Joyce Meyer - How to Handle Temptation - Part 1

TOPICS: Temptation

Well, thank you for joining me today on, «Enjoying Everyday Life». I love God’s word and I’m so glad that you love it too. Today, I’m gonna talk to you about temptation, how to handle it, how to avoid it, how to recognize it at the beginning before you get into it, and it’s kind of like, too late. And let me just say that we are all tempted. The Bible says, «That temptation must come, but woe be unto him by whose hand it comes». The Lord’s prayer, a part of it says, «Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil».

So, we’re foolish if we think we’ll never be tempted or even to think, «Oh, I would never be tempted in that area». Peter kind of made that mistake out of a spirit of pride when Jesus told him that «Satan had asked to sift him like wheat, but that he had prayed for him that he would not fail, but his faith would be made stronger and then he could turn around and help his brethren». And Peter said, «Oh, Lord, I would never do that, never do that». And he should have said, «Oh, please Lord, pray for me, pray for me». And so, we wanna make sure that we understand that we need God’s strength, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us avoid temptation.

Now, when I talk about temptation, temptation can be a lot of different things. I wrote down several things. You could be tempted to give up. I think that’s a temptation that maybe you don’t think about. God doesn’t want us to give up. He wants us to just keep pressing on and no matter how many times you fall, to get up and keep going. Temptation to backslide in an area. Temptation to compromise. And I think that’s a big temptation today just, to compromise means to go just a little bit below what you know is right. Just a little bit. That «Little bit» lie that the devil tells us is one that we need to really be careful of, «Well, it’s just a little bit».

But you know, it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. And we’re tempted sometimes to blame God for our troubles. And God is never the source of anything that is evil. We’re tempted to doubt. We’re tempted not to forgive. And I wonder how many people are watching today and there’s somebody you need to forgive, but you’re just having a hard time doing it. And the devil’s giving you all kinds of reasons and excuses, why you shouldn’t do it. «It’s not fair. What they did to you is not fair. They don’t deserve your forgiveness». And we say this often, but they may not deserve your forgiveness, but you deserve peace. How about just being tempted to be angry and bitter? And then there’s all kinds of sins. You know, you could take the top 10, the 10 commandments, and you can just go on from there. The Bible says «Whatever’s not of faith is sin».

So, I think that list would be extremely long. And that scripture is found in Romans 14:23. «Whatever is not of faith is sin». Now, I believe that I have a lot of people watching, that you are just really goodhearted people. You want to do what’s right. And I just want you to recognize, and I know I’m repeating myself, but everybody can be tempted. And being tempted is not a sin. It’s getting into the temptation that is the sin. And I know I had to learn that because I actually would feel guilty if I was tempted, even though I resisted the temptation, I would feel like, «Well, I shouldn’t even be tempted». That’s not right. But temptation itself is not a sin. That’s the devil coming against us trying to get us to sin.

And so, please don’t get them mixed up and think that you should never feel that way or ever be tempted. You know, I can certainly be tempted to be impatient and, sad to say, many times I still fall into that temptation. I can be tempted to stay angry and I just have to make a decision that I’m gonna forgive the person and go on because I know that’s God’s will. Tempted to think bad things about people. And the Bible says that «Love always believes the best of every person». Tempted to be rebellious against authority. Tempted to gossip. Tempted to judge people critically. I mean, the list just really would just go on, and on, and on. But I wanted you to see some of these things. They might not sound like sins, but really, they are. They’re not applying the word in a positive manner to your life.

So, let’s just say that we need to understand temptation and aggressively resist it. That’s the only way to stay one step ahead of the devil. You know, Jesus said, «If your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off». Now, I don’t think he literally meant to pull your eye out or to cut your hand off, but he was making an example that we should be that serious about it. And so, you have to deal with it aggressively. You have to confront it. And you have to say, «No,» at the very beginning. Somebody here at the office, their birthday was today. And she said a friend brought her a donut for her birthday. And she was teasing, of course, but she said, «You know, I don’t wanna hurt her feelings and eat it».

But the truth of the matter is, is sometimes I would rather hurt somebody’s feelings than to do something that I really don’t wanna do just to keep them from getting their feelings hurt. And, you know, you can always say, «I really appreciate the gesture, but I’m just not eating sugar right now. So, I’ll let you have it and I’ll watch you enjoy it». The point I’m making is we can use all kinds of excuses to do things that we really don’t wanna do and don’t feel like we should do. But we have to get more aggressive about resisting temptation.

