Killing Temptation, Starving Sin (1 Corinthians Sermon 33)

Turn in your Bibles to the text you just heard read, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We’re looking this morning at two verses in particular, and zeroing in on the topic of temptations. And I want to begin by talking about something I know almost nothing about. So that’s a bad idea, already. So we’re already somewhat at a deficit position but I’m talking about fishing. I know nothing about, almost nothing about fishing. And I know that there’s a number of expert fishermen in our congregation that are probably going to be willing, after this sermon to set me straight on some things I’m about to say.

I. The Constant Danger to Our Souls

But despite the fact that I grew up across the street from a very good fishing hole, in Framingham, Massachusetts, and there were numbers of people that fished there. I never did, honestly, I didn’t appreciate either the process or the product of fishing. So, just sitting there with a pole in my hand, and with my lack of knowledge, I was guaranteed to be unsuccessful. I’ll talk about that more in a moment. But then, what did you get? You got a fish and I can’t stand seafood, I can’t stand fish of any sort, so why would I do that? So I’d worked all that through and I just didn’t do that.

But there are some expert fishermen here. My son was roommate to somebody who was on the NC State fishing team. I didn’t know there was a fishing team at NC State, not only that, that they’ve won three national championships at Bass fishing. They go to local lakes here, and they just they go out in pairs and teams, and if anyone from that school wins the tournament, they’re national champions. And they know a lot about Bass fishing. Some of you go like deep sea fishing. You go out to Wilmington and your charter a boat, and you’re looking for a blue marlin or sailfish, some trophy fish and you’re good at that.

I don’t know if there’s any fly-fishermen here. I’ve heard that that takes some of the highest level of intelligence, to be able to skillfully tie a fly, make it look like exactly the kind of flies that’d be flying over a specific stream in a specific time. And not only that, but the casting technique to be able to lay the line down gently, so that those very apparently very intelligent trout who apparently have very good eyesight can tell the difference between a poor technique and one that’s just right. So the concept though with fishing seems to be a study of the habit patterns of the fish, where they pool and congregate at different times of day and what they like to eat. And so, a study also of the bait.

Number of years ago, I read a book by a Puritan, Thomas Brooks, entitled Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices. And it talks about how we can be aware of and guard against the way the devil tempts us to sin. And the first precious remedy against Satan’s, the first device he talked about was Satan’s skill at lavishing on the bait and hiding the hook. He is really good at choosing, studying your habit patterns and knowing the right bait to use, but hiding the hook. What will happen to you if you swallow that bait in that hook in that line? And so my purpose today as I stand before you is to help you be aware of the baited hooks that are around you every day, and there are far more than you think there are. We are tempted continually towards sin, by a very shrewd expert angler or fisherman for our souls, and that is the devil. He’s been at it a long time, he is skillful and he knows how to bait the hook and hide it from us.

My job this morning is to take the bait off, so you can see the hook and the line and what it is Satan’s trying to do. And how he is trying to destroy your soul, how he’s trying to destroy my soul by sin. Look again at verse 13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is faithful, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear but with the temptation will make a way of escape so that you can bear up,” or “stand up under it.” So the word temptation is mentioned multiple times, “No temptation has seized you. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, with the temptation He’ll provide the way of escape.” So this is all about temptation. That’s what we’re studying here today.

Now we’re in enemy territory, we need to know that, while we live between now and the time we depart this earth, we will be in enemy territory. We have an ancient triad of enemies just like every generation of Christians has had to face. We have to face the same triad, generally called the world, the flesh and the devil.

Let’s take it with the devil first. Satan is portrayed in 1 Peter 5, like a lion that prowls around, a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He’s constantly on the loose, he’s vicious, powerful and skillful. And you have to be self-controlled and alert, you have to be aware of what the devil does. Now, one of the most disconcerting concepts here in this topic is the devil in some mysterious way, seems to have access to our minds. He’s able to plant thoughts in our minds. Some people question this, they think it’s not true. But think this way, do you remember how an angel warned Joseph in a dream to depart and take Mary and the baby Jesus and flee to Egypt? And then after that, after Herod had died, an angel spoke again to Joseph in a dream and told him that those who were seeking the child’s life were dead. So, that’s actual information imparted by an angel into Joseph’s mind directly by a dream.

Satan’s a fallen angel. So in some mysterious way, he is able to plant thoughts in our minds. So the temptation is a matter of the battle for the mind, of taking every thought captive, as another verse says. And he has something that the Bible calls schemes. Schemes. For example, Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” So that’s the devil, that’s what we’re dealing with. He has demons who do his work. He has got a dark kingdom, he is very intelligent, he is skillful, and he has demons perhaps, that are assigned to you. Probably the opposite of a guardian angel would be a harassing demon or demons, that study you and are aware of your weaknesses and come after you with certain thoughts that lead you toward sin. So that’s the devil.

We also have the world. We studied some of that in the Bible for Life class I was teaching where there’s that evil world system that’s filled with alluring tempting things, tempting us toward a love of possessions of money, a love of pleasure, sexual pleasure, other types of pleasures, love of power and prestige. Those things that the world offers, that evil world system, Satan’s masterpiece, is around us at all times constantly beckoning us and drawing us.

