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Defeating Temptation & Fear 1Co 10:13 “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].” As long as we live in this world we cannot be without tribulation and temptation. Job says that man’s life on earth is a continual warfare. So every one of us must be concerned about his own temptations by staying in prayer and watching, else the devil finds a way to deceive. The devil never sleeps or grows weary – he only goes about seeking whom he may devour. No one is ever so mature and holy that he does not have to deal with some form of temptation. Temptations are useful to us if we want to be like Jesus Christ. These temptations humble us, cleanse us, and instruct us. All true saints pass through tribulations and temptations to increase the Kingdom of God. There is no man free of temptations because the source of temptations is in our selves. Born in sinful desire, we always have something to suffer as long as we are striving to be more like Christ. Many seek to escape temptations, only to fall into them. We cannot win by flight, but by patience and humility we are made stronger that our foes. If you simply turn aside, the root remains and becomes worse. But with God’s help, an enduring spirit will harden you with determination not to give in. This is the comfort we can give one another in time of need. Giving into evil temptations is a sign of instability in the mind and a lack of trust in God. Yielding makes like a ship without a steering helm – it goes wherever the wind blows. The winds of temptation are blowing. This is the way of a man with instability. He never knows where he might end up and what damage could be done. Fires temper iron. Temptations temper the man. None of us knows what we will do until we are tempted. Only as we stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ is there a way of escape. So if you are living a life of resistance against all temptations by submitting yourself to the pressures of God right now even though it seems like a long enduring grievous time, take heart, you shall be able to bear it. If you are not actively resisting, YOU ARE GROWING WEAKER EACH DAY – THE ENEMY IS GROWING STRONGER. Deception is operating. CONCEIT is the problem = to imagine what is not true. Look at us as a society. Blindness! We live in conceit. We don’t want to face reality – too difficult to ascertain (to make certain). [Only 16% of Christians believe in discipling. These are the same ones who believe in absolutes – the rest live in conceit – imagination, deception.] Here is the shocker – I was meditating on the demise of older generation – what will be left of us? Only those who have a work ethic, a standard of discipline, and who pay the price to improve themselves are the ones willing to be disciplined!!! More and more people are giving up the effort to go on and improve themselves. The work of deception is already increasing at an alarming rate. People don’t care anymore about the standard of Christ over their life. They think everything is OK without the discipline of the church which Christ rules. So who are the conceited? Those who refuse to accept the leadership of others. They think they know enough and nobody can tell them what to do or how to live. Have you heard, "He’s a proud man!” That is a disgrace. That man will never receive any help from anyone, especially God. That man is ignorant. That man cannot stand under temptation, adversity, or any sort of trouble because he is conceited and has too much confidence in himself. The proud and conceited are always looking for security now. They believe that they take care of themselves and save themselves now. But listen, these are the ones who become the most fearful and cast down in the day of trouble! FEAR is a painful emotion excited by the expectation of evil. It is accompanied with a desire to avoid evil (temptation). It produces an uneasiness of the mind about what may or may not befall us. Fear is what causes our imaginations to go wild. If not dealt with, fear will produce terror to respond beyond the “normal” reasonable method. The more fear is allowed to operate, the greater the degree of deception that will follow. As fear increases, people are going to become more and more deceived. Fear produces uncontrolled emotions to rule our decision-making. We won’t think clearly or hear The Lord’s direction or counsel. And those who are not submitted to authority and leadership will drown in the temptation of fear. Fear produces a stress that literally shuts us down. Our bodies and makeup won't operate. More and more people need help to function throughout the day – FEARS have gripped them. If we don’t deal with this pattern in our lives, we will react to people with confusion, judgmentalism and condemnation. God never intended fear to be bondage. He intends it to guide us, keep us safe under the protective covering of God: (Psm.19:9) “The fear of the Lord is clean.” It is a physical cleansing, purging to make holy. Psa.23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” How do we know when to fear? “In God do I put my trust; I will not fear what man can do to me.” WE are to love God, hate evil; trust in God, not in man; fear the Lord and flee from evil. Fear negates truth. So you must speak truth to your fears. Where you have been robbed of life because fear has its grip, speak truth and be set free. -Pr. Steve July Newsletter 2005 | Defeating Temptation & Fear | Ministry Minded part 2 of 3 | Weaklings or Warriors part 1 of 2 Pastor's Journal July 2004 | Adventures of Great God and Stupid Cat | Arise - Become - Build and Shine part 1 of 3 |
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