“Temptation” - now there is something we all have in common.

A little boy had saved all winter long to buy a new baseball glove. Early in the summer he needed just one dollar more to have enough money for the glove he wanted. One night he prayed, “Dear God, help me to earn the rest of the money for a baseball glove, and please don’t let the ice cream truck come down my street!”

In the Frank and Ernie comic strip Ernie said, “Opportunity knocks only occasionally, but temptation knocks almost everyday!”

Oscar Wilde, the well-known British writer, summed up the attitude of millions of people when he said, “I can resist anything except temptation.”

Unfortunately, “resisting temptation” has gone out of style and “doing your own thing” has become the accepted norm.

There are two ways “temptation” is described in the Bible.

Test from God to prove. “Abraham was tempted of the Lord…” Genesis 22:1. When the Air Force introduces a new fighter jet they test it, not destroy it but to demonstrate its capabilities. God allows difficulties to come in our lives to test us, but God does not tempt people with sin. And overweight preacher announced to his staff that he was going on a diet, then appeared the next day with a dozen chocolate donuts. His secretary said, “I thought you were on a diet.” “I was, but God wants me off of it,” the preacher explained. “I drove by the bakery and I prayed, ‘Lord, if You don’t want me to buy any donuts, don’t allow there to be an open parking place in front of the bakery.’ Wouldn’t you know it! The eighth time I drove around the block there was a space right by the door! I figured it must be God’s will.” That’s just a story, but that man was figuring wrong. God does not tempt people with sin, James 1:13.

Trial from the devil to lead us to sin and forsake God in that moment. The word “temptation” is most often used in the Bible as a solicitation to evil. Satan is the “tempter” who uses our lust to draw us into sin. One man said, “I don’t know what all this talk is about the devil. I have never run into the devil.” His friend said, “Yea, I know the way you live. When two people are on the same path going in the same direction you will seldom bump into one another.”

1. Your Temptation in Not Uncommon. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man…”

Temptation is common to all people. I have heard several people say to me after falling into some sin, “Preacher, I can’t believe this happened to me.” My response is usually, “Really, why not?” All people in all places in all times face the same basic problems. There are so special cases. Beneath the surface of time, geography, language, and culture, life is really pretty much the same.

Temptations are common. They may come when we have gone to new heights or when we have slipped to new depths. Temptation may come when the top has blow off or when the bottom has fallen out. Temptation comes when you are physically strong or when you are physically weak. Temptation may come when you are expecting it or when you are not expecting it.

Think of the stories of the Bible and all the people who were tempted.

Eve was tempted and she yielded and she led her husband into sin….the seduced became a seducer. Noah was tempted to drink too much wine and he yielded and got drunk.

Abraham was tempted to lie about his wife and he yielded and told a half lie. And the problem with a half-lie is you don’t always know which half you have.

Joseph was tempted to fornication and he did not yield and got out while the getting was good. Moses was tempted to take things in his own hand and he yielded and committed murder.

David was tempted to lust and commit adultery and he yielded and brought great sin and shame to his kingdom.

The Three Hebrew boys were tempted to worship a false god and they did not yield though they were thrown into a burning furnace.

Daniel was tempted to give up his prayer life and he did not yield and was placed in a den of lions and lived to tell about it.

Peter was tempted to deny the Lord and he yielded but later repented and became one of the greatest preachers of the Jerusalem church.

Thomas was tempted to doubt the Lord and he yielded but later gave a clear confession of his faith in Christ’s resurrection and deity.

The point is: There is never a time when temptation cannot confront us. It is something we do not outgrow. It is common because we all face it and because we all face it so frequently!

Some temptation that is common to us personally. Hebrews 12:1 talks about “the sin that so easily besets us.” You see, there may be special temptation that comes at us with regularity, and, sadly, with success. It is our besetting sin. For some it may be lying. For others it might be lust. For yet others it might be cheating.

Have you ever felt in your time of temptation that no one understand, no one has a clue about what you are going through?

Temptation was even common to Christ. We must remember that Jesus was the Son of man as well as the Son of God. As man, he was tempted “in all points, like as we are, yet without sin,” Hebrews 4:15. Jesus was tempted…

In the wilderness before He began his ministry, Matthew 4:1-12.

In the Garden of Gethsemane.

On the cross crucified He was tempted to save Himself and come down.