And then the enemy within: The flesh, sin nature, we have within us the seeds of our own destruction. And Paul talks about it very clearly in Romans 7, he says there “I do not understand what I do.” There’s a basic irrationality, a basic insanity to sin. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” And then he says, “As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh, for I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out.” So I see this law at work in my mind and heart, which is to love God and to follow Him. But I see another law at work in my members making me a prisoner of a law of sin at work within my members, drawing me away from righteousness. “What a wretched man I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God.”

Some day we’ll be delivered. But right now, we’re not yet delivered and so we have to fight the flesh, and the flesh is the enemy within which gets up in the middle of the night and opens the gate to the outside enemies and connects with them. And so, there is both the external pulling of temptation, Satan prompting us, but then James said, “Each one is tempted when by his own desire he is dragged away and enticed.” So there’s an evil partnership between Satan in the world on the outside, and then us on the inside and we partner to achieve sin. So that’s what we’re talking about, temptation.

So what is it, what is temptation? Well, for me as an ex-mechanical engineer, I tend to think of it like a magnetic pull, like a magnet, it’s this invisible force on me. I remember when I was an engineer, I worked in semiconductor manufacturer, and we had these things called permanent magnets. Samarium-cobalt magnet, rare earth magnets 250 to 500 times stronger than a refrigerator magnet. This thing was amazing, it was a fun toy. You could do things with this magnet, like you could put it on one side of a wall, and stick paper clips, paper clips would just stick to the wall because the magnetic force was going right through the drywall. If you held it in your hand, you just take a paper clip, and throw it within about a five to seven-foot radius and it’ll go, thunk, right to that magnet. It was awesome. Until you put it near your wallet and all your credit cards interacted with the magnetic flux lines, and the next time you tried to use it, gone, what a mystery. I shouldn’t tell this, but I wrote a note to my roommate Paul, his name was Paul, “Very important that you,” whatever, and covered it up with this magnet. He couldn’t move it. And we both had to push as hard as we could to slide it to the edge of the refrigerator to pry it off. Strong magnet.

So that’s what we are in, we are in a magnetic pull that’s outside of us, that corresponds to, I don’t know, iron inside our souls in this analogy that connects and draws us off the path. So none of us is driving a straight path to heaven, but we’re very swervey and crooked in the way we drive because we’re constantly being pulled by temptations. So that’s what it is. A magnetic pull, Satan has the power to get into our brains and pull us toward him. Let me give you some scenarios.

Imagine somebody who had struggled in the past with alcoholism, struggled with drunkenness, comes to faith in Christ, is forgiven of all of his sins, but knows he now has a battle on his hands, he’s gotta stop drinking. And so he’s very serious about that. He put some distance between himself and his last drink. But one day he is driving home and there’s a club where he used to go and there are people in there. He saw somebody going in there, he recognized him and he, as he’s driving feels a pull to pull into the parking lot and go in. There’s a pull on his heart and he’s got to think certain things. Now, that pull wouldn’t be there for maybe 90% plus of you, not there for me, but for him it’s a pull and he feels it and he’s got a fight and he starts to sweat, his heart rate goes up, he feels something pulling on him because of his past habits. So, that’s temptation.

We could think about a scenario that I myself sadly have gone through, get into a marital conflict. You’re in a conflict, and as you’re saying some things, you’re getting heated up. And then suddenly something pops in your mind to say, and if you’re not careful, you might say it. And that the weird thing is you don’t even believe that it’s true. It’s not really you, but you didn’t have the discernment at that moment because of your carnal anger, you’re handed a weapon that isn’t even from you and it says clearly in 2 Timothy 2, that the devil can take us captive to do his will, temporarily even. And so you can actually hurl something that is going to be very, very hard to unsay. And you’re like, “Where did that come from? Where did those words come from?” It comes from an invisible spiritual force that’s surrounding you and handing you concepts and if you’re not careful, you’ll have a lot of healing in that relationship to go through because you said something that was so hurtful. So it’s just constantly a battle, we’ve got to fight these things. And so, this is of the essence of the Christian life.

Romans Chapter 8 depicts the life of the Spirit versus the life of the flesh. It goes in, in Romans 8, to talking about the mind of the flesh which is death and the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace, and it’s just two different ways to live: The Christian life, the non-Christian life. And then he brings the Roman Christians to this clear statement, Romans 8:13 and 14, he says there, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Because those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.” So that’s vital. If you live that life of the flesh, the mind of the flesh, and the lifestyle of the flesh, you’re going to die and go to hell. You’re going to be living in death now, spiritual death now, and it’s going to be confirmed on Judgment Day, by the dreadful words Jesus speaks “Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, what the Bible calls the second death. If you live that kind of life, you will die that death.

But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. There’s just two different ways to live. So don’t be deceived. That life of the Spirit is a life of warfare, it’s a life of battle, you’re never going to get away from it while you live in this world. And you have to, you have to, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body. And if you do, you will live. Because, you can almost put the word “only” in there, only those who are lead like this by the Spirit into battle are the children of God. If you are not battling sin by the Spirit, you’re not a child of God, do not be deceived. And so this is the warfare that we’re in.

John Owen, in the 17th century, Puritan theologian, wrote On the Mortification of Sin, the putting to death of sin in believers. He had some powerful things to say, he said, “The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” You will be weak therefore, powerless and comfortless in your Christian life, if you do not vigorously mortify sin. He said, “You must mortify, you must make it your daily work, you must be constantly at it while you live. Cease not a day from this work. Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” That’s very clear, isn’t it? We have got to fight sin by the power of the Spirit.

