A Biblical Look at Temptation

I. What Temptation Is

    A. Something that tempts or entices

      1. James 1: 14 – When we are drawn away from by own lusts

    B. A spiritual test

      1. James 1 :2 – Count it joy when you have temptations
      2. James 1:3 – Trying of faith works patience

II. What Temptation Is Not

    A. Not sin
    B. Not from God

III. Who is the Tempter

    A. He is …

      1. Matthew 4: 1 – The Devil
      2. I Peter 5:8 -Adversary, the devil
      3. II Corinthians 11: 14 – Satan transformed into an angel of light
      4. Revelation 12:10 – Accuser of the brethren

    B. What he does …

      1. Revelation 12: 1 0 – Accuses
      2. Genesis 3:1 – Is subtle

      3. Genesis 3:1,4 – Liar and deceiver (“Hath God said, Ye shall not surely die?”)
      4. John 10:10 – He comes to steal, kill and destroy

IV. How Are We Tempted – James 1 :14; I John 2:16

    A. Lust of the Flesh
    B. Lust of the Eyes
    C. Pride of Life

V. Overcoming Temptation

    A. Tools/weapons God gives us

      1. James 4:7 – Submit and resist
      2. I Corinthians 10:13 – A promise to those tempted
      3. II Corinthians 10:4-5 – Pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations
      4. Ephesians 6:1 0-18 – Wearing armor
      5. Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray
      6. Matthew 4:2 – Fasting
      7. Jude 20 – Praying in the Spirit
      8. Psalm 119 – Saturate your mind with the Word
      9. Matthew 4:4,7, 10 -It is written
      10. Revelation 12:11 – They overcame him (Satan) with the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony

    B. By knowing who your enemy is

      1. I Peter 5:8
      2. II Corinthians 2:11

    C. Encouragement to those in the midst of temptation

      1. I Corinthians 10:13
      2. Hebrews2:18
      3. James 1 :2, 12
      4. II Peter 2:9
      5. Revelation 3: 10

    D. Examples of resisting temptation

      1. Genesis 14:23
      2. II Kings 5:16
      3. Job 2:10
      4. Jeremiah 35:5, 6
      5. Daniel 1 :8
      6. Luke 4:5-8

    E. The duty of resisting temptation

      1. Proverbs1:10;4:14
      2. Romans6:13
      3. Ephesians 6: 13
      4. II Peter3:17

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them and that rock was Christ. Nonetheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

World’s Worst Transgressor

I am the world’s worst transgressor

I have murdered millions

I have made people failures

I have made millions of homes miserable

I have changed promising people into hopeless social parasites

I have driven untold millions to despair

I have wasted the weak

I have snared the innocent

I have caused starving children to know me

I have made the hair turn gray on many parents

I have ruined millions and shall seek to yet ruin multiplied millions

My Name is Addiction

    World Best Benefactor

    I am the world’s best benefactor

    I have given life to millions

    I have made failures successful I have made millions of homes happy

    I have transformed hopeless social parasites into hopeful people

    I have led untold millions on the good way

    I have given the weary rest and the powerless strength

    I have freed many innocents from their snares

    I have transformed many homes once divided

    I have wiped the teams from many children’s faces

    I have delivered millions and shall yet deliver millions more

    My Name is Jesus

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

1 Corinthians 5:16-21
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.