Our Lord endured hunger, misunderstandings, hatred, discouragements, and pain. He knew the stark loneliness in the midst of a fickle crown, the bitterness of betrayal by companions, the heartbreak of a denial by a friend.

If Jesus Christ was tempted like that how can we expect to be exempt from similar testing? We don’t get a free pass from temptation simply because we are going to heaven when we die.

Clarification: Temptation of itself is not sin. Jesus was tempted, but the temptation did not constitute an act of sin—only an opportunity for sin. The old hymn says it this way, “Yield not to temptation, for in yielding is sin.”

What does temptation do? What do the testings of God and the temptations of Satan do?

2. Temptation exposes the feebleness of mankind.

In and of ourselves we can never conquer temptation. One moment we show some determination and strength, the next moment we are indecisive and weak. Another temptation scripture from Jesus said, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Matthew 26:41. “The flesh is weak.” From your own personal experience, how many know that is a true statement? Amen! Or Oh me!

The old hymn says it this way, “I need Thee, O, I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee.”

Temptation exposes the feebleness of mankind. That’s the bad news. But there is also some good news. Temptation also discloses the faithfulness of God.

Your God is not Unfaithful. --- “...but God is faithful…”

What can you count on when you are --- tempted to compromise? --- under the gun? In the cross-hairs?

You can count on God...He is faithful. The whole basis of our eternal relationship with God is His faithfulness. We may not always be faithful, but God is always and only faithful.

God is always present, willing and able to help us.

The truth of God’s faithfulness means God is dependable, God is steadfast, God is predictable. Even after we given into temptation and have fallen into sin, God is faithful, 1 John 1:9. “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”

3. Your Problem is not Unbearable. “...who will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted above that ye are able…”

Have you ever thought or said, “I can’t take this? This is more than I can bear?” You may have thought that or even said that, but its not true.

In our temptations we are guarded. The word “suffer” in this verse is old English for “allow.” God will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able. God never put a Christian into a situation in which He demands behavior of him that He knows he cannot perform….never! No temptation is too hard. --- No temptation is too long.

Temptation is graded to the fiber of your life. God has control over Satan and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure as you depend on God. God would not allow the devil to try Job beyond certain limits.

4. Your Defeat is not Unavoidable. “...but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

God never puts a Christian is a place where sin will be inevitable. We can always do what is right. Escape is promised. There is always the possibility of victory, but never is it impossible to fall. There is always an “exit” sign in every temptation and God will point you to it.

There are two great dangers when it comes to temptation. The danger of believing we will never fall, 1 Corinthians 10:12. The danger of believing we can’t help but fall.

There are so many great Scriptures will point us to hope and victory. 1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…” Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

God supplies more than enough to meet and overcome the trials of life.

(1) Rely on a real Relationship with Jesus Christ.

A list of rules and regulations of the things you should or should not do won’t help for very long. One thing that will help is a growing relationship with Jesus as Lord. Hebrews 2:18 “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor (help) them that are tempted.” When the devil knocks on the door of your heart with temptation the best thing to do is let Jesus answer the door! Jude 24 says God is “able to keep you from falling.”

(2) Recall the Word of God.

“It is written,” Matthew 4. 1 Peter 5:9 tells us regarding the devil that we are to “resist steadfast in the faith,” that is with personal and practical knowledge of the Word of God. “Sin will keep you from this Book, and this Book will keep you from sin!”

(3) Remove yourself from the environments of sin, when possible.

Joseph “fled” when faced with temptation. One of the best things you can do, if you can do it, is put some distance between you and the temptations that confront you. One of the strategies in overcoming temptation is to get a good case of the “flees” - put some distance between you and your temptation. The trouble with temptation is that it usually starts out as a whole lot of fun.

(4) Replace sinful influences with godly friendships and habits.

We are “in the world” but we are not to be “of the world.”

(5) Refuse temptations when they come—and they will come.

Learn to say “No!” Not, “No, thank you.” The only person you don’t have to be courteous to is the devil. When he tempts you tell him to go back to hell where he came from. Not, “No, maybe later.” Don’t put yourself on sin’s “will call” list. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” 1 Peter 5:9. When we face temptation we must realize that we are fighting a spiritual battle and we must equip ourselves by putting on “the whole armor of God.”

(6) Repent of your sin and forsake your sin.

Jesus told the woman taken in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more,” John 8:11. Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Jesus told the man healed at the Pool of Bethesda, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee,” John 5:14.

(7) Remember at the end of time we have the promise that all sin will be put under our feet. Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”