II. Eternal Vigilance the Price of Freedom

And so from the text, verse 12, it gives us this idea of a constant vigilance needed. Maybe you’ve heard about this statement that we need to be aware of the sin all the time. Now, he says, “If you think you’re standing firm, take heed, lest ye fall.” Let’s try to understand the context. Paul is addressing for three chapters 1 Corinthians 8, 9, and 10, he is addressing the problem of meat sacrificed to idols, the lifestyle of paganism that the Corinthians had been living before. Alright, so it was a pagan city with pagan temples that offered animals in sacrifice to false gods and goddesses. And they combined that animal sacrifice with sexual immorality, with temple prostitutes, male and female, and that combination of eating delicious foods and sexual immorality was very powerful.

It was alluring all over the world, it was very powerful there in Corinth. People worshipped these false gods and goddesses by having immoral relations with the temple prostitutes and by eating delicious meat. Then Paul came and preached the Gospel in that dark city and he resolved to know nothing while he was with them, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He preached that Jesus Christ has died on the cross for sins, for sinners like you and me, and God raised Him from the dead. And if you repent of your sins and trust in Christ, you’ll be forgiven. And many Corinthians came out of that darkness and came to faith in Christ. And he organized them in this church, the church of the Corinthians. And as it turns out, there was an issue concerning, ongoing eating of meat at the temple or in the marketplace. What should we do? And some of the Corinthian Christians had understood the doctrine that there is only one God, and that gods and goddesses don’t really exist and idols are nothing, they’re just chunks of wood or metal or stone. And that meat is just meat and Jesus had declared all foods clean, so they were just living freely, and eating whatever they wanted. And in their freedom, they were dragging down some brothers and sisters who weren’t quite there yet in their minds, who are weak in their consciences.

And Paul gave a basic principle. He doesn’t say it literally like this, but this is what we’ve been saying. Love limits liberty. Your freedom is limited by your love for your brothers and sisters. So just because you have the freedom to do something, don’t do it if it’s going to hurt your brother or sister. Then Paul gave himself in chapter 9 as an example of someone who lives like that. He didn’t take money for preaching the Gospel, though he had the right, he limited his liberty. And then in terms of evangelism, if he went to a Gentile home, he became like a Gentile, in amoral things, in whatever way he could, what he ate, how he dressed, how he acted in amoral things, he became like a gentile to win the Gentiles. If he went to a Jewish home, he became like a Jew to win the Jews, he became all things to all people. So by all possible means, he might save some. And so just in general, he didn’t worry about what he liked, what foods he enjoyed eating. He kept himself under control. He beat his own body and made his body like a slave, so that he could be maximally fruitful for the Gospel, but also, so that he wouldn’t be disqualified for the prize.

He had to watch himself. Like, “Paul you were never a pagan. You never got involved with idols and with temple prostitutes,” he would stop and say just… Do you have any idea what a problem that was in Jewish history? What the Canaanite religion was about? What led Jewish men into wickedness? Don’t you know our history? And so he goes right into the history of the Jews, he said, “It was because of idolatry and sexual immorality, that that generation of Jews that went through the Red Sea, never made it in the Promised Land. Don’t you learn the lesson from that?” We’ve got to be vigilant over our own souls. And so, he’s dealing with idolatry.

So look what he says, “Therefore, if anyone thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.” I’m speaking to you strong ones, you got the doctrine all figured out, you know, you better watch out. You may be just one step from relapsing back into paganism. You think you’re standing firm, take heed lest you fall.

Now, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” There are common temptations here, but God is faithful, He’s not going to let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, with the temptation He’s going to make the way of escape, so you can bear up under it. But then look at verse 14. We didn’t read it this morning but go ahead, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” You see the context here, what he’s saying. They are still in danger, even the strong ones among them. So that’s the context. So if you think you’re standing firm, take heed, watch lest you fall. At the entrance to the National Archives Building in Washington DC, there’s an inscription in marble, it says this, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” So above that inscription, is a statue of a scary-looking warrior holding a helmet and a sword, ready to fight. Outside the National Archives in Washington DC. Many people think that Thomas Jefferson said it, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Actually, it was said by an Irish orator and politician John Philpot Curran, he said in Dublin 1790, “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.”

Now they’re talking about political liberty in a world surrounded by military enemies and nations that want to come and take what you have. Well, you need to be on the walls, in your free world, on the walls all the time and be vigilant, because we have enemies and we got to watch. Well, if that’s true, militarily and politically, how much more true is it for us as Christians? You want to be free in Christ, Christ has set you free, you’re free from the condemnation of your sins, there is no condemnation for you, because you’re in Christ Jesus. Great, Christ has set you free from condemnation, He set you free from sin itself. You are no longer a slave to sin, He’s set you free from sin, so you’re free. Well, if you think that you’re free, you better be vigilant over sin, if you want to stay free and not go back into the chains of sin and wickedness. So if you think you’re standing firm, you better take heed lest you fall.

So what does that mean, to take heed? Take heed, literally, the Greek word is just be watchful, you better watch, be vigilant, watch, watch yourself, watch your temptations, watch your life, watch your behavior, find out what’s happening, what habits are growing in your life, how are you living, what’s actually going on, watch. Like Jesus said to Peter and James and John in Gethsemane, watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation. Spirit is willing, but the body is weak. So your enemy, the devil, is prowling around looking for someone to devour, you got to be alert every single day.

