Overcoming Temptation

Introduction

We are here today, as in all of our assemblies, to do two basic tasks. Basic yet profound, and that is to worship our God and Father. And secondly, to encourage and to edify and uplift one another. That’s what our services are intended to accomplish, and we pray, don’t we, that that will be accomplished today as we’re gather together. These services are whether it be special services that we have. We recently had a prayer service, prayer and song service that was again intended to worship God and to edify one another. Lord willing, next Sunday morning we’ll have a little bit of a different service. We’ll still have a sermon, we’ll still have songs, we’ll still partake of the Lord’s Supper, but they’re going to be kind of blended a little bit differently.

And so our songs will be blended within the sermon itself, and the Lord’s Supper observance will be a little bit later in that service. I just want to kind of give you a heads up of what we’re planning. And we hope that you’ll be with us, whether in person or virtually, as we worship God together. And a part of that is always studying God’s word, and that’s what we want to be about right now. I want to invite you to get your Bibles, if you will, and go with me in the New Testaments to 1 Corinthians. I’m turning in my New Testament to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, and we’ll look at verse 13, a very familiar text as the basis for our lesson this morning. Not to be a pessimist, because that’s not who I am.

But life is fraught with disappointment, isn’t it? You to think about a time, maybe a recent time in which you were disappointed. Disappointed enough that it kind of stuck with you, that it’s easy to recall.

I’ll share with you one of my recent disappointments. I was out driving, going from place to place, and it happened to be a little bit past lunchtime. And so I started kind of surveying my surroundings, finding a place to eat, and I saw an interesting and intriguing and compelling restaurant. Simply entitled Happy Eating. That spoke to me.

Happy eating. And I can tell you, I wasn’t in there very long, but there was nothing happy about that place. And so I looked out of place and left and went and found a real happy eating place. Life’s fraught with disappointments, but those kind of disappointments, and even when someone disappoints you, none of those can compare, can they, to when we disappoint ourselves? And when we’re disappointed in ourselveshether I let myself down, or even worse, when I know I’ve disappointed someone else. And even worse still when I realize I’ve disappointed God. And as a Christian, most of those times come when I did not withstand temptation. There is someone, there are forces who are trying to get me to fail. And maybe in that failure and disappointment, to become so defeated that I just give up and quit.

And in so doing, he is victorious. And I’m the loser. Now, thanks be to God, there is a remedy to that. There is the blood of Christ that washes away all our sins. We can be forgiven of even the greatest betrayals and disappointments of our God. But let’s be better equipped to not just seek God’s forgiveness when we sin, but to overcome temptation and to avoid that sin. That’s what I want to talk with you about this morning is how to withstand and to not disappoint yourself and others and most importantly God when it comes to the temptation to sin. You know this familiar text in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and in verse 13, where the apostle says, no temptation has overtaken you except such as common to man.

But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you were able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we were able, and he will make an escape route. That tells me a couple things. Number one, each and every time I have given in the temptation and sinned, it was my fault. And every time I am tempted to sin, there was a way out. There was an escape route from that. I didn’t have to do it, and so there had to be a way out. Whether or not I looked up to see that way out, and whether or not I afforded myself of that escape route, it was there.

1. Think About the Cost of Giving In

And so that I can better prepare myself to find them, to be looking for them, and to find them and to take them. And I invite you on that journey with me as we talk about overcoming temptation. Here’s one escape route that we need to talk about and be prepared for. And number one is just think about the cost of giving in. We’re kind of programmed that way in other areas of life, aren’t we? Cost. And whether or not we’re willing to make that exchange. When you go shopping, whether that’s online or in the store, you’re making a decision, aren’t you? That I’m willing to pay that price for that thing. And many times we are, and we’ll put that in our shopping cart again, whether literal or virtual.

And we’ll click buy now. But sometimes we’re not willing, are we? We see that and we see the price and we go, oh, that’s enticing. There’s a part of me that would like that thing, that item, that product, but I don’t want to pay. That’s too much. And so I won’t make that exchange. We’re trained that way physically and financially, aren’t we? I hope you are. We need to train ourselves that way spiritually. To look at every temptation, really every action, every decision, as an exchange. And am I willing to pay that price? Am I willing to pay the cost for giving in to that temptation? And what this requires is, turn with me a couple pages over in your New Testament to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

This requires us to look at the unseen.

