Resisting Temptation

Resisting Temptation 

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16, NASB).

When I first preached on this passage in the early 1990s, a movie entitled The Last Temptation of Christ was generating more controversy than The Da Vinci Code did in recent years. The Last Temptation of Christ made even more scandalous, blasphemous claims about Jesus than The Da Vinci Code does. The former movie depicted Jesus in an out-of-wedlock sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene. Christians were certainly irate at the notion of Jesus committing fornication.

As Christians, we should commit ourselves to the biblical truth that Jesus is the Son of God. That is my reason for avoiding these movies: Jesus is divine, and His Name and Nature should be treated as holy. When something is holy, it is more than “very good.” It should be treated in a most special way. I do not merely respect Jesus Christ; I worship Him as Savior, Lord, and God incarnate. Historical fiction, asking what would happen if a certain famous hero had taken a different course of action, might be an acceptable genre for dealing with great men. I do not believe Christians should imbibe in entertainment that asks such questions about Jesus, though. He is holy. He is God.

However, I have to admit that such films do serve some service. They acknowledge that Jesus was fully human, as well as being fully divine. I do not claim that I can adequately explain that seeming paradox any better than I can explain Newton‘s laws of thermodynamics. I just know that the New Testament, much of which was written by men who knew Jesus personally, teaches this truth. Half of that truth, though, is often forgotten by Christians.

Probably all of us have seen movies about Jesus that made Him seem merely superhuman. Many movies and much art make the crucifixion look like Jesus’ publicity photo. He sometimes seems to relaxed on the cross, even though Scripture and history both affirm that crucifixion was a gruesome combination of torture and execution: painful, humiliating, and brutal. Jesus was not smiling for the camera during the crucifixion. I am sure He was writhing in pain. The Bible affirms that Jesus experienced some inner turmoil before the crucifixion. He was not enjoying it. Like any normal man, He suffered on the cross.

This human side of Christ is often forgotten. Yes, we must remember that Jesus is divine. However, we suffer if we forget His human nature. One reason why Jesus became man was so that we would be able to emulate God. Every human faces temptation; we are all, at different times and in different ways, lured and enticed by our own desires (James 1:14). Therefore, to fully save and guide us, even Jesus endured temptation. However, as the passage above shows, He triumphed. Jesus was tempted, but He did not sin.

What is temptation? Some Christians confuse temptation with sin, but they are different. James 1:14-15 says “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” A number of other Bible translations, such as the ESV, use the word “desire” instead of “lust” in this verse. I believe “desire” is the better translation here. We each have innate urges (to eat, drink, avoid pain, procreate, love and be loved, etc.). Temptation occurs when a stimulus (a person, habitual way of thinking, demonic influence) lures us toward fulfilling our desires without regard for God’s will. When we give in to that urge (whether by actually acting it out or wishing we could do so), we commit sin.

Take note of that truth: Jesus was tempted. The temptations He faced were real. Each temptation had the opportunity to lure Him into sin. The one advantage He had over us was the fact that His natural desires were not corrupted by a sinful nature. He did face those external temptation sources the rest of us face: the lies and tricks of Satan; the demands of the world; friends who might give bad advice; the natural desire to avoid pain. He had all the natural biological urges that men need to keep in check. He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Since Jesus was tested, we can see that temptation is not an indication of how spiritual you are. All people face temptation. Drug addicts and alcoholics face temptation. So do nice, moral, religiously devout people. Monks who lock themselves away in a monastery face temptation. Jesus Christ faced temptation. Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is an accuser, and sometimes he defeats us before we actually give in to the temptation. We encounter that old temptation, and we feel like we are “bad Christians” because we felt the temptation. You are not a bad Christian just because you felt an urge to give in to that temptation. You only sin when you actually submit in some way to the temptation. Strong Christians face temptation just as much as weak Christians do: the only difference is that they resist more firmly.

The original Greek of Heb. 4:15 says Jesus was tempted in all as we are (words like “things” were added by the translators, in an attempt to maintain the author’s meaning and ensure proper English grammar). One might be able to say Jesus was tempted at all times as we are. Temptation comes all the time. Satan does not take weekends or vacations off. We can be targets for temptation any time: day or night; alone, with friends, or in a crowd. We need to be spiritually vigilant at all times.

Jesus was tempted frequently throughout His ministry. Many people are familiar with the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. He was also tempted by Peter to refuse the cross (Matt. 16:21–23). He was tempted by Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane. I would not be surprised if temptation was involved when a sinful woman anointed His feet with oil and her tears (Luke 7).

