LMI Dynamics of Discipleship

lmi Dealing With Temptation

Dynamics of
Discipleship

Lesson 7: Dealing With Temptation 1

LMI Dynamics of Discipleship Dealing With Temptation

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible

(The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a
publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© Logos Ministries International (LMI) Revised 2018

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LMI Dynamics of Discipleship Dealing With Temptation

Lesson 7: Dealing With Temptation Notes

Becoming a follower of Jesus means a whole new way of life. The Apostle Paul
writes the following in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Yet while we are a
‘new creation,’ we live in a world with standards and values that are very different
from God’s standards and values as revealed to us in the Bible. Many of the
attractions of the world may seem appealing, but in reality sin causes pain, misery
and separation from God.
How can we ensure that we do not return to our old way of living or be side-
tracked by the attractions of the world? … We need to learn how to deal with
temptation.

One of the things you can be sure of in life is that you will be tempted. You will be
tempted to disobey God and think, say or do something that is wrong. However,
being tempted is not a sin itself, but giving in to temptation is. Jesus was tempted
in the wilderness, but He was sinless – He never gave in to temptation. Hebrews
4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

The Beginning
Read Genesis 3:1-13. What question did the serpent ask Eve?

The serpent (Satan) wanted Eve to question what God had said: he wanted to sow
a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind. The fruit looked attractive, and the serpent implied
that it would give her wisdom. Satan was very clever, as he added just enough
truth to his lie to make it seem right. Eating the fruit would give Adam and Eve
knowledge of what was good and what was evil, but it would also be disobedient
and rebellious to God’s rule and sovereignty, resulting in death.

Look at the conversation that God had with Adam and Eve. Whom did Adam and
Eve each blame?

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LMI Dynamics of Discipleship Dealing With Temptation

Who in this situation actually sinned? Explain your answer. Notes

It is easy to blame other people, the devil or a particular situation or circumstance

for our sin, but that is just an excuse. No one can make us sin. If we disobey God
then we have to take responsibility and face up to the consequences. Reflect on
the following verses:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,”

for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own
desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin
when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:13-15

Types of Temptation
There are many different types of temptation that people face. Some are more
common than others, but the truth is that all of them can look very attractive, just
like the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Most types of temptation fall into one of three
categories: Jesus faced and overcame all three. Read Matthew 4:1-10.

Category 1 – Desires of the Body

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Matthew 4:3

Jesus had just completed a forty-day fast, so He was hungry! Satan knew that and
so he launched his first attack by appealing to the desires of the body. Jesus knew
that He needed food, but the timing was wrong. The purpose of Him being in the
desert was in order to fast, and He was not going to allow Satan to tempt Him to
do otherwise.
We too may be tempted to satisfy a perfectly normal desire in the wrong way or at
the wrong time. Our bodies need food and there is nothing wrong with eating and
enjoying what God provides. The problem arises when we are tempted to over-eat
and become gluttonous. Or perhaps we buy an expensive item of clothing because
it looks nice, when we know the money should have been used for other things.

In the same way, God created people with sexual desires and these are normal.
The problem arises when people feed their desire with lustful thoughts and then
try to satisfy that desire with inappropriate and sinful behaviour. Engaging with
pornography or getting into an immoral relationship is wrong. God has determined
that marriage between one man and one woman is the only circumstance for
sexual relations to take place, anything else is sinful.

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Category 2 – Pride Notes

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of
the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down, for it is written,

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your
God to the test.’ ”
Matthew 4:5-7

If Satan had quoted this Scripture to you, in what way do you think you would have
responded?

Satan was tempting Jesus to be proud. Jesus could have thought, “I am the Son
of God and my Father won’t let anything happen to me. I have angels at my
command and if I jump off this temple, then it will show the devil and everyone
else just how special I am.” However, Jesus knew that God is not a magician in the
sky ready to perform at our request. God calls us to live by faith, and He will not
be manipulated into performing signs and miracles to satisfy our pride and boost
our social standing. Jesus also knew that this was not how He was to reveal His
identity, and certainly not at Satan’s bidding!
Jesus saw through the test that Satan presented to Him. He knew that there was
only one way to react – He chose to stand firm on the Word of God. In order for
us to do the same when we are tempted, we must know the Scriptures. Satan
referred to the Word of God, saying, “For it is written.” However, he was misusing
it! We need to be able to spot when the Bible is taken out of context or misquoted,
and be aware of how a situation like that can lead to temptation and ultimately sin.
We need to be properly familiar with the Bible so we can identify when it is being
misused or wrongly applied.

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Category 3 – Power and Wealth Notes

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus
said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering
to him.
Matthew 4:8-11

Human nature says, “I want to be in control.” Power, along with material wealth,
can be very attractive. Satan promised to give power and wealth to Jesus under
one condition – Jesus would have to bow down and worship him. That is the
problem with power and materialism. When you begin to strive after it, you very
quickly discover that Jesus is no longer in control of your life, but you are actually
worshipping an idol, which is Satan’s goal.
What is the irony in Satan’s offer to Jesus? See Psalm 22:28, 24:1, 47:8.

Dealing With Temptation

As we have seen, Satan misused Scripture to try and convince Jesus to sin. Have
you ever seen a child teasing an animal? They may use a stick to poke at it or throw
stones at the creature. Eventually the animal gets confused and angry and may
snarl or bite, or run away in fear. That is what Satan was trying to do with Jesus, he
was trying to provoke Jesus to react.
How did Jesus respond to each of the temptations in the passage? What can we
learn from His example?

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LMI Dynamics of Discipleship Dealing With Temptation

One verse of Scripture that you may find helpful is Philippians 4:8: “Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
Notes
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Try using this verse as a standard by which to measure everything. For example, if
you are ever in any doubt as to whether you should be thinking, saying or doing
something, put it to the test and ask yourself: Is it true? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it
commendable? Is it praiseworthy?

Proverbs 5:7-8 also gives us good advice: “And now, O sons, listen to me, and do
not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go
near the door of her house, ...” Here Solomon counselled his sons on what to do
when confronted by an immoral woman. He urged them that they should not go
anywhere near her. Similarly, if you know that you are going to be tempted in a
certain situation, then the best way to ensure that you do not sin is to avoid the
situation in the first place! As much as is humanly possible, take the path that will
keep you away from whatever the temptation may be.

Another question to ask yourself is: “What would Jesus do?” After all, He is our
example and the One we are meant to be following!

Finally
Temptation is something we will always encounter, but we do not need to live in
fear of it. The Holy Spirit living inside of us can give us the strength to withstand
the temptations of the devil. 1 John 4:4 says, “Little children, you are from God and
have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Another verse to take encouragement from is 1 Corinthians 10:13: “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.”

Discussion points:
What are some of the temptations you face in your everyday life?

What practical steps can you take to ensure that you do not give in to temptation?

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