Winning Over Temptation 08-25-2024

Text: I Corinthians 10:13

                    Every single person who walks this earth is a target of temptation by Satan.  Some will give in to his efforts and others will resist.  And regardless of their believe in God, everyone will feel the pull to what this world has to offer -- good and bad.  But Paul offers us hope as we work to resist Satan's temptations when he wrote in I Corinthians 10:13:  "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 

                   The truth is, God knows exactly what Satan is doing to try to pull us away from Him.  God also knows exactly when Satan put his acts of temptation into motion against us.  So, this morning let's take a look at this evil tempter that all the world must face.                          

                   Satan is the source of all temptation.  Genesis 3 tells of how he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  His goal wasn't actually to get them to eat the forbidden fruit but rather to question the Word of God.  When we think of it in those terms, it reveals how sinister and evil Satan actually is.  Matthew 4 tells how Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness using Scripture and offering Him the whole world, but Jesus resisted him.  Satan is still at work doing the same things to us today.  Satan is evil and he is a deceiver.  II Corinthians 11:3 tells us that he will use false teachers to twist what the Bible tells us.  Jesus tells us in John 8:44 that false teachers are influenced by Satan and therefore aren't Children of God because they hate His truth.  Their hatred of God's truth, their lies, and evil intentions show how completely they are controlled by Satan.   Satan is also a thief who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy as Jesus said in John 10:10.

                   With such a powerful enemy in this world, we don't have to worry because we are equipped to win over the liar, thief, and killer who only wants to destroy us.   I John 4:4 is a powerful reminder that we don't have to be afraid of the wickedness and hostility we see all around us nor should we be overwhelmed by the problems we face.  Satan is often the chief architect of the problems we encounter, and his evil can often seem much stronger than we are, but John is assuring us that God has already won over Satan and his work.  The Holy Spirit has far more power than Satan, all his demons, and all the temptations and forces of evil in this world.  God will conquer all evil and through God's Word and the Holy Spirit that lives in our hearts, we have the strength and courage to overcome Satan and his temptations.

                   Our text also reminds us that God is faithful.  He limits Satan's temptations to only things that are common to mankind, and He also limits temptations to what we are able resist.  God doesn't Satan allow to use untried ways to entice anyone.  There are no secret ways available to Satan to use to pull us away from God.  Satan is limited by devine boundaries.  Everyone, no matter who you are, has been and will be tempted by Satan.  Some have lost the battle and others have won.  Every God-fearing Christian can win over Satan's efforts against us because our temptations are not above what we are able to resist.  God guarantees that we are up to the occasion because His grace is enough for us to withstand the tests we will face each day.

                   In addition to being able to overcome the temptation, every act of Satan against us must have a way of escape.  This escape route prepared for us by God.  It is His way of showing us how much He loves us.  Escapes may come in the form of a timely phone call, a verse of Scripture brought to mind, an answer to prayer, or even the appearance of a helpful person when we are at our weakest point.  No matter the temptation, God will always make sure there is a way for us to escape if we trust Him, remain alert, and look for it.

                   I Peter 5:8 tells us that Satan is a like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals.  They choose victims who are alone or not alert.  Peter is warning us to always watch out for Satan, especially when we are suffering or being persecuted.   When we feel alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, or when we are so focused on our own troubles that we forget to watch for danger, we are become vulnerable prey to Satan's attacks.  During these times difficult times we must spend time in prayer, study our Bible, and look for other Christians for support.  As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will be able to successfully resist the temptations of Satan.

                   If we find ourselves feeling defeated and are close to giving into the temptation before us, remember that we are never alone.  Jesus faced Satan's temptations and defeated him.  He will give us the strength and grace we need to help us defeat Satan's attempts to pull us away from God.  All we have to do is speak the name of Jesus and Satan will run away from us.  Remember all the ways Satan tempted Job to try to pull him aways from God.  He took his family, his possessions, and he destroyed his reputation.  Yet through it all, Job remained faithful to God and in the end, God restored to him more than he had lost at the hands of Satan.   

                   For us to be successful in defeating Satan's temptations, it's crucial that we have the Word of God imprinted on our hearts. This will help when we find ourselves up against attacks by Satan.  That's when we use the tools provided by God to resist the evil of Satan.  God knows we aren't perfect and there will be times when we will fail the tests we face.  But we should realize our mistakes, ask for forgiveness, make a promise to God to do better in the future, and follow through on that promise.

                   There will come a day when we will live a life without the temptations that we have to deal with now.  As we get closer to that point, Satan will ramp up his efforts to pull as many down with him as he possibly can.  We must not let ourselves be victims of this roaring lion.  Instead, we must study God's Word so we can be fully aware of those who will try to tell us we don't need it or try to make us question what God tells us.  That is Satan at work.  It is God's Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that gives us the courage and strength to resist the temptations we face every single day of this life.  We will be mocked and ignored for our beliefs, but we must never doubt what God has promised to all who are faithful to Him.

                    Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.