Temptation is a regular part of our daily lives. Sometimes temptation seems to be experienced minimally. Other days temptation may hit us like a tsunami that feels like it will rip us apart. Either way, whether we are being bombarded or whether we barely feel the test, the reality is we must know how to face temptation.
What is temptation? Temptation is a test of our inner man. Temptation is described in James 1:14 as the process of being lured or enticed; the focus of that enticement is our heart’s desire. I find that description fascinating. We feel like temptation is too much to handle at times. It is just too strong. I know what it is like to experience major temptation and fail. And even though I am a man, my greatest temptations and battles have not been for the purity of my soul although that was, for a period of time, the focal point of my testing and failure of desire. Out of that battle, I wrote and have used the material in Soul Purity, a workbook for meditations on God rather than on the longings for things of the flesh that took me down a road away from what God designed me for.
But that has not been my greatest battlefield. The greatest struggles for me have been in the area of man-pleasing. The worship of people. The desire for their approval was something that drove me for years. And it was not till I began to see how much it was entangled in my work and service for God that I saw how hard it would be to resist its allure. And unfortunately, it is much easier to seem spiritual and to be doing a work for God while serving people and their approval than it is to battle the flesh and its sensual tendencies. The temptation for pleasing others has been great. Its drive is insidious and unrelenting.
When I consider the truth of what James shares in chapter one, I realize that the power of the temptation is not because of the “powerful element” that is drawing me away towards sin. The power of the temptation is fueled by the desire within my own heart. I am the product of my own desires. I want “that” badly. I interact with one particular person, yet I have no temptation to please him versus God. In contrast, I may encounter another person; yet by virtue of my relationship with him, I dread his disapproval and long for his smile and good words. Only as I recognize the idolatry of my desires can I begin to fight this temptation battle. Too often I can downsize and ignore the weight of my idolatry towards some people. I can rationalize what I am thinking, desiring, and doing. You see how my “fear of man” or “desire for their approval” becomes such fuel for the fire of my temptation. I provide the fuel. Or, I can dowse it. I can empty it of its power and influence on me. I must dethrone these desires. They must be torn down.
So now the next time I encounter this person or that situation in which I might desire those approvals and fear those disapprovals, I must have something else in my heart. I must have a desire only for God’s approval and love. My soul must be consumed by Him and not by others. When I am employed, I work for God while being paid by my employer. When I am preaching, I speak before God while the congregation listens in. In my relationship with my family, I serve them as unto God. I must not give this temptation to serve, worship, and please men any fuel for the flame of temptation to burn in my soul.
How to Face Temptation:
- Recognize the battle for your soul (I Peter 2:11) “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” Generations have had to wage the war against the passions of the flesh. What are your heart longings that are of this world rather than the next?
- Be a learner. Listen to people who recognize the fuel for temptation in your life, and take note of their counsel (Proverbs 9:9-10).
- Be humble, willing to change (I Corinthians 10:12).
- Don’t quit. Don’t say temptation is too hard. God is faithful. He knows you. He believes you can survive this test. Remember that many others have faced similar tests and have by God’s grace said no to their flesh and yes to godliness (I Corinthians 10:13) (Galatians 6:9).
- Remind yourself of the good news in the Gospel. Christ died and rose again to conquer sin and its power. If you are a child of God, you no longer need to fear a temptation. Although the desires are within, you can die to them and be alive to Christ. Believe it to be true (Romans 6:5-19).
So what? The problem is not from the outside; the problem is from within. You may blame the world and the TV and other media. Or you blame your roommate, your mate, your job situation. They are OUTSIDE of you. But when what they say and do becomes your way of thinking and living, then your heart is full of worldly desires of the flesh. Your heart must be FULL of godly desires in the Spirit. You have to meditate on God, His character, allowing His Spirit to change your heart to be like His. Then temptation will lose its grip and power on you.