III. The Worldwide Experience of Temptation

For the Corinthians, getting into their world, it’d be just walking by the temple, they’re just walking by and they can smell that meat, and then they see a temple prostitute, maybe they’ve interacted with multiple times before. And maybe she sees him, he sees her and she might call out to him, siren call to his own destruction, he’s just got to walk on by. She even probably knows he’s claiming to be a Christian now, and she’s got special focus on him at that particular moment.

But for us it’s different, we don’t struggle like that, we have our own struggles. Perhaps the allure of internet pornography, never been easier. Because of these smartphones that just deliver the world to your eyeballs instantly all the time, 24/7. We’ve got to look at that alluring call. Maybe it’s the enticing call of a worldly prosperous life and material prosperity. And so you’re being enticed toward materialism. Maybe it’s an addiction to electronic games, maybe you just spend a lot of your time playing or entertaining yourself with movies and just living for that. Might be some other sin habit, overeating, oversleeping, maybe it’s procrastination. Watch and pray, watch and pray, watch and pray.

Maybe it’s gossip, phone rings, friend on the other end of the phone, and you begin talking to this friend, and you’re having a good conversation, but someone else comes up and you know that your friend, you and this friend have had a habit in the past of gossiping, of laying people low, of making yourself feel better because you’re not like that. And you’ve become aware of that pattern in your life, and now, it’s time to put an end to it, and say, “You know… Tell you what, why don’t we pray for that person?” Or something. You’re just going to have some new habit, but you got to watch and pray that you’ll not go down a path you’ve been down so many times before, big sins and little sins.

Perhaps it’s complaining. What’s your commute like these days? Mine’s getting harder. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that, and we’ve got the population of this area is just growing and growing and growing. And I used to have a way to get where I wanted to go that seemed like very few people knew about. Not anymore, they know. And so I’ve found myself more irritable while driving than I remember. It’s starting to… There are some irritating moments that come. Everybody, it seems either they’re too fast or too slow. I don’t understand that. But there I am and I find myself complaining, or complaining about anything. Do you have that pattern of discontent in your life, where you just are complaining about something at least once a day? And it’s like, the time has come to say no to that temptation. So if you think you’re standing firm, you better watch lest you fall back into sin.

Now, this temptation is a worldwide experience, it’s not something we face alone. Look again at Verse 13. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man,” temptations we face every day are common around the world, there’s nothing unusual about you, or us. It’s not some new menu that he’s got, that Satan’s got to concoct in every generation, same thing, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, boastful pride of life, every generation, it works, he’s not very creative. It’s just effective, these lusts, they work. And so the temptations we face are common to man, it’s common to everybody.

IV. God’s Faithfulness in Filtering our Temptations

But God is faithful in filtering our temptations. Look what he says, “God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.” This is so marvelous, the faithfulness of God in all of this. It isn’t just Satan and his demons that are studying you, God knows you better than you know yourself, and He knows you better than Satan knows you. And He will not allow you to be handed over to your enemy, to be tempted however the devil wants to tempt you, He’s not going to permit it.

Like in the hymn, How Firm A Foundation, listen to these words, “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.” That’s the faithfulness of God. He is more committed to your final salvation than you are. We already heard 1 Thessalonians 5 earlier, I think it was Brian that cited it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24, says, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” So God is faithful concerning your temptations, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. He’s faithful even concerning your sins, your failures. Satan baits a hook, drops it in the water, looks good and you bite. You know you’re hooked, you know you’ve sinned, the Holy Spirit convicts you, you get on your knees, you ask forgiveness. “If we confess our sins,” 1 John 1:9, “He is faithful,and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So like I do, I was working the image. So we’re fish, we’ve swallowed a hook, what do we do now? Does he cut the line, does he get the hook out? It’s more complicated than that, where you’ve been hooked before you can be hooked again. Maybe the line’s still there, but you can still… You still are swimming. And he is teaching you how to get the hook out of your throat. This is complex. I would suggest don’t swallow the hook to begin with. Because once you start bad habits, it’s so hard to break them, but God is faithful and He will forgive you, whenever you take that baited hook, but He’s also faithful to filter your temptations, and that’s so powerful.

When we first moved into our house in Bahama, we’re on a well, still on a well system, and we had no water filter for our well. I had never heard of a whole house water filter, so for a period of time, we drank water from our well. Then I heard about whole house water filters, and so I put one in and I’ll never forget the first time I changed the cartridge. Now, that was a bad moment for me. It was nasty. And all of this sludge was there caught by the filter. Now, the filter has a membrane, and it allows water to pass through, but not the impurities. So I want you to picture the filter that God has set around you, He will not allow certain temptations in. God knows our weaknesses, it says in Psalm 139:1, “Oh Lord, You have searched me and You know me,” he says in Psalm 103:14, “He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” He knows there are some temptations that would destroy you, and He won’t let them come. You would fail and it would ruin your world, and He won’t let it happen.

So what that means is the tempter Satan is on a leash of some sort, he’s limited. And we see this in Job chapter 1 and 2, don’t we? How Satan has to come and ask permission. And he’s frustrated, satanic frustration. I can’t get at him, because you put a hedge around him and everything he has, remember that? That’s what we mean by He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. He puts a wall of protection around us. And then the Lord lifts some of that protection, and Satan can get at him, and he assaults Job’s possessions, everything he has, and kills all of his children in one day, one dreadful day. So in Job’s case, the temptations were massive, far greater than you will ever face in your life. That’s the godliness of Job.

