Impact Week Twenty-Three

Over the past month or so, we’ve been reading from "Walking Wisely" written by Charles Stanley on a chapter concerning temptation. We’re wrapping up this discussion today.

To quickly review:

1. God does NOT tempt us.

God will never tempt you because a temptation is a tactic of the enemy to cause you to fall. God is in the business of promoting you, of causing you to grow. Sin causes you to halt your growth, to take a step back from where God was taking you.

2. Temptation is not a sin.

Being tempted does not mean you are sinning. You are being tempted because the enemy is trying to get you TO sin.

3. No one is above being tempted.

Every man, woman, and child that ever lived or ever will live has or will be tempted. Period. There is no avoiding it. Jesus himself dealt with temptation.

4. Maturity in your walk doesn’t mean less temptation.

Growing in your relationship with Christ means you are more likely to face temptation. You might be less likely to fall, but you will definitely face temptation. The more press into and seek after God, the more dangerous you become to the enemy.
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5. We have help.

The good news is, God is on our side. Assuming you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, God’s Holy Spirit resides (or lives) in your heart. And he always provides a way out (I Cor. 10:13). One of the names of God is Counselor, meaning he is by your side, giving you a plan of defense in the face of an attack. Barack Obama, and every President of the United States has a pact of aides, men and women who give him advice on various issues.

In light of the attack and the aide that is readily available to us, we have a choice to make. Stanley (the author of the book) asks a important question: ‘What is your first response when you face temptation? Do you immediately begin to rationalize the situation because you are going to yield to the temptation? Or do you immediately go into “resist mode”…?’

Don’t rationalize the sin. Don’t dwell on the temptation. Resist it.

James 4:7b “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”

6. Temptation is everywhere you go.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that you can evade temptation just by moving. Remember Potipher’s wife and her attraction to Joseph? Imagine for a moment that Joseph had left Egypt in order to get away from Potipher’s wife. Do you really think that would solve the problem? True, he wouldn’t have to deal with that particular woman, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that Joseph wouldn’t face a similar temptation should he have left. I would like to clarify the point that you can’t avoid sin simply by running away from temptation. At some point, you need to take a stand against it, to say no the temptation. Running away doesn’t solve the issue.

On the other hand, Joseph had it right when he stayed as far away from the woman as he could. Recognize the difference though. He didn’t run away from his temptation. He flat out said “No”, but he also didn’t stick around for her to ask him again. You may need to walk away from a confrontation or a situation. There’s a saying: if you hang around a barber shop long enough, you’re gonna get a haircut. It’s great that you said no in the face of temptation, but don’t hang around to continually get pressured.

7. Your Defense.

a. Make a decision to overcome temptation.

Have a resolve in your heart, make a decision that in the face of temptation, you will say no to it, and yes to God.

b. Figure out what your most frequent temptations are.

c. Address the needs in a godly manner.

There is nothing wrong with eating a bowl of ice cream or having an iPod. The problem arises when you eat too much ice cream or spend all your money on products. If there is a need in your life, it is more than likely natural. The temptation is to exceed the boundary that God set for us.

d. Making short work of the temptation thought process.

Every temptation we come up against enters as a thought in our head. Where it goes from there is up to us. If you choose to entertain it and dwell on it, you are then faced with a decision: do I act on this or not? Dismissing a temptation quickly is the best way to go.

e. Know the consequences of sin.

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (also called CIPA) is such a rare disease that only 84 living cases that have diagnosed in the United States. It is a genetic disorder that makes it impossible for someone to feel pain. Now, on the surface, you might think, wow cool. But consider this: you know in your head that if you touch a heated stove, you will get burned, and if you don’t remove your hand, you will lose a significant amount of flesh. Just because people with CIPA don’t feel pain, doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for touching a hot stove, for example.

In the same manner, we need to realize that there is a consequence to sin, whether that comes now or years down the road. For instance, if you choose to eat too much ice cream quickly, you will probably get a brain freeze. Ouch! That action has a clear consequence. But some have less obvious consequences. For instance, if you were sin sexually, there might not be an immediate consequence, other than guilt. But down the road, you face the problem of devoting yourself solely to your wife. There is always a consequence to sin, whether you experience that immediately or down the road.

f. Put on the armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18 refers to the armor of God, one of your key tools of defense against an attack. When you wake up, pray through this scripture. Acknowledging that God is your armor is a good reminder to keep Him with you throughout the day.

g. Stay focused.

Temptation is an attempt to deter and distract your attention from something else. You may find that you are bombarded with temptation the most when you are trying to focus on praying, worship, or reading the Word. Don’t be surprised if a stray thought enters your mind. It’s Satan’s last ditch effort to distract you and keep you from growing. If, for example, you are in worship on a Tuesday night, and you’re enjoying God’s presence, and all of the sudden out of nowhere you start thinking about something impure, don’t be surprised, it happens all the time. Just dismiss the attack and continue to focus on what you were doing.

h. Accountability.

Accountability simply means that someone will take an honest look into your life and call your actions into a account. You pray with each other, you confess your sins to one another. Really, you should have at least three of these people in your life: a mentor, a peer, and a disciple. A mentor is someone who is a believer who is more mature in their walk and can give you guidance and advice. A peer is someone who is more or less at the same level of maturity, but is someone who wants to grow just as you do; you can encourage each other in what you go through. A disciple is someone who is perhaps new to following Christ, but who is seeking guidance, and needs advice from someone who has been there.

James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

i. Ask God for help

Don’t forget God in all of this. The simplest, easiest, and most effective way to overcome temptation is to ask God for strength. If you know an attack is coming on, God can and will provide you with a way out – if you ask for it.