Our Best Defense against Temptation

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Our Best Defense against Temptation
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"What do you do when you are tempted?"

• Sometimes we forget that we have a choice!
• We must prepare ahead of time how we will respond
  to temptation.

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James 114-15 (NASB)

• 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried
  away and enticed by his own lust.
  15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives
  birth to sin and when sin is accomplished, it
  brings forth death.

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Ephesians 515-17 (NASB)

• 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as
  unwise men, but as wise, 16 making the most of
  your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then
  do not be foolish, but understand what the will
  of the Lord is.

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The Temptations of Christ.

• Jesus resisted the devil (Mat. 41-11).
• Compare 1 John 216 (KJV) For all that is in
  the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
  the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
  Father, but is of the world.

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• Jesus resisted the lust of the flesh.
• Mat. 41 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
  into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2
  And after He had fasted forty days and forty
  nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter
  came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God,
  command that these stones become bread." 4 But He
  answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not
  live on bread alone, but on every word that
  proceeds out of the mouth of God.'

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• Jesus resisted selfish pride.
  
• Mat. 45 Then the devil took Him into the holy
  city and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the
  temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of
  God throw Yourself down for it is written, 'He
  will give His angels charge concerning You' and
  'On their hands they will bear You up, Lest You
  strike Your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said
  to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'You
  shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

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• Jesus resisted the lust of the eyes.
• Mat. 48 Again, the devil took Him to a very
  high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of
  the world, and their glory 9 and he said to Him,
  "All these things will I give You, if You fall
  down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him,
  "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall
  worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
  11 Then the devil left Him and behold, angels
  came and began to minister to Him.
  

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Jesus is our example on how to handle temptation!

• Hebrews 415 (NASB) For
  we do not have a high priest who cannot
  sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has
  been tempted in all things as we are, yet without
  sin. cf. 1 Peter 221-23

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Disciples of Christ are also tempted by the
Tempter.

• Just as the Tempter tempted Jesus, we too are
  attacked by the devil.

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1 Peter 58 (NASB)

• Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
  adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring
  lion, seeking someone to devour.

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• Just as it seems we have gotten rid of a
  particular sin in our life, the Tempter comes
  knocking at our door with other kinds of
  temptations (cf. Mat. 1243-45).

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• Things not sinful in and of themselves can lead
  to temptations to sin (e.g., 1
  Tim. 69-10).

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1 Timothy 69-10 (NASB)

• 9 But those who want to get rich fall into
  temptation and a snare and many foolish and
  harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and
  destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root
  of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it
  have wandered away from the faith, and pierced
  themselves with many a pang.

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• Satan will try to tempt us to sin in any and
  every circumstance of life.

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Matthew 1622-23 (NASB)

• 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke
  Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall
  never happen to You. But He turned and said to
  Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling
  block to Me for you are not setting your mind on
  God's interests, but man's."

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Disciples of Christ are also tempted by the
Tempter.

• Just as the Tempter tempted Jesus, we too are
  attacked by the devil.
• As he did with Jesus,
  the Tempter preys upon us when we are weak.

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Matthew 2640-41 (NASB)

• 40 And He came to the disciples and found them
  sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could
  not keep watch with Me for one hour?
  41 "Keep watching and
  praying, that you may not enter into temptation
  the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

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The Word of God is Our Best Defense.

• Prayer is very important to fighting off
  temptation.

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Matthew 613 (NASB)

• 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver
  us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the
  power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
  cf. Mat. 2641
  2 Cor. 127-10

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1 Corinthians 1013 (NASB)

• No temptation has overtaken you but such as is
  common to man and God is faithful, who will not
  allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
  but with the temptation will provide the way of
  escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

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The Word of God is Our Best Defense.

• Prayer is very important to fighting off
  temptation.
• Yet, to overcome temptation, we must be able to
  recall Scripture.

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• Jesus countered every temptation by quoting
  Scripture It is
  written (Mat 44
  / Deut. 83 Mat. 47 / Deut. 616 Mat. 410 /
  Deut. 613).

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Prepare for battle with the word of God.

• Ephesians 613 (NASB) Therefore, take up the
  full armor of God, that you may be able to resist
  in the evil day, and having done everything, to
  stand firm

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Ephesians 614-17 (NASB)

• 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your
  loins with truth, and having put on the
  breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod
  your feet with the preparation of the gospel of
  peace 16 in addition to all, taking up the
  shield of faith with which you will be able to
  extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil
  one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the
  sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
  cf. 1 Tim 612

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• By storing Gods word
  in our hearts,
  we keep ourselves from sinning.
  

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Psalms 3731 (NASB)

• The law of his God is in his heart His steps do
  not slip.

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Psalms 11911 (NASB)

• Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I
  may not sin against Thee.

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• When temptation arises, we
  are ready to counter it with God's word.

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Proverbs 71-5 (NASB)

• 1 My son, keep my words, and treasure my
  commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments
  and live, and my teaching as the apple of your
  eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers Write them on
  the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, "You
  are my sister, and call understanding your
  intimate friend 5 That they may keep you
  from an adulteress, from the foreigner who
  flatters with her words.

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• We need to saturate our hearts and our minds on a
  continual basis with Gods word.

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Psalm 12 (NASB)

• But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and
  in His law he meditates day and night.

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• Psalm 11997 O how I love Thy law!
  It is my meditation all the day. 98 Thy
  commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for
  they are ever mine 101 I have
  restrained my feet from every evil way, that I
  may keep Thy word. 102 I have not turned aside
  from Thine ordinances, for Thou Thyself hast
  taught me. 103 How sweet are Thy words to my
  taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104
  From Thy precepts I get understanding Therefore
  I hate every false way.

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• If you are discouraged and struggling to hold on,
  if you feel like a
  failure in your fight
  against sin, you need
  to get back to
  the word of God!

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• Just Like Our Lord Jesus, We Can
  Overcome the Temptations of Sin
  When We Yield the Powerful Gospel Against the
  Devil!

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Treasure Gods word!

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