Am I able to resist temptation?
Yesterday
We LEARNED each one of us is tempted by ‘our own’ lust:
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and/or
the pride of life.
Today
Let’s understand ‘how’ to resist those fleshly desires that tempt us.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Or, you can use your hardbound Bibles and follow along.
You can print off this post and put in a Notebook!
Go to God in Prayer
Lord, we know You love us. And this is very important for us to understand or You would not have put it here. Please, teach us how to resist temptations, those desires that are not of You. Thank you!
Let’s LOOK at What God Says
Let GODcha point the way.
Where will you begin?
READ God’s Word
Read James 1:13-18 again with a questioning mindset.
Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday, focusing on James 1:14.
What is the source of our temptation?
God Uses Truth to Explain Truth
CR-Cross References-Word Search Tutorial>
Let’s unpack Matthew 4:1-10 with our focus on Jesus because He was tempted like us yet without sin. (Heb 2:18; 4:15)
Remember: THINK and REASON by asking the 5W’s and H questions.
1. Who tempted [tried, tested, solicited to sin] Jesus?
God allowed Jesus to be tempted by the devil.
2. Who led Jesus into this confrontation with the devil?
Jesus was led by the Spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
THINK about what we have learned about God.
Jesus was led out to pass the test!
And since He passed the test, He proved to be the Son of God!
Remember ‘test‘ means a proving!
STOP! I think it is important to camp here!
We can just read this, or really try to understand Truth so it will help us.
LOOK for:
The 3 Areas of lust;
How Jesus was tempted; and
How Jesus resisted the temptations.
a. The Flesh (Mat 4:1-5)
Satan tempted Jesus’ flesh with ‘bread’ for hunger.
Jesus in His humanity was hungry after fasting 40 days.
Satan: Turn the stones into ‘bread’!
Understand: Satan tempted Jesus to use His supernatural ability to satisfy His fleshly needs and desires.
Satan’s Tactic:
‘If’ You’re the Son of God, and to satisfy His flesh.
Understand: ‘What if’s’ are always from Satan to cause us to fear, doubt, etc.
Understand: We will be tempted to doubt God and His promises to take care of us and supply our needs.
Jesus Resisted:
With the Word that countered the temptation.
“MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.” (Deut 8:3)
Understand: Bread doesn’t keep a person alive.
It is God, and what He says that meets a person’s needs, and determines if they live or die.
b. The Pride of Life (Mat 4:5-6)
Satan tempted Jesus to pridefully display His power that was not in the will of God, or His plan for the redemption of mankind.
Satan’s Tactic:
‘If’ You’re the Son of God, prove it with a miracle, ‘test’ God, let Him save you.
Used the Word (leaving out a portion) (Psa 91:11-12)
Understand: Satan tempted Jesus to pridefully ‘prove’ He was the Messiah in front of all the worshipers, thus gaining power and popularity, and then they wouldn’t crucify Him.
Jesus Resisted:
With the Word that countered the temptation.
“YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” (Deut 6:16)
Jesus knew who He was and didn’t need to prove it.
c. The Lust of the Eyes (Mat 4:8-9)
Satan tempted Jesus by showing Him all the kingdoms of the world, offering them to Him, if He would ‘worship’ him (Satan).
Satan’s Tactic:
Offered Jesus a crown without the cross.
Tempted to compromise, bypassing God’s plan and ways.
Understand: Satan could do this because he is the ruler, the god of this world, wanting Jesus’s throne. (Eph 2:2)
Jesus Resisted:
With the Word that countered the temptation.
Telling Satan to be gone,
“YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY” (Deut 6:13; 10:20)
Satan left!
We see: Satan’s tactics.
Did you see what he targets?
Understand: Satan tempted Jesus by targeting His mind?
Understand. . .
When we are going through trials and our circumstances are difficult,
we may complain against God,
question His love, and
even resist His will.
This is when Satan will use these 3 areas of lust, our own lust, to tempt us to escape the difficulty.
Okay, back to another Cross Reference.
3. Do you remember LOOKING at 1Co 10:13 when we were focused on trials?
We saw: Temptations [tests] are common to man.
We saw: God is faithful.
There is absolutely no temptation [test] that comes, that you, or I, will not be able to handle.
God will never put you through any more than you can handle!
We saw: God will provide the way of escape.
We DO NOT take our way out!
That’s it for today!
What Have We LEARNED
Let’s Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
God does allow each one of us to be tempted by Satan, the devil.
God is faithful not allowing us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.
We LEARN:
Satan’s tactics
‘What ifs’
Uses the Word
Targets the mind
Satan tempts in one or more of these 3 areas:
The Flesh
The desire for that which satisfies any of our physical needs and wants.
The Pride of Life
Anything that exalts us above our position or place, where we boast in arrogance and worldly wisdom.
The Lust of the Eyes
The desire for what is pleasing or delightful to the eye, whatever we see and desire to own or possess.
We will be tempted by ‘our own’ lusts to take an easier way and do our will, rather than God’s.
We LEARN:
Jesus resisted with the Word.
We must resist with the Word.
Hear God Speak
LISTEN. . .
Can I recognize when I am being tempted in 1 of these 3 areas of lusts?
Am I able to resist?
Or, have I given into the temptation and sin? What was the result?
What am I doing to saturate myself in the Word?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
Shall We Call It a Day
Oh so much for us to comprehend about being tempted by ‘our own’ lusts.
Take a breath, and truly contemplate what God is teaching you and wanting you to know. For when you know the truth, it will make you free, (Joh 8:32).
Journal Your Discovery in Your Notes
Take a minute to put what you have LEARNED, not only in your Notes here in James, but also in Matthew Chapter 4.
Video Tutorial > Notes Tutorial>
Don’t forget to jot this Cross Reference in your hardbound Bibles next to Jam 1:13-14, and perhaps the key points next to Mat 4:1-10.
Turn What We Have LEARNED into Prayer
Perhaps…
DEAR FATHER, again we thank you for Your wonderful Truth! We worship You Father, Son, and blessed Holy Spirit. May we understand You will indeed allow us to be tempted [tried, tested, solicited to sin] as You did Jesus! Oh, help us to understand not a one of us is greater than our Master! Please, then help each of us be alert to these 3 areas of lust in our own lives. May we discern the times Satan tries to offer us opportunities to compromise to avoid discomfort, difficulties and pain. Help us to recognize his schemes and tactics in our lives. May our love for You help motivate us not to give in to the temptations that chase us! Help us to resist in Your power, and not give in to the solicitation to sin proving our faithfulness to You! We ask these things Father, in the blessed name of Jesus! Amen.
We are thrilled you are sticking with your discovery. Thank you for discovering God’s Truth with us. Please share and invite others to join you on this journey.
Please know that God established a pattern for mankind, and that pattern is that we work six days and then we have one day when we set it aside to rest, and replenish our body, and focus on worshiping God. Rest tomorrow and worship God!
See you in a couple of days: we will continue to LOOK at ‘how’ to resist temptation.
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