Here’s the difficulty many times in temptation is the temptation is immediate. The cost may be later. The temptation and the satisfaction found in that temptation is immediate. The cost is delayed. And the temptation, many times, the temptation and the sin is tangible. It’s right here. I can experience it physically now. The cost is not only delayed, but many times it’s unseen to me now at least. A way of escape is to begin to think spiritually. To think in the terms of the unseen. It’s a little bit different context, but I think there’s an application to be made here. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and in verse 16, it says, Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

2. Put Myself in a Good Place

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Again, a little bit different context, but can you not see an application to the idea of the things which are seen, the temporal, earthly, many times sinful things. And yet looking at the things which are not seen? Count the cost. Recognize what this will cost me spiritually, eternally. And many times that’s my way of escape is just knowing what it will cost. Another way of escape is to put myself in a good place.

And I can do that in two ways. I can put myself in a good place spiritually. We think sometimes of that way of escape that God has provided as being something that’s right there in the immediate moment of temptation. Like five seconds before I commit the sin, if I would look right or left, there would be an open door and I can escape from it. And there may very well be.

Look at the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 12 in this regard. Matthew chapter 12 and in verse 35, another text that you’ll be very familiar with. Matthew 12 and verse 35, our Lord says, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. An evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Now, how does that adage spoken by our Lord apply to the idea of temptation?

Well, the more I prepare myself spiritually, the more God like that I become, the more Christ-like I live my life and think my thoughts, the better place I’m in spiritually. That’s preparing the heart from which will spring my actions, whether good or bad. And I think so many times we are just confine it to myself, I get the cart before the horse, and I want to correct actions, and I want to fix improper actions, when the first step is addressing the heart from which those actions spring. That’s what our Lord is saying.

I am preparing today.

How many times have we heard sermons and lessons, many times directed to our youth, but also need to be directed to those of us with less youth? The passage, evil companionships corrupt good morals. We need to put ourselves in a good place spiritually. But that also demands that we put ourselves in a good place physically. If I know being there with them at that time is going to present temptation. Why would a right thinking Christian put themselves in that position? You remember Psalm 1? And the idea of location. The old real estate adage, location, location, location. That applies spiritually as well, doesn’t it? You know how Psalm 1 begins. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

Maybe the way of escape that God has made for me with that temptation is that He said it so that I don’t have to be there when the temptation comes.

It was found prior to me putting myself in the moment. Sometimes the best way to avoid temptation or to overcome temptation is to avoid temptation.

3. Be Prepared and Don’t Let My Defenses Down

But temptation will come. There’s no cave so isolated, no island so deserted that I can’t avoid temptation, that I can avoid temptation completely. I can put myself in a better place spiritually and physically. I can know the cost of giving in. I can put myself and surround myself with good spiritual, godly people. But temptations are going to come. And so I must make sure that I’m prepared and I don’t let my defenses down. Look with me in the book of Romans, chapter 13, and the point that the apostle makes here in regard to the flesh and the temptations of the flesh and how we can guard against that. Romans chapter 13. Let’s begin in our reading, Romans chapter 13, beginning in verse 11. And do this.

Knowing the time that it is high time to awake out of sleep. For our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let’s walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness or lust, not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. What do you think about that last profound phrase there? Make no provision for the flesh. He’s talked about and alluded to the idea of putting on the whole armor of God that the apostle would talk about in another context. We put on the armor of light, that we shield ourselves with Jesus Christ, that we’re making provisions to fight the spiritual battle that we’re engaged in. And we make, he says, no provision for the flesh.

What does that mean? And equally as important, how do I apply that in my life? I think there’s a lot of ways. One we’ve already talked about, put ourselves in a good place. And to look at it from the other side, don’t put yourself in a bad place. That’d be making provision for the flesh. But surely another application is for me to be properly equipped with the whole armor of God. Me being prepared, me being on the watch. How many times do you see this couplet in the New Testament? And we’re going to talk about the second of those in just a little bit. Watch and pray. Watch and pray. Again, we’ll talk about the pray part in a little bit, but what does it mean to watch?

What am I watching for? Sometimes it’s talking about the second coming. I’m watching for his return. Well, what does that mean?

