Victory Over Temptation

I am studying the book of James and will be blogging down my reflections and insights to share with the rest of you. I pray you will be blessed and encouraged in the Lord. - Andrew

God can set you free from sin!

Are you struggling with impure thoughts or unwholesome talk? Are you gossiping about others behind their backs? Are you tempted to bring the office/school stationery back to your home for your own use? Are you cheating on your car park labels? Are you cheating in exams, class tests or class assignments?

These are some examples of temptation that many believers are facing. James addressed the issues of temptation in the following verses.

JAS 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

JAS 1:16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.


There are two kinds of testing:

a) Trials – designed by God to cause growth in believers so that they are drawn closer to God. Trials can come in the forms of withheld blessings (fruitfulness, health, finance, etc), hardships or persecutions. Trials bring out the best in us. They are external tests of stamina.

ii) Temptations – designed by the devil to cause believers to sin so that they are drawn away from God. Temptations can come in the forms of immoral or sinful desires. They cause us to disobey God resulting in guilt, condemnation and alienation. Temptations bring out the worst in us. They are internal solicitations to sin.

How then can we overcome temptation?(Read on...)

1) Be Realistic
1COR 10:14 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.

The phrase ‘common to man’ tells us that every believer will have his/her share of temptation in his/her spiritual journey. No one can escape from temptation. Even Jesus was being tempted in every way as we are, yet He did not sin (Heb 4: 15). It is not a sin to be tempted. We can be tempted yet not sin if we do not yield to it. We cannot stop a bird from flying over our head but we can prevent it from resting on our head. Similarly, we cannot stop temptation from coming to us but we can prevent it from having a grip on us. Therefore, do not struggle with temptation alone. Be open to share to someone you can trust or are accountable to so that you can pray together.

Satan wants us to hide our struggles in the dark alone. He wants to cripple us with guilt so that we would not be effective for God. To overcome his strategy, we ought to bring it to light and ask God for His grace to overcome the temptation.


2) Be Responsible
One truth that all of us should know is that God has given us the freedom of choice. Therefore, we always have choices in all the decisions we make but there will always be consequences as well. God wants us to make good decisions. However, there will be occasions when we make the wrong decisions. So when we choose to yield to temptation (wrong choice) resulting in sin, we should not blame others or find excuses such as “I’m helpless”, “Everyone is doing it”, “Someone made me do it”, “Nobody is perfect”, etc.

Man is always ready to shift responsibility for his sins. If he cannot blame God or others, he gives excuse for himself by calling sin a weakness or sickness. The fact is that sin is a moral failure for which man must give an account. The way out is to and admit and take responsibility for our wrongs before God. Look inwardly and not outwardly.


3) Be Ready
Matt 26:41Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

James told us to beware of the devil’s schemes and not be deceived. Satan is the father of lies. He wants to corrupt our view of God so that we cannot persevere during times of testing. Without the correct view of God, believers would lose hope and give in to temptation. He succeeds whenever we start to doubt God’s goodness and blame Him for our failures. Those who blame God do not know that God’s nature has nothing to do evil. He cannot tolerate evil. Some argued that God allowed evil to take place.

Evil is present because of the devil and the fallen nature of man. Evil desires in man produce evil actions. Praise God that He already has plans to get rid of evil and put everything in place in His perfect timing. Meanwhile, we need to overcome temptation not in our own strength but by God’s strength. Most people tend to be more susceptible to temptation when they are not accountable to any spiritual authority, physically or emotionally exhausted (the body is weak), stressed, idling or even after experiencing a success.We can resist temptation when we are in constant communion with God through prayer and His Word (Ps 119:11).

Have you been taking time off to commune with God? Have you been putting on the full armour of God (Eph 6:11) and praying in the Spirit (Eph 6:18)?

How does Satan tempt us?

a) Desire

JAS 1:14a but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire…

Desires are not necessarily bad but Satan corrupts them or turns them to bad desire. We cannot be tempted if there is no desire. For example, people who have no desire to smoke would not be tempted to smoke. Temptation starts with wrong desire. So to overcome temptation, pray that God sanctifies our desires.

b) Deception

JAS 1:14b …he is dragged away and enticed.

Satan knows our weaknesses and designs the bait to trap us. When we think that we can flirt around with temptation and not get hooked, we have already been deceived.

c) Disobedience

JAS 1:15a Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…

Arrest the temptation when it starts to appear in the mind. The battlefield is in the mind. Once it gets our attention, a wrong attitude will lead to wrong action. Our beliefs control our behaviours.

d) Death

JAS 1:15a …and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Death is the opposite of abundant life. We would then lose the fellowship with God and enter into a cycle of defeat.


4) Be Refocused
Jas 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

PS 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Since our mind is the battlefield, we need to align our thoughts to the word of God. The more we allow the truths of God to take root in our mind, the more we can we know God and our identity in Him. Right thinking coupled with right attitude will lead to right actions. Focus on what you want (blessings and victory) and not want you do not want (sin and defeat). Focus on the goodness and faithfulness of God (His unchanging nature) and not doubting Him. If something gets your attention, it gets you. Focus on God inside of you fighting the devil outside.

One common mistake that many believers make is to try to fight temptation by trying not to entertain it in their mind. They usually lose in the fight eventually as they are fighting in the flesh. Rather they should flee from temptation (1 Cor. 6:18, 10:14, 2 Tim 2:22) but fight the devil (Eph. 6: 13).

Have you allowed the Logos word of God to saturate your mind so that you can be strengthened more readily by the Rhema word of God in times of temptation? Jesus defeated the devil when He was tempted in the desert with the Rhema word of God. So can you!


5) Be Reborn
Jas 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.

Know that you are chosen by God. Our spiritual birth is gift from God. Praise God that He has given us a new nature to overcome temptation. In Him, we are able to resist temptation. To have constant victory, we need remain in Him through obedience to His Word. His truth has no effect until it finds union with our spirit. Then faith (God’s kind of life) will arise.

The root of temptation is unholy desires (1 John 2: 16).
- Lust of the flesh (passion)
- Lust of eye (possession)
- Pride of life (position)

Temptation destroys us so count the cost.
Trust defends us so wait upon God and do not take things into our own hands.
Ultimately, it is a question of who do you trust? Is it God or yourself?
If Jesus Christ is the Lord over our lives, we will not be tempted easily.
Is Jesus really Lord over your life?

1COR 10:14 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.

The incarnated Christ was tempted too. He fully understands our struggles with temptations and He welcomes you to His throne of grace to find strength and comfort. Let God fight for you!


Application
- Flee from temptation. Don’t fight it.
- Focus on God. Fight the devil
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Don’t fight alone. Be accountable.


Andrew Koh