Subtitle: Overcoming Temptations… Part 1
1. There is no temptation if there is no tempter.
The devil doesn’t know everything that is in our minds, but he does know if we have accepted a thought that he suggested… Satan doesn’t know all things so he presents different situations to us to get us to fall. There are times that he fails, because what he thinks might be a temptation to us may not be a temptation at all. But when he finds something that he can hook a person with he’ll use that one thing as best as he can until he destroys the individual with that thing (and for many it’s multiple things that he uses). If stealing isn’t a strong temptation to you, when the devil realizes it he’ll try to tempt you with something else. He’s trying to hook our heart to something that is against the will of God to pull us out of righteousness back into sin. The hook can develop in us if we entertain the temptation long enough. The hook can already be implanted in our soul, or he can even use the hook he has in our sin natured body if we haven’t denied or spiritually crucified our selves- Rom 7:22-25, Gal 2:20, Luke 9:23. The hook the devil will try and use to pull us can even be in the form of a demon/principality brooding/hovering over the atmosphere we are walking into or through on the streets or in a building/house, but this is where we need to know the scriptures that counteract the nature of whichever temptation the devil is using. This is why St. Paul tells us to be filled with the spirit- Eph 5:18-21, so that when the devil comes he has no place to put his hook, because your mind is preoccupied with the things of God. So now the power radiating in your atmosphere caused by the word and worship or prayer disrupts, disturbs and repels the sinful atmosphere trying to influence you to sin. Or there is a detailed word in our spirit that strengthens us not to give in to the devil.
Atmospheric influence:
If there is a great influence of spiritual activity in an atmosphere, everyone and everything that comes into it’s territory will fall subject to it’s power unless something in your spirit is stronger than the spiritual activities happening in that place. Saul wanted to kill David at Naioth in Ramah, but the activity of the Holy Spirit was so high in that place that it caused Saul’s men to prophesy instead of arresting David three separate times. Saul himself fell subject to the Power of Gods Spirit and prophesied the entire night instead of laying hands on David to kill him -1Sam 19:20-23. You can be going to school to become a doctor but if the power working in your spirit isn’t greater than the atmospheric powers of Satan in that place you’ll most likely fall a prey to what ever it’s influencing the people to do. If it’s an influential spirit of failure you can become a dropout, if it’s to make fast and dishonest money then drug dealing may seem more appealing. You can go to a city to evangelize to prostitutes but if you’re not covered and empowered by Gods leading you can end up sleeping with them instead, because this is the influence of the atmosphere you’re walking into. In the same way someone can go to church with carnal intentions but end up getting saved. The great thing about atmospheric influence is that they all become subject to the Christian when he/she realizes the authority he/she has and WALKS IN IT…
2. Eve wasn’t tempted to eat the forbidden fruit in Genesis Chap 3 until the devil opened his dirty mouth and said something to her… but at the same time she entertained the devil long enough to hear and believe his lies. So if you are tempted to do evil it’s also a sign that you’re in a better condition than what you’re tempted to do and God must have a better plan for you, otherwise the devil wouldn’t bother.
3. If the devil has a hook in you the first step to deliverance is to confess it. If you don’t confess it you will always fall for it because you are in denial of truth. It’s the truth that makes us free St. John 8:32 even if it’s a confession of being hooked, so we have to be honest with ourselves… King David said “When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.” Psalms 94:18 . This is where you allow God to take over and become your strength in dealing with the powers of that or those temptations, it is then that you will have inner victory. Let go of your own strength now, and depend on God. This is how the believer lives, not by his own strength and abilities but by FAITH in Gods’ abilities… 2Cor 5:7, Zech 4:6 Rev 12:11
Temptations will always come because the devil will always try, but some days will be much easier than others because the devil and his demons can’t be everywhere at one time and he’ll even go away for seasons as he did to Jesus - Luke 4:13. but remember that temptations aren’t designed to frustrate you but to build your faith and patience in God- James 1:2-4…
Comments
Good thoughts. I'm sure they will ministry to those who read them.
Tell us a littlebout yourself.
God bless,
Don Ensign