What is temptation? How have temptations in your life helped you in your spiritual walk with Christ? What "triggers" are most commonly the cause of temptation for you? Where are you most vulnerable to Satan’s attacks? What is your “besetting sin”? (Heb. 12:2) How do you resist temptation? What do you tell yourself when tempted? How do you use the “shield of faith”? (Eph. 6:16) How are temptations similar and different for every Christian? How can we help each other resist temptation?
4. "Forgiveness does not break the bonds
of the enemy's hold. But forgiveness
increases our consciousness of
weakness, and in the new desire which
comes from it to walk in holiness."
Alexander Maclaren
5.
6. A. To Test, Try or Prove Good
Ø peirasmos = neutral word, neither
good nor bad; it simply means
"trial". Its primary meaning is
usually that of "proving by testing",
or "testing under trial".
Ø Jas. 1:2-12 outward trials, troubles,
tribulation, affliction
7. A. To Test, Try or Prove Good
If the prayer is literally saying, "Lead us not
into trials," wouldn't we be contradicting
James 1:2 which tells us to "count it all joy"
when we fall into trials?
8. Ø The Encyclopedic Dictionary
definition: "to attempt to persuade a
person to do something evil or unwise,
as by promising pleasure or gain."
Ø Jas. 1:13ff inward enticements to do
evil ~ Don't blame God for your dirty
ol' sins!
B. To Entice, Allure or Provoke to Evil
9. If this petition means that we have to ask
God not to lead us into temptation, does He
if we don't ask Him? Can a holy, righteous,
pure, undefiled, blameless, unblemished,
virtuous God possibly lead anyone into
temptation?
B. To Entice, Allure or Provoke to Evil
13. Ø Temptation is no respecter of age,
sex, education, sophistication or
spirituality
Ø There is no level in the Christian life
where you will be free from
temptation!
15. If a Brother Sins…
"When we see a brother or sister in sin,
there are two things we do not know: First,
we do not know how hard he or she tried not
to sin. And second, we do not know the power
of the forces that assailed him or her. We also
do not know what we would have done in the
same circumstances."
~ F. B. Meyer
16. “Let no man say when he
is tempted...”
James 1:13
17. A. THE ENEMIES OF THE SOUL (Eph. 2:2,3)
1. The World
2. The Flesh
3. The Devil
18. A. THE ENEMIES OF THE SOUL
1. The World
Isaac Watts: "Is this vile world a friend
to grace, to help me on to God?"
Rom. 12:1,2
Col. 2:4-8
19. “Let no man say when he
is tempted...”
James 1:13
“Every man is tempted...”
James 1:14
20. A. THE ENEMIES OF THE SOUL
2. The Flesh
Ø Jas. 4:1-4 (the problem with a double-
minded heart)
Ø Jer. 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked..."
Ø Mt. 15:19 " ... Out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies."
21. A. THE ENEMIES OF THE SOUL
2. The Flesh
Ø Rom. 7:17,18 11 “... sin dwelleth in
me. For I know that in me (that is, in
my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for
to will is present with me, but how to
perform that which is good I find not.”
22. B. THE ENTICEMENTS OF OUR SOUL
(Jas. 1:13-15; I Jn. 2:16)
Ø The Lust of the Eyes
Ø The Lust of the Flesh
Ø The Pride of Life
23. Genesis 3
Eve
v. 1 Listened
v. 3 was Lured
v. 3 Lied
v. 6 Looked
v. 6 Lusted
v. 8 Lost