
b.) Fall in Love With Jesus
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John
2:15)
This is a hard pill to swallow, but we have to face it. The truth is,
when I find myself yielding to temptation, in that moment, my need
is more real to me than my love for God. James 1:12 says, Blessed
is the man that resists temptation he shall receive the crown of
life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Here we
find a real key to resisting. Loving Jesus more than we love
ourselves! Loving Him more than we love pleasure.
c.) Hide the Word in Your Heart
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee. (Ps. 119:11)
Another truth we need to embrace is this: Sin finds its root in a lie
thats been believed. If your temptation is greed, you may have
bought into the lie that he who dies with the most toys, wins. If
drinking is your problem, then you might believe that liquor gives
you confidence.
Whatever the sin, if its a recurring problem, then at its root is a lie
thats been believed. The way out, then, is to renew your mind with
the Word. Get your believing right, and it will help tremendously
with your behaving right.
d.) Get Ready to Suffer
Wow, is this a shift in our thinking! But the fact is, the only way
youre ever going to successfully resist temptation is to be willing to
let your flesh suffer. 1 Peter 4:1 says, Forasmuch as Christ hath

suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same
mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.
We could turn that around and say, He that has ceased from sin
has suffered in the flesh.
Theres no way around it. When you stop yielding to the flesh, the
flesh is going to suffer. But, thats what it means to take up your
cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23).
Crosses are for dying on! In other words, Hes calling us to die to
our own sinful desires, and (brace yourself), let some needs go
unmet if necessary. (Gasp!) It really comes back to what we said
before: Who do I love more: myself or Him?
e.) Look For the Escape Route
1 Cor. 10:13 promises that, in the moment of temptation, God will
provide a way of escape. So, look for it! God is faithful! Hell
provide a way out! Its your choice whether or not you take it.
Remember, Satan is not out to do you any favors. When he offers to
meet a need, its not because hes trying to help you out. Its bait!
It does no good to spread a net when the bird you want to catch is
watching (Prov. 1:17). Have as much sense as the bird in this
verse. Watch for Satans traps and avoid them.