I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      A common experience to all of humanity is temptation.

                                                             1.      From the very beginning of man’s existence, temptation has been a part of our world (Gen. 3:1-6).

                                                             2.      Even our Lord Jesus was tempted when He lived here as a man (Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 4:15).

B.      Thankfully, God has given us the ability to deal with temptation successfully.

                                                             1.      Every time a person overcomes temptation without sinning, this proves that it can be done.  In the case of Jesus, He proved that temptation can be overcome every time.

                                                             2.      Few things in life are guaranteed, but God does give us a guarantee regarding temptation – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

                                                             3.      Presently, let us consider the subject of temptation and how we may deal with it successfully.

II.      TEMPTATION TO SIN

A.      Let us differentiate between temptations to sin and trials of faith.

                                                             1.      There is a single Greek word (peirasmos) that is used in the New Testament for both of these concepts.

a.       The word means “an experiment, attempt, trial, proving.”  In its verb form (peirazō), the word means “to try whether a thing can be done.”

b.       The particular context in which the word is used determines its meaning.

                                                             2.      Trials of faith can lead to sin, but they are primarily situations that test our strength.

a.       James spoke of such trials in James 1:2-4, 12.  Success in these produces endurance and proof that we truly have faith.

b.       In this sense, we are even told to test ourselves (2Cor. 13:5).

c.        The Lord also commended the church at Ephesus for testing others in this way (Rev. 2:2).

                                                             3.      Temptations to sin are appeals to commit evil.

a.       Sin is transgression of God’s law, or lawlessness (1John 3:4).  It can be an overt act of commission of evil, or it can be an omission of good (Jas. 4:17).

b.       Temptations to sin do not come from God (Jas. 1:13), but rather they come from the devil, who is called the tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1Thess. 3:5).

c.        James gives the formula for temptation in James 1:14 – “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”

i.         Lust is inordinate desire for a forbidden thing.

ii.        Lust does not come from God, but the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are of the world (1John 2:16).  We learn these from the world and thus equip our hearts to do evil.

iii.      It is Satan who provides the object of our lust and enticement, just as he did for Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:1-7).  He diligently seeks opportunities of weakness in which to tempt us (Luke 4:13; 1Cor. 7:5; 1Pet. 5:8).

B.      Our interest in this lesson pertains to the way we handle the temptation to sin.

                                                             1.      Because temptation is the gateway to sin, we must handle it with deadly seriousness.

a.       Temptation is the first step toward sin.  Notice James 1:15 – “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

b.       Indeed, the wages of sin are death (Rom. 6:23), so this is truly a matter of life and death.

c.        Like handling a deadly weapon, we must handle temptation with the understanding that our spiritual lives are at stake.

                                                             2.      God gives us instructions, abilities, and opportunities whereby we may overcome temptation.  Let us embrace these blessings so that we may all succeed in our fight against sin.

III.   DEALING WITH TEMPTATION

A.      Let us first understand that we do not have to sin.

                                                             1.      Man is not born with a sinful nature as Calvinists teach, but each person is free to choose whether to obey God or sin (Rom. 6:16-18).

                                                             2.      It is true that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), but this is because all have chosen to sin.  God did not make us sinful, and we did not inherit sin or a sinful nature from Adam.

B.      Let us also understand that temptation is not sin, but temptation will lead to sin if not handled properly.

                                                             1.      Temptation may feel like sin because of the lust that is provoked.  However, temptation is distinct from sin (Jesus was tempted without sinning – Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 4:15) and without punishment.

                                                             2.      Nevertheless, when we are in the moment of temptation, we must realize the potential harm that can come from one poor decision.

C.      Notice some positive instructions that will help us to deal with temptation.

                                                             1.      Lust comes from within the heart and mind of a person, so set your heart and mind on good things so that your lust is controlled (Matt. 6:19-21; 15:19; Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:1-2).

                                                             2.      Satan entices us to sin through the world around us, so be mindful about the environment in which you live.

a.       Be careful about the things you watch, read, and hear (Mark 9:43-47).

b.       Be careful about the people with whom you associate (1Cor. 15:33; 2Cor. 6:14-18).

c.        Realize that many times the easiest way of escape happens long before the point of temptation (1Cor. 10:13).  Make your way easier and avoid tempting situations.

                                                             3.      Pray unto God that you may not enter into temptation (Matt. 6:13; 26:41).

                                                             4.      Put on the armor of God (truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God) so that you “may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-17).

                                                             5.      Use the word of God as Jesus did when He was tempted, saying, “It is written” (Matt. 4:1-11).

D.      Consider a poor example of a man dealing with temptation.

                                                             1.      Read Proverbs 7:6-23, which describes a man who was on the wrong path from the beginning.

                                                             2.      Notice the young man’s mistakes.

a.       The young man did not think (vv. 6-7).

b.       He went to the wrong place (v. 8).

c.        It was the wrong time (v. 9).

d.       He chose the wrong company (vv. 10-12).

e.        He listened to the wrong words (vv. 13-15).

f.        He fell for the wrong appeal (vv. 16-18).

g.        He was tricked by the old lie – no one will ever know (vv. 19-20).

h.       He fell, and great was his fall (vv. 21-23).

                                                             3.      Is it any wonder that this young man fell into sin when he made so many bad choices along the way?

E.       Now consider a good example of a man dealing with a similar temptation.

                                                             1.      Let us read the example of Joseph, who was tempted by his master’s wife in Genesis 39:6-12.

                                                             2.      Notice what Joseph did right.

a.       He was trustworthy in a tempting situation (vv. 6-7).

b.       He resisted sin from the very start (vv. 8-9; see Jas. 4:7).

c.        He avoided his master’s wife and did not listen to her, although he was tempted daily (v. 10).

d.       He fled from temptation (vv. 11-12; see 1Cor. 6:18; 2Tim. 2:22).

e.        He did not sin.  He maintained his purity, innocence, and integrity.

                                                             3.      Joseph succeeded in overcoming temptation because he resisted and avoided it every step of the way.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      There are so many reasons for us to avoid sin.

                                                             1.      There is the terrible punishment that comes to sinners.

                                                             2.      There are the temporal consequences for ourselves and others who are touched by sin.

                                                             3.      There is the love of God that precludes us from indulging sin against His will.

                                                             4.      There is the respect for the awful price that Christ paid to free us from sins.

                                                             5.      Surely, these reasons are sufficient to convince us that dealing with temptation is a skill that we all need to master.

B.      Certainly, avoiding sin is our goal, but let us be thankful that when we do succumb to temptation and sin, we can have Jesus Christ as an Advocate with the Father (1John 2:1-2).  Is He your Advocate?