We understand that doesn’t mean that you go out into your front yard like a space launch and you just look up and you’re waiting. I want to be the first to see. That’s not what watch means. Well then what does it mean? It means be prepared. We don’t know the hour, but that doesn’t mean that we’re caught unaware. We’re making provisions for the spirit, not for the flesh. But surely it means that I’m also, I’m on the guard. I know that he is out there like a roaring lion. And so I’m prepared. I’ve used this analogy before, maybe here, trying to remember. But let’s imagine that this morning. As Jim gets up to make the closing announcements, and he makes his normal announcements, and he someone hands him a card and he says, Oh, one other thing that there was a traveling circus passing by Orlando, and one of the lions has escaped, and he’s been found in this area.

He’s loose. What would you do? Well, I imagine most of our visiting and socializing would be done inside the building, not in the parking lot, wouldn’t it?

And we’d walk a little faster to the car, wouldn’t we?

We would kind of change our behavior. And we’d be looking, wouldn’t we? Because there’s going to be some jokester out there, it wouldn’t be me, who would see you about halfway through your car and then let out a loud roar. And so you’d be looking, wouldn’t you? For the sounds and some warning signs. And so in the New Testament says that that’s happening spiritually with far greater ramifications. Don’t let your defenses down. Be prepared. Know that he’s out there. And sometimes that just means this. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. This is an unpopular expression that explains an unpopular idea. But in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, beginning in verse 24, the apostle says, Do you not know those who run in a race run all run, but one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. I fight thus, not as one who beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself might become disqualified. An unpopular phrase today, but that is self discipline and self denial. Don’t let your defenses down. Recognize I don’t have to do that. I don’t have to be there.

4. The Easiest Way of Escape: Just Run Away

If it’s going to cost me my soul. Next comes the easiest way of escape. And it’s one that’s talked about multiple times in the New Testament. And it is the easiest, but maybe the least practiced. And that’s just run away. At least three times in the New Testament. That’s the advice. First Corinthians chapter 6 and in verse 18. When it comes to sexual immorality or fornication, your translation may say, Paul’s advice is simple. Flee sexual immorality. Later in that same epistle in chapter 10 and in verse 14, talking about idolatry and practices associated with idolatry, Paul again simply says, flee from idolatry. To his young apprentice Timothy in the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 2 and in verse 22, he gives similar advice to the younger man, Timothy.

He says, Timothy, flee youthful lust. Flee. That’s just an old biblical word for run away from it. And I don’t know that Paul necessarily meant it in the most literal sense. But maybe he did.

Maybe he was telling Timothy. When youthful lusts are there and they’re tempting you. Just run. Maybe he was telling the Corinthian brethren, when idolatry and the temptation to idolatry is there right in front of your face. Just turn around and get out of there. Now don’t misunderstand me. I think there’s a more of a moral spiritual application to the idea of fleeing, run away from it. But sometimes it might be physical that helps us most with the spiritual to just leave. Separate yourself physically and spiritually from that which is tempting you to sin. And in some sense, that’s easy. Now it may be easier said than done, but that’s an easy concept, isn’t it? Get out of there. Don’t be around that. Now all of this means that there’s going to be some tough decisions to make.

5. Pray: Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation

Maybe even a job will require me to flee from that temptation. Lastly, in Matthew chapter 6, in his simple model prayer, Jesus tells us to pray this. Matthew 6 and verse 13, do not lead us into temptation. Speaking to our Father, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. God help me. God help me to do these things that will prepare me for the hour of trial. But God be with me and help me in that hour of trial. Watch and pray was the advice he gave his disciples when they waited sleepfully in the garden. Watch and pray that you do not be led into temptation. Life’s fraught with disappointments, sometimes self-inflicted.

Conclusion

But we can avoid some of them. We can avoid the most dangerous of them by seeking that escape route that God has promised for temptation. If we’ll prepare, if we’ll be serious about this thing that we call Christianity and living the godly life.

But thanks be to God that another provision has been made. That when we fail, and when we sin, and when we disappoint our Maker, our Creator and our Judge, that He can also be our Redeemer. He’s promised to forgive and to equip us again to righteousness and to provide a way of escape for the next temptation. May God help us to avoid temptation, to lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And may God help us today in forgiving our sins and equipping us to be his children. Do you need to come to Him? Do you need to bring your sins to His altar and lay them at His feet and receive the forgiveness that He and He alone can offer? Can we help you in that?

Can we help you in any way? As together we stand and as we sing.