HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION TO SIN
HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION TO SIN
Some christians wondered how they ended up doing what they did that was wrong. They can’t just believe that they did it. They asked questions like: How did I get to this point? What made me do this? So many times they attributed it to the devil and blamed the poor guy for their misdeeds and sin. Some will even go to the extent of saying that the devil made them do it.
In this message I would like to prove to you that the devil can not do anything to you without your consent, cooperation and agreement. He may solicit you but it was you that gave the consent.
Jas 1:13-15 KJV 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The word temptation there is to be solicited to sin. James said God does not do that and he Himself cannot be tempted with evil. But we are tempted when a man is drawn away. The Greek word for drawn away is “exelko” It means:
to draw out
metaphorically lure forth: in hunting and fishing as game is lured from its hiding place. Imagine a fish inside water that sees an earthworm. Unknowingly to it that there is a hook dangling the earthworm swallows the earthworm and consequently swallows the hook and it is taken out of the secured water environment.
James said in a like manner is a man drawn away by his own lust. The word lust is “epithumia”
Phonetic: ep-ee-thoo-mee’-ah
desire, craving, a longing (especially for what is forbidden): – concupiscence,
Everyone has a desire. You cannot get married, buy a car, or rent an apartment if you don’t have a desire. But when it becomes an obsession, possessive, a do or die affair, a must have at any cost even when it is not needed, that is when it becomes an excessive, inordinate desire and that is what is called lust here.
So when the devil solicited you by dangling the temptation before you such like a muscular 6 packed macho man, a fair skin tall lady, a beautiful car and so on and so forth, since there is already uncontrolled desire in you, you will be drawn out like that fish to be enticed or caught.
Now, there is an intercourse between you and the object of temptation so your lust conceived it.
Our heart is our spiritual womb. You conceived it in your heart. The Lord Jesus said out of the heart comes evil thoughts, fornication, etc.
Mar 7:21-22 KJV 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
You become pregnant with it and after a while when a good convenient time or opportunity arises you bring forth sin, the result of that is death.
Death in the new testament means separation. It does not necessarily mean cessation of life. Something died in you; it could be a loss of peace, job, divorce takes place, you open yourself to the devil, you create an inroad of the devil into your life with resultant bodily sickness, attack, affliction, financial problems, shame, disgrace, public humiliation and so many other things.
Do you now blame the devil for soliciting you? Nope, that is his job and responsibilities. They call him the tempter. Our own job is to deal with the lust in our flesh. Every man has a certain form of desire. As i said you can’t get married if you don’t desire your mate, there must be chemistry and compatibility of a sort.
This flesh is not born again, the part of you that is born again is your spirit, your soul is being saved and we shall receive the new and glorified body at rapture. Ephesians 1: 14 says we are waiting for the redemption of the purchased possession.
How did Paul address this issue?
1Co 9:26-27 KJV 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
The word “keep under” is hupopiazō
Phonetic: hoop-o-pee-ad’-zo
to beat black and blue, to smite so as to cause bruises and livid spots
like a boxer one buffets his body, handle it roughly, discipline by hardships,
to hit under the eye (buffet or disable an antagonist as a pugilist), that is, (figuratively) to tease or annoy (into compliance), subdue (one’s passions).
The word is derived, of course, from the athletic exercises of the Greeks. It then comes to mean, “to treat anyone with harshness, severity, or cruelty;” and thence also, so to treat any evil inclinations or dispositions; or to subject one’s-self to mortification of self-denial, or to a severe and rigid discipline, that all the corrupt passions might be removed
The word here means that Paul made use of all possible means to subdue his corrupt and carnal inclinations.
Paul admonished us again:
Col 3:5 KJV Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
The Greek word for “mortify” is “nekroo”̄
Phonetic: nek-ro’-o
to make dead, to put to death, slay
worn out
of an impotent old man
to deprive of power, destroy the strength of
to deaden, that is, (figuratively) to subdue.
The word mortify means to put to death (Rom 8:13; Gal 5:24), and the meaning here is that they were entirely to subdue their evil propensities, so that they would have no remains of life; that is, they were not at all to indulge them.
The word “members” here, refers to the different members of the body – as the seat of evil desires and passions; Rom 6:13. They were wholly to extirpate those evil passions which he specifies as having their seat in the various members of the earthly body.
You cannot stop people from wearing what they want to wear publicly, dress inappropriately, you don’t have the right to stop people from placing their money carelessly and things like this.
Rev. Kenneth Hagin of blessed memory said you cannot stop a bird flying over your head but you can make it not to cast its nest on your head. It’s left to you.
But it is left for you to discipline your own sources or doors by which things might enter into you and those are lust of eyes, lust of flesh and pride of life 1Jn 2:16.
Don’t open yourself to them through the Internet, social media, clubbing, friends and associates. There are places you should not go, there are magazines and books you should not read. Paul says all things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient or beneficial.
The Lord said if your eyes will make you sin, He said cut it off Mt 5: 30.
Mat 5:29 KJV And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
It cannot be supposed that Christ intended this to be taken literally. His design was to teach that the dearest objects, if they cause us to sin, are to be abandoned; that by all sacrifices and self-denials we must overcome the evil propensities of our nature, and resist our wanton imaginations
The Lord has promised us that there is no temptation that comes to us that we can not overcome, even with the temptation He will make a way of escape.
1Cor 10:13 KJV There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Praise God. You can overcome it. God can take whatever the devil throws at you to bring you down and use it for your lifting. And even if you had fallen into one temptation or the other, don’t stay there, rise up, acknowledge your sin, repent, and receive the comfort and admonition of the Lord. Close the doors to those solicitations.
Abstain from all appearances of evil.
And if you have not fallen, guard your heart with all diligence says Prov 4: 23, take heed lest you fall 1Cor 10: 12 and prepare ahead of time by exercising discipline on your flesh now, don’t wait until temptation comes. Above all Paul said flee, there are things you don’t pray about but you run away from them.
1Co 6:18 KJV Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
2Ti 2:22 KJV Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Remember David and Beersheba, sin will take you far than you want to go.
Don’t live in self deception that you can handle it.
Occupy your minds with the word of God. Be spiritually minded and you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh.