A BATTLE I CAN WIN

A BATTLE I CAN WIN

“The Rhythm of Life” Series

Oscar Wilde, the Irish playwright said in Lady Windermere’s Fan, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it; I can resist anything except temptation.”

This may be the experience of all of us at one time or another as we walk in “The Rhythm of Life”. But the Bible promises us a different reality.

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (NKJV) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Sometimes there is an elephant in the room with us. There is something we struggle with. We all struggle; we all have areas where we fight. That area may be different for each of us.

Today, I want to talk about temptation. It could be pride, immorality, porn or some other addiction, anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, the lists are long and varied. Let’s read just one of them in the Bible.

Galatians 5:19–21 (NKJV) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like (gluttony, laziness, waste, etc); of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I think that about covers it for most of us. If your particular struggle was not listed, just call me and I’ll give you some more!

I want to answer some questions about temptation and then apply the tools we looked at in the first talk in this series.

Is temptation sin?

No. It has been said that you can’t stop birds from flying over your head but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair! But temptation is the beginning point of a downward spiral that will result in death if not stopped. An outward trigger produces a thought; if we sow the thought we reap a temptation; if we sow the temptation we reap a sin; if we sow the sin we reap a habit; if we sow the habit we reap a stronghold; if we sow the stronghold we reap a demonic oppression.

Where does temptation come from?

James 1:13–15 (NKJV) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 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.

Temptation comes from our own desires, our own drives. Temptation is the desire to fulfill a God-given drive in the wrong way or the wrong time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Song of Solomon 8:4 (NKJV) I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.

Peter Lord: God gave us drives, hunger drive, thirst drive, sex drive, justice drive, compassion drive, etc. Those drives were impacted by the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. This is what it means to be totally depraved. Every area of our being, spirit, soul, and body, has been affected.

Illustrations: someone getting splashed with muddy water; me falling off the stage…

So, we go through life with these drives that are out of balance and the enemy plays on them.

Where do we win the battle?

2 Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV) You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

Paul is saying that our affections, our emotional attachment to something brings us into bondage.

The battle is not in our body; it wants what it wants all the time. Yet, the body obeys the will. The battle with sin is in our soul: our mind, our will, and our emotions. But the soul is only the battlefield; we don’t win with our mind or will or emotions. We win with our spirit! Victory comes by living out of our spirit.

Romans 8:5–6 (NKJV) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20–23 (NKJV) Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using— according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Now let’s put this all into action!

How do we win the battle?

Let’s remember our theme verse for this series…

Psalms 119:133 (NKJV) Direct (order) my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.

And our two application verses…

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In battling temptation, the second verse is most applicable. The Word divides our soul from our spirit. It separates our mind, will, and emotions from the faculties of our spirit: conscience, intuition, and communion.

The Process

Our body, our flesh, is longing for the desire to be satisfied. Remember, it wants what it wants. That’s all it knows.

Our soul is operating also. Our emotions long for fulfillment; our mind is justifying the behavior; and our will is making a decision one way or the other.

If our spirit does not rule us, we will fail. When we are tempted our spirit is instantly alerted. Our conscience sends out a warning signal that this is sin. Our intuition immediately begins to instruct us as to why this is wrong. And God speaks through our communion faculty about the way of escape!

We must become might in spirit! When our spirit rules us, the soul becomes a tool of the spirit. The mind applies the truth of the Word (doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction); the emotions delight after the law of God; and the will makes the body yield to right action!

Some final thoughts…

Our drives have been made new by salvation. They can be directed to find fulfillment in God alone. Here is a couple of examples.

Psalms 40:8 (NKJV) I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Another practical application

Alba has trained her teachers and talked to our parents about “Spirit Directed Discipline”. I want her to come and briefly share about it.

Ministry Time