“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is … A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means – the only complete realist.” C. S. Lewis
How was Jesus victorious over temptation? He used the word of God (“It is written…” – Mt. 4:4, 7, 10). The word of God warns, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren” (Jam. 1:13-16). How can we overcome temptation? The same way Jesus did – we must use the word of God as our guide. “Be ye doers of the word, and hearers only” (Jam. 1:22).
Fighting temptation to sin is never easy, but worth the effort. If we fight the good fight of faith a crown of righteousness will be awaiting us (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Remember, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
Think About It!
Have A Great Day!
Tom Moore
Park Heights church of Christ
P. O. Box 107
1300 East Boynton Street
Hamilton, Texas 76531
http://www.parkheightscoc.com
https://fromthepreacherspc.org/
http://www.syfirst.org
http://preachersfiles.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/preacherspc/
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and sings it back to you when you have forgotten how it goes.”
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