Case of others, He knows how weak we are, and He will not let Satan do what he would do in your life. He’s on a leash. Pilgrim’s Progress there’s this image as he’s walking along the path, Christian is walking, and he sees two lions on either side of the path, and he’s terrified and he’s frozen. Doesn’t know what to do. But then a guide on the other side of the lions said, “Do not worry, the lions are leased, they’re on a chain, you can’t see it, if you stay on the path they cannot harm you. So that’s the allegorical picture of Satan on a leash, he’s limited. So what does that mean for you? Well, whatever temptations do come your way, what can you say about it? God allowed it to come, and He wants you to kill it. You can never say in a combination of temptations bringing you or your family through immense trial, say, “I can’t handle this,” it’s just not true. God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.

Also, if you should fall in one of those temptation to sin, it is your fault. You need to take responsibility and own up to it. But overall, isn’t it comforting to know that God is faithful in this sense, and He won’t allow you to be tempted, and you’re going to make it through successful in this world. To me, that’s the comfort of this verse.

V. Standing Firm by Escaping

So how then do we handle it, how do we stand firm? Look what it says, “God is faithful, and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape, so that you may be able to bear it” or stand firm under it. We are called to stand firm, we’re called to take our stand on Christ, and to still stand. And so in Ephesians 6:10-13, it’s in there four times, stand, stand firm, stand firm then, stand firm therefore, it’s just very clear, we are to stand. So like a warrior fighting a battle, don’t fall into sin. That’s the image. Well, how do we bear up under it? Well, when the temptation comes, you just say no, by the power of the Spirit, there’s nothing else for it. And it says in Titus 2, that the grace of God has come, it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present age.

We are to say no to that temptation. And look for God’s way of escape. It’s like, “Oh God, get me out of here. Get me out of here, find the door, find the escape, get out. Like Joseph with Potiphar’s wife. He left his cloak and ran for his life. So there’s a strange image here, standing by running, standing by escaping. So this is how I put it together. The way of escape is given, the net is laid for your feet. But you never fell in it. You escaped it, you were able to get around it, or to circumvent it, or the ditch that Satan dug for you, you didn’t fall in. And now you’re still standing in Jesus. You like Jesus entered the temptation filled with the Spirit went into the desert, and He left it filled with the Spirit, that’s your goal. So every time temptation comes pulling on your heart, your goal is to say no, to resist and to flee.

VI. Applications

Alright, so what applications can we take from this? Well, first, I need to say that to any of you that came here today outside of Christ, you’re not yet a Christian, call in this text is not for you to fight temptation, the call here is come to Christ. You cannot defeat sin apart from Christ. And you’ve already fallen into temptation, you’re already condemned, you’re under the law. The only hope for you is to flee to Christ. Jesus died on the cross for sinners like you and me who have failed and who will sadly continue to fail. Flee to Christ, and His death on the cross is God’s only provision for our guilt, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day is His only provision for the energy and power by which we lead a holy life. Come to Christ. All you have to do is trust in Him, turn away from your temptations, away from your sins, and call on the name of the Lord, and you will be saved. And if that happens to you, then you have to heed this advice.

So what do I say to you Christians? First, prepare for battle, do not expect an easy journey to heaven. Prepare to suffer, Jesus suffered when He was tempted, prepare to suffer when you are tempted. Think of what Jesus said to Peter, “Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.” Let me give you some specific elements, 10 of them, and I’ll finish this sermon with this. First of all, understand the eternal stakes of this battle. If you live according to the flesh, you’ll die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you’ll live. Eternity is at stake. Now, we’re not saved by our sanctification, we’re not saved by how well we fight, but if you don’t fight you were never justified.

Secondly, understand the mysterious partnership between you and the Spirit. You by the Spirit have to put to death the deeds of the body. You have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is working in you to will and to act according to His good purpose, it is by the Spirit alone you can fight temptation.

Thirdly, as I’ve said, take personal responsibility. You by the Spirit have to put to death to deeds of the flesh. If you fail, it’s not the Spirit’s fault. So you need to take responsibility for your sins and for your temptations. You must mortify, you must make it your daily work, you must be constantly at it while you live. “Cease not a day from this work, be killing sin or sin will be killing you,” John Owen.

And so, therefore, fourthly, understand this is a relentless marathon, it’s not a sprint, you’re going to be in this fight from now until the day you die. Don’t expect a day off, don’t expect when you go on vacation that the world, the flesh and the devil will leave, you’ll leave them behind. You might have to fight more, no, wait a minute, you probably will have to fight more on vacation then you do ordinarily, the flesh will be maybe more active. There’s no day off from this, it’s a marathon.

Fifth, understand the role of Scripture. Jesus fought all of His temptations the same way, “It is written, it is written, it is written.” So saturate your mind in Scripture, memorize specific scriptures that will help you in your weak areas. Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word… Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Give the Holy Spirit a flashing sword with which to fight your specific sins by memorizing.

Sixth, understand that specific sins, categorical sins, can never be killed. No alcoholic will ever be able to say I know I will never sin in the area of alcoholism again. No one who is addicted to internet pornography will ever reach a point in his life where they say, “I know I’ll never sin or fall in that place again, that sin has been mercifully removed,” you cannot say that. But you can and must kill specific temptations from those sins.

