Defeating the Power of Temptation Part 2

Every blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ must defeat the power of temptation. Temptation is defined as a desire or craving for something, especially something considered wrong. In Greek, it means a trial, testing, probation, or the process of being tried.

James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed! Then when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.”

Be sure to listen to the video podcast as I will continue to show you the characteristics of how satan resembles a snake in the context of temptation. There are three things that the enemy will use to tempt you with that we must cover in this article. The flesh, eyes, and pride of this life.

1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

1. LUST OF THE FLESH

God is raising up a generation that knows how to overcome temptation. To overcome temptation you must know your enemy. First of all the enemy will use the lust of the flesh. When you think of the word lust the average person’s mind thinks of a strong desire for sexual sin. This is true. However, lust is a strong desire or obsession for anything. You can lust after sex, money, alcohol, video games, social media, certain fashions, positions of authority, etc. Anything desired that literally consumes your thinking can be lust. John warns us that satan wants us to lust after the flesh. The flesh is the sinful nature on the inside of you that hates God. The flesh is also your body that at times acts out those fleshly desires. The lust of the flesh is an evil desire for sinful things. It is a desire for things that do not glorify Jesus Christ!

Galatians 5:16 says, “If you will walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the Flesh!”

This means that you must feed your spirit man with the things of God more than you are feeding the lust of the flesh. You need more of God than you need, T.V.

Facebook, text messaging sports, etc. You must choose to walk in the Spirit so that you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

2. THE LUST OF THE EYES

Secondly, there is the lust of the eyes which speaks of desires that are a delight to the eye. When there are desires for things that dishonor Jesus but they start looking good to the eye you are face to face with temptation. Don’t wait for the desire to grow!

David would not put any unclean thing before his eyes. Jesus declares your eyes to be the lamp of the body. Temptation comes through the eyes and this was the first trick that satan used against Eve in the Garden. Satan tempted her eyes with what looked good!

Genesis 3:6 says, “So when the Woman saw that the tree was good for food and was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate.”

Psalm 101:3 says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of

those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.”Matthew 6:22-23 says, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is [b]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

3. THE PRIDE OF THIS LIFE

Finally, satan will tempt you with pride. When the spirit of pride attacks your life you will feel the need to prove yourself. Usually, sin is the weapon that the enemy will use to get you to attempt to prove yourself. The “pride of life” is a vain craving for honor and applause, or the stubborn mindset that will not allow one to repent of any of their sins. Pride wants everyone to accept them so they will do anything to get that acceptance. This pride is also the boasting of what one has and is able to do!

Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

4. DEFEATING TEMPTATION LIKE JOSEPH

Time will not allow me to go into depth about the four lessons of how Joseph defeated the power of temptation so once again please watch the video podcast and read all of this passage.

Genesis 39:6-21says, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside. So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

LESSON #1 REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE ABOUT TO SIN AGAINST

The first lesson we learn from Joseph in the midst of temptation is that he remembered who he would be sinning against! He refused to lie with her and said, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.” You will never defeat temptation unless you are most concerned about sinning against God.

LESSON #2 STAND YOUR GROUND BECAUSE TEMPTATION DOESN’T JUST LEAVE

Joseph tells the woman “No” and the Bible is clear that day by day he would not give into sin. Just because you are victorious over the temptation that one day does not mean you are automatically victorious the next day. You must stand your ground! Day after Day this woman said, “Lie with me Joseph” but Joseph stood his ground. When you are tempted you must stand your ground.

LESSON #3 FLEE FROM TEMPTATION

The Bible says that Potiphar’s wife caught Joseph by his garment saying, “Lie with Me.” Joseph left his garment in her hand, fled, and ran outside! This woman would not take “No” for an answer so she grabbed him and tried to force him to sleep with her.

When temptation comes there is a point where you have to simply flee the geographical location to be able to overcome it.

2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

LESSON #4 WHAT CAN’T CONTROL YOU WILL SEEK TO ATTACK YOU

As soon as Joseph fled from temptation and Potiphar’s wife could not lie with Joseph she began to lie on Joseph. She called to the men of her house and spoke to them saying, “See he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came into me to lie with me and I cried with a loud voice, When I cried out he left!” The reality is that when a person or demonic force cannot control you they will begin to lie on you. Stay the course refusing to fall into temptation.