And, of course, the best thing to do is to resist temptation the moment that you feel it. So, I wanna encourage you to begin to pray, each day, «Lord, convict me when I’m being tempted, let me know, speak to me. Give me that little uncomfortable feeling that we get when we’re about to go in the wrong direction». Because honestly, sometimes, you can be in the middle of something before you ever even realize that you are. So, let’s pray, «God, when the enemy is trying to drag me into temptation, let me recognize it right away so I can resist it». Matthew 6:13, part of the Lord’s prayer, so it must be important, «And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever».

Well, if Jesus included this as a suggested way to pray, then we certainly should realize how important that it is. Don’t just assume that you can’t be tempted or you won’t be tempted, but pray that when you are tempted, you won’t come into the temptation. You notice he didn’t pray, «Lord, make sure that I’m not tempted». He said, «Bring us not into temptation». I think we could almost say that temptation is always around somewhere, and we need to just make sure that we realize that it’s always gonna be there, but we are going to not get into it. We’re gonna resist it aggressively. You know, Jesus was tempted. I mean, this is Jesus, perfect Jesus. And yet he was tempted.

Luke 4:13, it says, «And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] Temptation,» and I think that’s an interesting statement. You know, somebody was saying yesterday, «It seems like when you have trouble that you don’t just have one trouble, but you’ll have a whole bunch of different troubles coming at you just one right after the other». Well, certainly satan wants to wear you out. Maybe you’re worn out right now. You feel like all you’ve been doing is fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting. Well, you’re going through a season, and when you pass through this season, you will be stronger than you were before you went in, as long as you resist all these temptations. And you can only do it in the power of God. You cannot do it by yourself, on your own. You can only do it in the power of God.

The Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness. Yeah, the Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. This is my thought: I believe that because this happened right before Jesus began his public ministry, and I think that he had to more or less square off with the devil before he began and let the devil know that he was not going to give in to his temptations. Now, that didn’t stop the devil from trying to tempt him at other times, but you might have to go through some of the same similar things at times.

«When the devil had ended [the complete cycle of] Temptation, he [temporarily] Left him [that is, stood off from him] Until a more opportune and favorable time». Well, what’s that telling us? It’s telling us that the enemy is not just going to tempt us one time and then leave us alone, but he’s going to bring a series of temptations, and then he’ll lay off for a while. And you gotta be careful, because then that’s kind of just like when you feel like, «Well, boy, I’ve overcome that. That has no power on me anymore». And then he’ll come back around again and try the same thing or maybe a little different version of the same thing.

Hebrews 4:15 is one of my favorite scriptures. I love it. It says, «We do not have a high priest who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and our infirmities», we all have weaknesses, and Jesus understands them. «But we have one who has been tempted in every respect, just as we are, yet he did not sin». So, maybe, one of the reasons why God permitted those temptations, he didn’t bring them, but he permitted them, was so Jesus could really fully completely understand us in every area. And I don’t know about you, but I love it when I’m going through something and somebody says, «You know, I understand».

I had to teach my husband to say that because he always wanted to preach one of my sermons back to me or give me some kind of logic. But I’ve just said, «Even if you don’t understand, just tell me you do». So, when he says, «I understand,» I say, «No, you don’t». But women, especially, I think, want to be understood. James 1:12, «Blessed is the man that endureth temptation». Now, I say, this is me, but I say, «To endure means to outlast the devil». In other words, you’re gonna keep doing what’s right, keep doing what’s right, keep doing what’s right until he realizes you’re not going to change your mind and he gives up. «Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life».

The Vines Greek dictionary says, «To endure means to abide under…» Don’t try to run away from your troubles, but face them and confront them. «To bear up courageously, to suffer,» which many times we do suffer when we’re going through things like that. «To be long-suffering or to be patient». Or we might say «It’s to go through something difficult and not cave in, to remain the same in trials as in good times». Can you imagine that? To be so stable that you stay the same in trials as you do in good times. Vines also says that they’re «Trials with a beneficial purpose and effect, divinely permitted».

Well, anytime, God permits something like that, it’s always because he’s gonna use it to make you stronger, he’s gonna use it to make you better, he’s gonna use it to give you some experience that can then be used to help somebody else. I’ve been saying recently that «When you go through something…» You know, we’re always talking about, «I’m going through this» and «I’m going through that». And first, let me say, you should be glad you’re going through and not just stuck in the middle somewhere. But if you go through something and you come out victorious, then the good news is, is you can go back through and you can bring somebody else out that’s having the same kind of problem and take them through. When we gain experience, then we can use that experience to help other people.

So, temptation, trials that we are to pray not to enter or come into. These would be attacks by the enemy intended to kill, steal, and destroy. Trials that could be entered into by our own carelessness or disobedience. But in either case, «God has promised that he will never allow more to come on us than what we can bear, but with every temptation he will also provide the way out».