Seventh, kill temptation by being full of Christ, by the Spirit. So be filled with the power of Christ, be filled. It’s not just negative, it’s positive. Be filled with the Spirit, be filled with the joy of the Lord, be filled with the fact that you’re going to heaven, be filled with all of the great gifts that God has given you. It’s very hard to tempt full people. Jeremiah Burroughs, in his Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment said, “A contented Christian is as hard to tempt as an iron wall attacked by flaming arrows,” so picture yourself as an iron wall and all of the flaming arrows of temptation just fall harmlessly, why? Because you’re so filled with the Christian life, so filled with Christ.

Eighth, make sin personal with Christ. What that means is, understand Jesus is behind all of His laws, the call to sexual purity, the call to mental purity, Jesus is behind each of them. Do you remember when Peter fell into the temptation of denying Jesus three times, then the rooster crowed? In Luke’s gospel, just at that moment Jesus was passing by and He looked Peter right in the eyes. I would guess Peter would say, at the end of his life, he who was crucified upside down, Peter, would say, “That was the most painful moment of my life. When Jesus looked me right in the eye, right after that rooster crowed.” And Peter went outside and wept bitterly, and then after the resurrection He asked him three times, “Peter, do you love me?” And that was painful to him.

Some day, 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, you’re going to have to give Jesus an account for everything you did in the body, whether good or bad. Realize that now. Make it very personal between you and Jesus, say, “Jesus I don’t want to fail you, I want to please You today, so fill me with Your Spirit. Ninth, accountability in a healthy church. If you’re not a member of a healthy church, I actually know a healthy church that I would commend to you for membership. But if not this one, be in a healthy church, where you can live out a commitment to watch over one another in brotherly love. Hebrews 3:13 says, “Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Home fellowships are going to start next Sunday evening, not this… Not tonight, we got the picnic tonight, but a week from now, home fellowships are going to start. Make your home fellowship experience more spiritual than you’ve ever made it before. In your prayer times ask for prayer, ask for help with things you’re actually struggling with, be honest with people, find accountability partners, men with men, women with women. You can pair off and pray for each other.

And then finally, saturate your minds with the fact that you’re going to be in Heaven some day and you won’t sin at all, you are going to win, you’re going to win. Some day, all of the sins you struggle with will lie dead at your feet. So rejoice in that and trust in that for the glory of God. Close with me in prayer.

I.   The Constant Danger to Our Souls

A.   In Enemy Territory

Perhaps the Most Daring Rescue of World War II: Cabanatuan POW Camp

On January 30, 1945, under the cover of darkness, the 150 Rangers, a specially trained commando unit in the US Army, infiltrated 30 miles behind enemy lines in the Philippine Islands and with the help of courageous Filipino resistance fighters, mounted a dangerous assault on the Cabanatuan POW camp. The raid to save these 511 POWs would turn out to be the most daring rescue mission of World War II

Imagine that terrifying journey back to the safety of the American lines… 30 miles, step by step, in enemy territory the entire way. They needed constant vigilance, amazing skill at quiet movements, lest they arouse the enemy and bring swift destruction on their heads

So it is with the church of Jesus Christ that lives in this present world Every single moment of our lives, we are surrounded by spiritual dangers; we are in enemy territory

B.   The Three-Fold Enemy: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil

1.   The Devil

1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan is extremely skillful in crafting intelligent temptations that are deadly to our souls… scripture calls them SCHEMES

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

2.   The World

a.   Satan’s dark masterpiece of alluring temptation

b.   Surrounded every moment by an evil system of allurements

c.   A lustful desire for sensual pleasure, for worldly power, for glittering possessions, for human honors and illicit comforts

3.   The Flesh

a.   The enemy within… the SIN NATURE… the internal part of us that responds powerfully to the lusts that Satan hurls our way

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Romans 7:17-18 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out

Sin living in me = the flesh… the sinful nature… indwelling sin

C.   What is TEMPTATION?

1.   Temptation is like a magnetic pull on the soul, intelligently crafted by Satan to PULL PULL PULL us away from Christ toward sin

2.   It is a specific occasion, a moment in time

3.   There is a categorical sin behind it… like sexual immorality, or gossip, or drunkenness, or laziness, or complaining

4.   But a temptation is a specific momentary occasion in which there is opportunity to act in a specific way in one of those sinful patterns

a.   Example: a man was addicted to alcohol and regularly got drunk, again and again

b.   He becomes a Christian, repenting of his sins and trusting in Christ’s blood for his forgiveness

c.   But now he has to stop getting drunk… he is convicted by the Spirit that drunkenness is a sin

d.   Drunkenness is the category of sin… but temptation is a specific occasion; so as this man is driving home one night from work, he drives by a bar where he used to spend a lot of time

e.   He sees the sign; some memories come, he feels a pull… he feels some excuses pass into his mind… he begins to rationalize… he doesn’t fully realize that he is in spiritual battle RIGHT NOW!! He begins to breathe hard, his heart is racing… he is in the throes of temptation

f.   He CAN and MUST put that temptation to death by the power of the Spirit

g.   BUT he can NEVER put drunkenness to death as a category; he will never be able to say that sin is forever dead in his life and he knows for a fact it will never trouble him again

h.   Rather this passage teaches the needs for CONSTANT VIGILANCE as we will see

D.   Led by the Spirit Daily Into Battle

Romans 8:13-14 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

John Owen: The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

“You must mortify! You must make it your daily work. You must be constantly at it while you live. Cease not a day from this work! Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you!

