Temptation
How do we respond to temptation? We must know and hold fast to the Word of God. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Devil again tried to muddle God’s Word, as he did with the woman in the garden. But Jesus not only knew the Scripture, He clung to it - and sent the Devil packing (Matthew 4:1-11). James 4:7 teaches us to employ the same strategy, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Mark it down as fact: We will always struggle with temptation in this life. But God has not left us alone in the struggle. He has provided all we need to defeat sin and Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18; I John 4:4). Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13), and He told the disciples, “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). He has delivered us from sin’s power through His death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-14); He has provided the Holy Spirit to help us grow as we submit to the Word of God (Galatians 5:16); He has promised to limit our temptation to that which we can resist, and He always provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We cannot cast out temptation. But we can resist. We have a great opportunity to glorify Christ by responding with faithfulness in the face of evil enticements.
Wayne Stiles - Insight for Living ministries
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To resist temptation, you MUST:
- not be weakened by your situation (assume nothing is secure)
- not be deceived by the pursuasion (it is a lie)
- not be gentle with your emotions (they will plea for your understanding)
- not be confused by the immediate results (remember Joseph- you may lose a job, a lover, acceptance - so be it)
Chuck Swindoll - Insight for Living Ministries