Now, listen, you wanna get that. God has promised that no temptation is strong enough to defeat us. He will always show us a way out, but we have to be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit. Let me just give you a parable. You know, parables are stories that teach a lesson. So, let’s just say that you are a man that’s having trouble at home with his wife. Things just haven’t been going, good. She doesn’t seem to understand you. She’s not very Romantic lately, and you just really need some comfort and somebody to listen to you. So, there is a really attractive woman at the office who is friendly and seems to notice that you’re a little down. And so, she asks you on a semi-regular basis… let’s just pretend your name is John. «John, are you okay? It just seems like you’re really going through a rough time». And so, you tell her, «Yeah, I’m just having some problems with my wife». «Well, do you wanna talk about it»? She says. «Do you need somebody just to… Need a shoulder to lean on»?

Well, I can tell you, right there, the temptation has already started. And first of all, you’d be better off not to tell another attractive woman, that’s not married, that you’re having marriage problems. A lot of people get into trouble by doing that. But let’s just say that it feels so good to talk to somebody that seems to understand you, that you then start going to her when you’re having issues with your wife and telling her about them. And then you start bringing her coffee. Then you, quote, «Accidentally run into each other at a restaurant for lunch».

And so, you decide to sit together. You can kind of see where this is going. It’s like the devil is very patient. We have to understand that. And he’s very sly and deceptive. And he can make it all, some people would even be so deceived that they could think that, that was God providing them with somebody to understand them. But if you don’t recognize what’s going on, that could morph into an adulterous affair and end up putting an end to your marriage. If you need to talk to somebody about your marriage, make it your pastor, or a spiritual man that you’re friends with. But you shouldn’t go to another woman and start telling her the troubles you’re having with your wife because it’s not gonna lead to anywhere good. Not all temptation comes from trials, but some do.

The Greek word is sometimes translated «Temptation» and at other times «Trials,» because in trials we are tempted. When you’re having trouble, trouble, trouble, you get weak and the weaknesses that are inherent in you, you know, I’m still a little weak in the area of patience. Sometimes, I’m a lot weak in the area of patience. And if I get super, super tired, it’s challenging for me to be patient with people that just seem to be trying to irritate me on purpose. I was super tired the last couple of days from some work I had done previously, and it just seemed like every time I tried to do something, somebody would interrupt me and want me to do something else. And I could feel that I was just ready to explode.

And so, I wanted people to leave me alone. You know, when you want people to leave you alone, that’s not always when they do it. Matter of fact, that’s sometimes when the kids are gonna act the worse, and whoever else you’re around is gonna manage to be very needy at that time. And you don’t want them to be needy. You want them to comfort you. And so, I had to pray. I don’t think I totally passed, but I did a lot better than I would have if I wouldn’t have prayed, that’s for sure. And so, when we’re in any kind of a weakened state and the enemy comes against us, he will try to take advantage of your weakness at that time. It is through trials that we are often tempted. Some things seem to be trials that are not really trials. We perceive them that way because of the way we think of them.

Some of the things that we think are just our worst enemy, we’re gonna find out was our greatest friend because God used it to mature us. And he used it for us to gain experience so we could help other people. Are trials and testings from God? Well, yes, sometimes, he allows those things for our betterment. But he never tempts anybody with evil. God never tempts anyone with evil. James 1:13–15 states that «God tempts no man with evil and he cannot be tempted with evil. Let no one say when he’s tempted, 'I’m tempted from God, ' for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] Evil and he himself tempts no one».

Temptation to sin always comes from the devil, from satan. We have an enemy. Then he goes on to say, «But every person is tempted when he’s drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire, (lust and passions)». So, there has to be something in us that the enemy can play on. For example, I am never tempted to rob a bank. I’m not tempted to rob the grocery store. I’m not tempted to adultery. It would be very hard to tempt me to get involved with another man. I’ve had the one I’ve got 57 years. It’s taken me a long time to train him, so I certainly don’t wanna try to start all over. And if he was here, he would say, «Well, you don’t have me trained, I’ve got you trained».

But anyway, that’ll be my secret. And, but there are other things that I am weaker in. I’ve already said, patience is one of them. I’d have to think a long time because I have so few weaknesses, but. I’m just kidding when I say that. There are other things that I’m weak in, and those would be the things that satan would come against me with. There has to be something in there for him to play on. And so, one of the reasons why trials are good for us is because they bring out of us areas that we need to let the Holy Spirit work on. But we need to recognize we have them before we’ll let him do any work.