II.   Eternal Vigilance the Price of Freedom

A.   The Context in 1 Corinthians: Meat Sacrificed to Idols

1.   Paul addresses this for THREE CHAPTERS!

2.   Corinth was a PAGAN city, with pagan temples that offered animals to false gods and goddesses, and that combined that false religion with a sensual appeal to sex and food that was a powerful combination; people worshiped the false gods by having sex with temple prostitutes and eating delicious meats which had been sacrificed to those idols

3.   Paul preached the gospel of Christ crucified, and called people out of their pagan darkness into the light of truth; and many people were converted

4.   In chapters 8-9, he gives the principle that LOVE LIMITS LIBERTY… people who are more mature in the faith were flaunting their freedoms; in so doing, they were hurting weaker brothers and sisters who had only recently come out of paganism

5.   Throughout chapter 9, he says they should be willing to give up their personal desires and tastes and pleasures to benefit the salvation of others; Paul became all things to all kinds of people so that by all possible means he might save some

6.   But he also spoke of a lifestyle of careful discipline he carried out over himself

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

7.   Then he goes on to explain WHY he does this… the terrible example of what happened to Israel

a.   All the Jews experienced the powerful work of God in saving them from slavery in Egypt

b.   But MOST of the adults who were rescued from slavery and who passed through the Red Sea, and who ate the manna and who drank water that flowed miraculously from the rock NEVER MADE IT INTO THE PROMISED LAND… their bodies were scattered through the desert, because God was angry with them

c.   They fell into IDOLATRY and SEXUAL IMMORALITY… and God had to put them to death

8.   SO… what about Christians? Just because we have BEGUN this Christian journey, are we now SAFE from all sin? Are we home free? Or do we have to fight battles with sin and temptation to make it to heaven?

9.   Paul answers that quite clearly here

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

1 Corinthians 10:13-14 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. 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

B.   Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Freedom

At the entrance to the National Archives building in Washington DC is an inscription in marble:

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Above the inscription is a scary-looking warrior holding a helmet and a sword, ready to fight

Many people think Thomas Jefferson said it…

Irish orator and politician John Philpot Curran said in Dublin in 1790. “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.”

At any rate, the idea is powerful… in a hostile world like ours, if we want to maintain our freedom, we have to be ready to FIGHT for it

This is even more significantly true in the Christian life

Christ has set us free from all sin… but we have to fight to not allow ourselves to be enslaved again

1 Corinthians 10:12 speaks clearly of the need for eternal vigilance… CONSTANT WATCHFULNESS

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

C.   Do You Think You are Standing Firm?

1.   Has Christ cleansed you by his blood?

2.   If so, then Christ has set you free from sin itself:

Romans 6:18 having been set free from sin, [you] have become slaves of righteousness.

D.   But even so… TAKE HEED lest you fall

1.   Take heed = be watchful, be vigilant; know that temptation is sure to come

2.   It is the simple Greek word WATCH… open your eyes… see your constant danger

As Jesus said to Peter and the others…

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

3.   Your enemy the devil is prowling around looking for someone to devour

4.   Be alert EVERY SINGLE DAY, lest you fall back into sin habits and patterns

5.   For the Corinthians, it was the constant allure of the old life of sin in paganism… walking by the temple, seeing the beautiful temple prostitutes; they recognize you, by now they know you are a Christian; they beckon, they call with siren calls to enjoy some time with them

6.   The aroma of roasting meat fills your nostrils; the enticing memories of sensual pleasure start working on your heart

E.   For Us… It is Other Patterns of Sin… but the Danger is Still There

1.   Perhaps it is the allure of internet pornography; the constant allure of sensual pleasure by electronic means; Watch and pray!!

2.   Perhaps it is the enticing call of a worldly prosperous life… of money earned and invested so that you can become rich; Watch and pray!!

3.   Perhaps it is an addiction to electronic games that has wasted so many hours; Watch and pray!!

4.   Perhaps it is a more daily sin habit… overeating, oversleeping, spiritual laziness in the quiet times; Watch and pray!!

5.   Perhaps it is gossip… the phone rings, it’s a good friend, you begin talking, next thing you know, a juicy topic about someone you both know comes us, and you feel the temptation to gossip, to slander their name; Watch and pray!!

6.   Perhaps it is complaining… you are struggling with patience in life… traffic patterns on Rte 40, or in downtown Durham; perhaps it is issues at home, arguing with your spouse; Watch and pray!!

