What’s the toughest temptation you faced yesterday?
That’s a question that everyone will have an answer to, because we all face temptations – LOTS of them – every day. There is a key to overcoming them. Want to know what it is??
Before we jump into that topic, Welcome to “Mornings with Bishop Robert,” I’m glad you decided to drop by today. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today speaks to your heart, then let me invite you to like, subscribe and share it with a friend!
Temptations can be tough. And tricky. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He told His disciples that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Boy, He hit THAT nail on the head.
So how do we get to the place where we are getting consistent victory over the things that tempt us?
Today’s verse is a good place to begin. It says GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND.
That’s good news, because it means that you’ll never face a temptation that you CAN’T win. Every one of them is defeated before it ever gets to you. We just need to recognize them for what they are and fight them properly.
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in the world, massive beasts often weighing over 200 pounds. They hunt by lying still on the bottom of a lake or river with their mouth wide open, because the end of its tongue looks like a small, pink worm. The turtle wiggles its tongue so that it looks like a worm moving through the water, tempting fish to grab a quick meal. When a fish comes to eat the worm, it snaps its jaws closed. End of temptation.
Our temptations always come disguised as something desirable, too. They may even appear harmless. And they always begin in our mind, which is the first battleground. We can dismiss temptations and push them away. That’s what we do with most of the temptations the enemy throws at us; thoughts so absurd as to be ridiculous. But what about the ones that strike a chord within us? The temptations that hit us in a point of weakness? How do we deal with the ones we can’t just shake off?
When you can’t get the temptation out of you, then you need to get out of the place of temptation. GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND. That verse continues on to say BUT WITH THE TEMPTATION HE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A WAY OF ESCAPE.
Sometimes we need to escape.
Not too long ago I was having lunch with two bishops. A woman wearing no underwear sat at the table directly across from me and spread her legs. I tried not looking. I tried averting my gaze and focusing on the person who was speaking. I tried lots of things – but none of them were working. I needed to escape, so I asked one of the other bishops to swap seats with me. (I figured he was WAY more holy than I am, and he probably wouldn’t even notice.) Well, THAT hope was dispelled in about four seconds and we ended up having to leave the restaurant. We needed to escape – and so we did.
You and I are not so very different. Both of us are tempted when we’re lured and enticed by our own desires. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death and destruction. Don’t miss the word “LURE” — it’s a key one. If you’re a fisherman or a hunter, you understand what a lure is. It’s a trap, and it only has one purpose. And when you take the lure you always lose.
Adam and Eve took a piece of fruit, the enemy took paradise. Whenever you’re facing a temptation, consider what you’re trading. Don’t consider what the enemy is offering; he’s a liar; look at what you have to lose. No matter what the enemy say’s he’ll give you, it’s never a good deal.
Thankfully, GOD IS FAITHFUL. He always gives us what we need to overcome temptation. He gives us His word, a weapon we can use to fight. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. He will teach you to pray, so that you can have the strength you need to resist.
If you’ve already yielded ground, you may need help to take it back. Ask someone you trust to help you fight the battle. Two are stronger than one. Always.
The keys to overcoming temptation are three “GETS” –
GET it out of you.
GET out of temptation – escape!
GET together with someone who can help you fight and win.
GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND
