“… ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
James 4:6b-8a ESV
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV
It is important to understand the difference between sin and temptation. Temptation has to do with attraction toward evil because of the corrupt sinfulness of our hearts. Every person is born into a fallen and corrupt sinful nature. We default toward corruption and must be given new life through the salvation of Jesus to escape the enslaving power of sin (“You must be born again …” John 3). Due to the bondage of the will, before Christ we are free to do what we want, but not free to do what we ought to do. It is by the salvation of Jesus that the power of sin and death is broken in our life, and we become able by the power of God at work within us to do what we ought to do. In fact, after earnest repentance from sin and believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we find that we want to pursue the beautiful things of God. We have a desire for godly things that before had no appeal to us. This is the salvation of God at work in our hearts!
Before salvation, we exist in total depravity. This does not mean that we are as bad as we could possibly be in degree, but that we are corrupt in all aspects of our being. To some degree our actions, words, affections, and motivations are all corrupted by sin. No matter how great an effort we make, our own temptation will overcome us in each area time and time again. The trend line of non-Christians is always morally downward. As the years go on, temptations and evil desire will lure a person into increasing sin. This progress of sin in action, thought, and emotion will grow into an entangled mess of conflict destroying every form of relationship – both human and divine. Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (James 1:13-15). This death is both relational, physical, and spiritual.
I used to believe this “death” was somehow figurative. Now that I’m older, I know that the fruit of sin and death coming from temptation is as real as it can possibly be. Sin full grown leads to rebellion, divorce, prison, paralyzing anxiety, drunkenness, isolation, (in certain direct cases) disease, despair, and in many cases – an early death. The above verses give us direct teaching about avoiding sin and temptation.
First, let us understand that temptation to sin and entering into sin are not the same thing. Temptation is the desire for, or attraction to, something evil, but not entering into that evil. All people are born into a sinful nature, but not all people are tempted by the same things. Some people have a greater temptation toward substance abuse, some toward outbursts of anger, some toward sexual lust (most heterosexual, some toward homosexual), some toward pride, some toward passivity/apathy, some toward anxiety, and the list goes on. In each case, apart from the saving power of Jesus Christ the struggle against temptation will be a losing battle, with each person growing more corrupt in degree over time.
The most famous example of this is Benjamin Franklin. As a meticulous young man of high secular enlightenment goals, he laid out a publicized plan for perfecting his moral nature through systematic self-betterment. What was the result? By his old age Franklin had become a widely known sexual philanderer, heavy drinker, proud, willing to forego moral guidelines to reach goals of personal enrichment, and openly rejecting the salvation of Jesus. No person can escape temptation apart from the power of Jesus Christ – He who has overcome sin and death!
The Bible tells us that when we are faced with temptation, we should submit ourselves to God. We should clearly understand that apart from the power of God at work in us, we will be overcome by sin. We should call out in prayer for deliverance from temptation and from evil (Matthew 6:13). We should actively seek to draw near to God. This always involves moving away from sources of evil. This often looks like physically leaving a place of evil, turning off a source of evil, or ending a relationship that attracts us toward temptation. In contrast, going to places that encourage us toward righteousness, entering into practices that cultivate godliness, or cultivating relationships that draw us toward righteousness. In this process of sanctification, the Lord Jesus will draw near to us and bring real spiritual growth to our weak and insufficient efforts. Jesus will meet us in our weakness and carry us forward one step at a time, one day at a time.
Often, we can feel that the temptations to sin are impossible to withstand and unlike the temptations of other people. We can wrongly think, “My situation is worse than anyone else’s. My situation is unique.” Paul gives us an important promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13. This promise is that your temptation is not unique or worse than others. Temptation is “common” to all people. We are all tempted by the same basic things, and in each temptation, God will provide a way of escape. In each scenario of temptation, as we call out for the help of God, a way of not sinning will be open. In every scenario of temptation, there is an option to leave the place of temptation, to not speak evil words, to reorient the heart to godly motivation, to do what ought to be done. The strength to overcome sin is extended to us by a merciful God. Power over temptation does not come from positive thinking and inner self-determination, but from the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!
As we appeal to Jesus for help in time of temptation and we are delivered, this will lead us to worship and thanksgiving! The struggle against the presence of sin will not end until we reach the sinless glory of heaven, but real and substantial progress is possible. In Christ, we can walk in real love, joy, peace, and hope! Some temptations will cling to us, but in humble dependence upon Jesus we can become strong against them. Together we can rejoice as we make progress away from the person we used to be, toward the new person God is shaping us to become. This is the work of sanctification! This is the journey of the Christian life in dependence upon Jesus every moment of every day.
Deliver us from evil oh Lord,
Pastor Vic