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE STANDING FIRM, YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF LEST YOU FALL BACK INTO SIN

III.   The Worldwide Experience of Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

A.   The Temptations We Face Every Day are Common Around the World

1.   There is nothing unusual about you

2.   Your fleshly drives are the same ones that your Christian ancestors fought as well… the same lusts assaulted their souls

3.   So also your brothers and sisters around the world… in Kenya, they are fighting the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life just the same way as you, the same as your brothers and sisters in Shanghai and in Madrid and in Rio

B.   Satan Lies to Us that We Are UNIQUE

1.   We are unusual in our temptations

2.   No one like us has ever lived with this level of suffering, this level of allure

3.   NOT AT ALL! Every Christian on earth gets tempted, allured toward sin

4.   Also Satan is not very creative… he uses what has worked in every generation… what will ALWAYS work; pandering to our pride, our sensual pleasures, our desire for affirmation, our bodily drives

5.   He has studied us and he knows us… all over the world, we are essentially the same

IV.   God’s Faithfulness in Filtering our Temptations

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

A.   God Is Faithful = God is Permanently Committed to Saving You

1.   God is faithful to you … He will never give you over to your sins

2.   He will fight your sins more persistently and violently than you do

“How Firm a Foundation”

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes;

that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

3.   That is the FAITHFULNESS of God

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

a.   Faithful concerning your temptations

b.   Faithful even when you sin

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

B.   God’s Sovereign Filtering of Temptations

1.   The text says God will not ALLOW YOU to be tempted beyond what you can bear

2.   God knows us, he knows our weaknesses

Psalm 139:1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

Psalm 103:14 he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

3.   God knows there are some temptations that would be 100% effective and would destroy our worlds

4.   So he WILL NOT ALLOW that temptation to come your way

5.   Satan the tempter is on a leash! He has to ask permission

6.   We see this plainly in Job 1-2; Satan has to come asking permission to get at Job

7.   God is controlling the level of trial that Satan is allowed to bring into Job’s life

8.   In Job’s case, it was MASSIVE: the loss of all his possessions and all his children in one single day; then the loss of his health

9.   In the case of others, he knows how weak we are and will not allow Satan or his demons to get at us in hardly any ways; there are temptations, but nowhere near what Job experienced

C.   Satan on a Leash: What a Comforting Thought

Pilgrim’s Progress:

Christian sees a pair of lions on either side of the road he has to travel on, and he is terrified; but a guide calls to him: “Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed their for the trial of faith… keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come to you!”

So it will be for the rest of your lives… Satan wants to attack you directly, rip you to shreds; but he is on a leash, having to ask permission to tempt you. And God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear

D.   Application

1.   Whatever temptations DO come your way have already been filtered by your Father and he commands you to stand firm in the day of testing

2.   God has decided what you can bear, and you cannot say to him “I can’t take any more of this!”

3.   Your responsibility is to kill the temptation and weaken the sin habit

V.   Standing Firm by Escaping

1 Corinthians 10:13 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 bear it.

A.   The General Call of Holiness: STAND FIRM in Christ

1.   Stand your ground

2.   Like a warrior, fighting a battle; don’t FALL into sin

B.   How Do We Bear Temptation? Don’t Yield to It

1.   We kill temptation by saying NO to it; the grace of God teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions (Titus 2:12)

2.   Like Joseph, running from Potiphar’s wife… he refused her! He said NO! to her

3.   So we must do to all alluring, enticing temptations that are seeking to pull us from Christ

C.   God Provides a Way of Escape!! Run for your life!!

VI.   Applications

A.   Come to Christ First!

B.   Prepare for Battle

1.   Be aware you will have to fight sin the rest of your life

2.   Think of what Jesus said to Peter: “Watch and Pray so that you will not fall into temptation”

3.   Be vigilant: “When sin leaves you alone, you may leave sin alone” (John Owen)

4.   In your morning quiet time, think ahead of time of the tempting circumstances you are likely to face that day

a.   In your morning routine—showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, interacting with your family or roommates

b.   In your coming and going: your commute, when you’re driving: temptations toward impatience with others, selfishness

c.   In your classes or your job or your work as a mom… what is likely to tempt you toward ungodly attitudes

5.   Put on your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6)… ready for battle

C.   Avoid Temptations You Don’t Have to Endure

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

D.   Specific Areas

1.   Lust through the internet… lustful websites

2.   Covetousness through the internet… Amazon Prime as a therapy

3.   Anger and arguing with family members

4.   Complaining about trials in life

5.   Displays of pride

E.   Specific Elements of Defeating Temptation

1.   Understand the eternal stakes of this battle!

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

2.   Understand the mysterious partnership between us and the Spirit

a.   YOU… BY THE SPIRIT put to death the deeds of the body

Philippians 2:12-13 work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

3.   Take personal responsibility

a.   YOU must kill temptations by the Spirit

b.   If you fall into sin, it is YOUR responsibility

4.   Understand the relentless marathon

John Owen: “There is not a day that goes by in which sin is not either

“You must mortify! You must make it your daily work. You must be constantly at it while you live. Cease not a day from this work! Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you!

There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed upon; and it will be that way while we live in this world.

5.   Understand the role of scripture

a.   Saturate your mind with scripture texts that will help you defeat temptations

b.   Jesus Christ fought the devil’s temptations with “It is written…”

Psalm 119:9, 11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word… I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

6.   Understand that specific SINS cannot be killed, but they can be weakened

a.   Death by starvation

b.   Individual temptations can be destroyed!! Must be destroyed

7.   Kill temptations by being FULL OF CHRIST by the Spirit

a.   Full people are hard to tempt

b.   Jeremiah Burroughs, “Trying to tempt a content man is like shooting a flaming arrow at an iron wall!”

c.   Be so filled with joy and peace and love through the Holy Spirit that temptations will lose their power

8.   Make sin PERSONAL with Christ!

Luke 22:60-62 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

9.   Accountability in a healthy church

Hebrews 3:13   But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

10. Saturate your mind in heavenly meditation… SET YOUR HEARTS ON THINGS ABOVE, not on earthly things