The sermon for July 7, 2024 is now available on the New Life web site.
In this sermon, which is based on Genesis 3:1-24, I talk about How to Overcome Temptation.
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Today’s Sermon
Temptation
Satan’s Mind Games
Last Sunday, I was hit hard by a massive, full on attack of evil.
While the musicians were doing their music practice ad other people were getting things ready for church, I found a big stream of negative thoughts going through my head. I was making judgements against other people, being resentful of the least important things. Everywhere I looked, I found a reason to be frustrated. It was like this volcano of violence was stirring in my head, and it was about to erupt.
Not a nice scenario for just before church!
I closed myself in my office and began to repent of my wrong thinking. Then I rebuked satan and told him to get out of my head and out of our building. I claimed it all for Jesus and everything calmed down. The peace of God began to reign.
When we are walking with the Lord, satan is always working to trip us up. He puts thoughts into our minds that sound like our thoughts but really are not. Satan knows our weaknesses, so he will always press the buttons that get the maximum effect. It might be lust, jealousy, accusations, greed… the list is endless.
The key to overcoming these things is to keep our attention on Jesus.
In our daily activities, our busy-ness or stresses, we can find our eyes diverted from Jesus and onto other things. That is when satan will slip in the wrong thoughts, the destructive mind space.
The cure is simple.
First;y recognise that these thoughts are not yours but from the enemy.
Secondly repent of letting satan get into your thinking.
Thirdly, dedicate yourself again to the Lord.
After that, it is just a matter of staying vigilant. When those thoughts start to come into your head, quickly turn to prayer and worship.
The funny thing is that when we do that, the devil finds his tactics are not working any more, and he will leave us alone, until another source of temptation can be found.
Stay close to the Lord!
Today’s Sermon
Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11
Scripture
Then Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
Observation
The Holy Spirit pushes Jesus (literally “throws him out”) into the wilderness to fast and to be tempted by the devil. At the end of forty days, the devil comes to Jesus with three tests, all starting with the words, “If you are the Son of God.”
The first test is to turn stones into loaves of bread. Jesus says that the word of God is more important than bread.
The second test is to jump off the highest peak of the Temple, trusting angels to rescue Him. Jesus says, “You must not test the Lord.”
The third test is to receive all the kingdoms of the world in return for worshipping satan. Jesus says that the Scriptures tell us we must worship the Lord alone.
Application
Temptation is part of being human, and is multiplied many times over when we are seeking to walk with the Lord.
Satan wants to smash the Kingdom of God by discouraging and disarming God’s people. So sin is always around us, and the devil always has his leg out trying to trip us up.
The tests always use the same mental weapons.
1. Sow doubt about God’s will. For Jesus it was, “If you are the Son of God.” For Adam and Eve it was, “Did God really say?” We need to hold onto God’s promises about who we are in Him and His directions for our lives.
2. Use the eyes to intensify desire. We live in a highly visual culture. Satan will happily use images to stimulate our desire for something that we should not have. We need to filter what we look at so that we focus on what is good, uplifting and God-honouring.
3. He will use Scriptures, out of context or twisted, to justify an act of sin.
4. Satan often gets us at times of physical weakness. He waited until Jesus had fasted forty days and nights and was very hungry before he attacked. We need to be especially alert when we are tired, stressed, busy or recovering from illness.
Prayer
Thank you Lord that when we fix our eyes on you we can stand firm and resist the temptations that come. Thank you that even when I fall you forgive me. Please grant me grace to grow in strength and in spiritual vigour. Amen.
The Daily Battle
We live in a battle, a war for our souls, that continues right through our life on earth.
Many christians misunderstand the nature of the battle or the purpose of their lives for that matter. Being hoodwinked by an easy gospel (“Just say this prayer to get into heaven”) robs them of the ability to follow Jesus day to day.
Jesus’ command to all his disciples is this: Follow me.
The invitation starts now, not in the next life. From the moment when we say “Yes” to Jesus we find ourselves embroiled in a war that never seems to ease. It feels like we are being torn apart by God on one side and the devil teaming with our own fallen nature on the other side.
Why does God allow satan such authority in our lives as to be speaking a constant stream of lies, enticements and suggestions?