So, be assured, Jesus faced the same sort of temptations you face. Sexual temptation may not have been flagrant, but it was probably present. Likewise, I have never been tempted to turn stones into bread. Every human, including Jesus, faces their own personal pattern of temptation. Satan knows where we are weak, so he tries to use our vulnerabilities against us. His tactics were much more subtle with Jesus; spam offering free access to a pornographic website would probably not have lured Jesus! Likewise, few of us are tempted to use supernatural powers for our own glory and pleasure (like Satan tried to tempt Jesus towards in Matt. 4). Even among ordinary people, temptation may take different forms. I know people who should never enter an establishment that serves liquor; they will most likely get drunk. This is not a real problem for me or many other people. Money, power, sex, revenge, etc., are diverse avenues of temptation. We should not look down on those who struggle with temptations we do not understand (that would be pride, which is a sin). Neither should we take pride in the fact that some sins do not appeal to us. We need to face our own temptations head-on.

So, to summarize my points so far: Jesus prevailed over temptation, so can you. Jesus was truly tempted, just as you are. He had to resist. He did not sin. No matter what temptation you face, there is a way of escape. It may not always be easy, but it is possible. With God’s help, you can prevail.

With God’s grace, you can have hope. Since Jesus was tempted, He sympathizes with us. He understands temptation personally. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can go confidently to Him for help. If we acknowledge a temptation—or even a sin—Jesus is not freaking out! He is not in heaven, shaking His head and screaming, “You fool! How could you fall for such silly stuff!” Perhaps we should picture Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, saying, “You know, that was a tough situation. Reminds me of when I was down there and I faced a similar temptation. He needs all the help he can get right about now.”

Since Jesus takes such a personal interest in our well-being, He has provided many resources for us to withstand temptation. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” God does not abandon us in our time of temptation. He is always with His children, offering us a way of escape.

First and foremost, God offers His Holy Spirit to abide with and dwell within us. Perhaps the greatest challenge any Christian faces is a mental challenge: we must cease assuming that we have to fight our spiritual battles in our own strength. God the Holy Spirit dwells within His children. God within us can fight the battle. He wants us to withstand temptation, and He is able to win the battle. If we truly understood this principle, we would gain more victories. God intends for us to be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). Are we willing to believe God and accept this biblical statement as a fact about us?

One of God’s key resources for us is the Bible. Scripture provides practical guidance and personal examples which we can learn from and emulate (1 Cor. 10:11). We can see how great men of God withstood temptation and avoided sin and mimic their lifestyle. We have the counsel of Paul’s letters and the Old Testament laws. We even have the bad examples to learn from. For example, by King David’s indiscretion with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11), we can learn how one “slip-up” can unleash a string of further bad decisions and painful consequences. God did not shrug David’s sins off with an attitude of “Oh well, he loves the Lord and God sees his heart.” God held His chosen man David accountable, and He will hold us accountable. We can learn from David’s mistakes or we can repeat them and suffer the consequences. However, we cannot escape God’s sovereignty and plan.

Prayer is another resource for resisting temptation. It plugs us into God’s power for prevailing against temptation. When we pray, we draw near to God and receive His strength. He offers us personal guidance as we pray and meditate on His Word. We must resist the temptation to view prayer as a spiritual shopping list. Prayer is not a spiritual Home Shopping Network. It is a dialogue whereby we speak to God and listen for His still, small voice to speak to our hearts.

Worship likewise draws us closer to God where we can receive His power to prevail. Many Christians view worship as an activity for church. We may view “worship music” as part of the church service, or perhaps as a Christian alternative to secular radio. However, it is so much more than that.

Colossians 3:16 exhorts us to “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Notice how closely the word of Christ is associated with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Worship music reminds us of the great truths of God’s Word which guide our lives. It reminds us of His power, love, mercy, etc. (This is why I prefer worship music where the lyrics carry a theme, not just repetitious praise choruses that repeat a few simple emotional phrases with a solid beat. Biblically speaking, the song should say something; it should not merely elicit a perky happiness that is driven by upbeat music.)

Whereas the Bible speaks to our heads, worship allows us to speak to God from our hearts. It is more than music. It might just be prayers of thankfulness, expressions of devotion to God, and so on. Worship is that act where a believer simply looks up to God and shouts out, “I love you, Lord!”

A familiar hymn tells us to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things on earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” As we worship God, we develop a deeper appreciation of Him, and this appreciation puts those piddling treats that the devil is offering us into perspective. It is so much easier to resist temptation when we think, “I am not giving up sex (or drugs, money, etc.). I am leaving myself open to the greater blessing God has for me!”

Finally, we can resist temptation by avoiding tempting situations. If you are prone to drunkenness, stay away from bars or establishments that readily offer alcohol. If lust is a problem, stay away from publications with alluring photographs or titillating television shows. In fact, we are safest if we avoid anything that we know is questionable. One can think of Abraham’s nephew Lot, who moved to Sodom, a city with a reputation for sinfulness (Gen. 13:12). This seemingly innocuous decision led to great hardship for him later on.

In conclusion, sin is serious business, so we should not take temptation lightly. It is not a game; it is a violent battle in spiritual warfare. However, God is even more concerned about our victory than we are. We can be victorious in Him, if we rely on His strength and resources to win.