That is because we are being trained for eternity. The goal of God’s great project that has run over several millennia is to raise up a race of men and women who have faced every testing imaginable and come through with undiluted devotion to walking in the ways of purity and holiness.
In this daily warfare that we call life, every time we say “No” to temptation is a victory, a step forward. Every battle won, no matter how small, is a strengthening of resolve, an advance in holiness.
Even our defeats are not defeats at all when seen this way. I failed this test, this temptation, but now I look again to my Lord and Redeemer, and I see another weakness that will be made strong in His grace.
The trouble is that in our defeats we believe the lies of the evil one. We believe that we are not good enough, that we are broken and beyond salvation, or that this sin will for ever define us.
Don’t believe the lies. Look to the Lord. See His never-failing love, even as He welds new plates on to your armour.
Step by step, battle by battle, small victory added to victory, we become holy, more and more like Jesus, transformed from glory to glory.
Battered but not beaten
It was the perfect storm.
I felt the pressure rising all week, like when I forget to take my blood pressure pills for a couple of days. This wasn’t my blood pressure rising but spiritual pressure. I could feel the enemy closing in. The taunting and lies were increasing in my mind as the week went on, and I would shake them off from time to time, rebuking satan at other times. But they were relentless, returning to hammer my conscience with accusation and threat.
I was reading Heidi Baker’s book “Birthing the Miraculous” this week, and I was so excited about what she writes about. With a free evening, no commitments and my family all away, there was space to find the Presence of the Lord.
This afternoon the pressure ramped up. I heard the Lord tell me that I would face an unprecedented battle with evil, but it was OK. Then I heard satan say, “You will fail tonight. You will not choose relationship with God.”
I said “Goodbye” to my family members as they headed off in different directions. I cooked some dinner. The evening lay before me. And that choice.
I knew that satan was right. I had stopped fighting, because the fighting was way too hard. I sat down at my computer and surfed the net. Instead of listening to the gentle wooing of Jesus, I gave in to the mind-numbing trivia of the world. Instead of the healing of the Father, I sought nothingness. Rather than victory in the Holy Spirit I allowed temptation to defeat me.
Late in the evening I finally came and laid myself at the feet of the Lord. I surrendered to Him in the Secret Place. This is a part of what He said to me:
You faced a huge temptation tonight. Satan has increased pressure on you all week and you have stood firm. Tonight was the biggest challenge you have ever faced- satan attacked you without restraint. There will be another challenge, but this time you will focus on me and my love, and you will stand firm, you will overcome.
I have given you my Spirit. I have called you by name. Know this and rejoice in me.
Not long after this there was a beautiful shower of rain. I went outside to enjoy the smell and the coolness and the cleansing. It seemed to be a gift from the Lord, a sign of His love for me.
Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11
Scripture
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
Observation
The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert where he is tempted by satan. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus is hungry so satan tells Him to turn stones into bread. Jesus rebuffs him with Scripture.
Then the devil takes Jesus to the high point of the temple, urging Him to throw Himself off so that the angels will catch Him. Jesus again rebuffs him with Scripture.
Satan then shows Jesus all the glories of the kingdoms of the world and promises to give them to Him in return for His worship. For a third time Jesus rebukes satan with Scripture.
Finally satan leaves and angels minister to Jesus.
Application
Temptation is common to all people. Right from the beginning, satan has sought to turn people away from God by appealing to the flesh, to our senses and to our pride.
It should not surprise us when temptation comes at us either right in our faces or sneaking up from behind. Even Jesus, the Son of God was tempted by the devil.
Temptation is not sin, because as Hebrews tells us, Christ was tempted like us in every way but without sin. So we should not feel guilty when the thoughts and desires come.
Even when we fall short and give in to temptation, sin is not the end of the story. God still forgives- even when we sin in the same way over and over.
The key to overcoming sin and winning through temptation is to know God. Is my love for God greater than my love for sin? When I am more passionate about walking with the Lord, then anything the devil can dish up is very poor fare indeed.
Prayer
Father I confess that my love for you is often less than it should be. I confess that I have let my flesh and satan conspire to lead me away from you. Thank you for forgiving me. Amen.
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