Mon.1.5.15...Lead us not into Temptation

The Lord’s prayer has been helping to shape our prayer life in a more full and balanced way. It’s good to start out with God’s Praise (Our Father in heaven, holy is your name) and then pray regarding God’s Priorities (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.) After God’s Praise and God’s Priorities, we come to our Petitions- for provisions (daily bread), pardon (forgive us our debts) and now we come to “Lead us not into temptation.” 

Doesn’t this seem like an odd request? We are told clearly that “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt any man.” James 1:13. But this is just an old way of saying, “lead me away from temptation.” This prayer makes sense in light of what Jesus said to his sleepy disciples as he agonized in prayer in the garden, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Mt.26:41. Jesus command to “watch” reminds me of a military watch or guard. They were to keep watch, to be alert! “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NLT. Being watchful or alert and prayerful comes out in Paul’s following exhortation- “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Col.4:2 NLT. Looking at these last three verses, we see that we must be alert and prayerful to deal with temptation. I wonder how many times a day, people fall prey to it because they don’t pray. God wants to lead us away from temptation, not be led into temptation, so he has given plenty of guidance for victory over it throughout his word. Here are several important points to keep in mind for ourselves and our protégés.

1.-Don’t believe the serpent’s lies. From the beginning Satan has deceived people into believing that God’s way isn’t the best way. His oft' repeated lie is-“God can’t be trusted. There’s more to life- if it looks good, go for it!”

2.-Keep a healthy distance from tempting people, places and things (Ps.1:1; Prov.7:6-10). If you can’t change your friends, change your friends. Fix your focus on delighting in God’s good ways instead.

3.-Get rid of whatever has been tripping you up and change your stinking thinking. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. (Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."Rom.13:14)

4.-Name the temptation for what it truly is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife, he said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?!” Gen.39:9.

5.-Temptation looks far better than it ever is. “It’s might look like big scoops of chocolate ice cream covered with whip cream, but each scoop is just horse poop. Anyone for it now? Sin’s aftertaste is truly disgusting. Let the ruined lives of those who have gone after sin, remind you of this. Do you want to end up like them? See Prov.5:8-14

6.-The gravitational pull toward the temptation gets weaker the farther you move away from it in thought and action. That’s why the Bible says, “Flee the evil desires…” 2 Tim.2:22. But nature abhors a vacuum We must replace the evil with the good. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom.12:21. IT's like going on a diet. "Get out the bad, get in the good."Replace hurtful behaviors with helpful ones.

7.-Thank the devil, so to speak, for the temptation. I’m not really on speaking terms with Satan, but it is a great way to frustrate his tempting ways. Every time a tempting thought invades, let it serve as a reminder to thank and praise Jesus for his victory over sin and Satan. Singing a praise song works wonders for many and many a time. Satan can’t stand a singing saint. (Speaking of speaking to the devil, it’s been said, “Every time the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.”:)

8.-Remember that sins of the body must be conquered (swearing, stealing, lying, cheating, drugging, immorality, etc.) but sins of the heart we will battle until the day we die. We will keep fighting the good fight of faith against such ongoing foes of pride, lust, greed, passivity, unfaithfulness, lack of love, etc. That’s not good news, but it’s the truth and it’s a way we can demonstrate our love and faith to God. Our devoted redeemer and holy one is worthy of our devotion and holiness. Battle on! You are not alone. (1 Pet.5:8-9)

9.-Recognize, you are no match for temptation when you get too close to it. So flee it. Be alert. What’s going on in your heart? Are you attracted to a pretty woman that you have no business getting close to at your place of business? Establish wise boundaries. Here are some that wise men have established to protect themselves from an affair- "I will not flirt. I will not be huggy and touchy. I will not share my marital issues. I will not linger. I will not be go out for a meal alone or chauffer her alone. I will use my wedding ring as a reminder to myself and others." It’s not a sin to be attracted to an attractive woman. That just proves you’re a healthy man. But to flirt with her just proves you’re a foolish man. (Prov.6:20-7:27)

10.- Renew your mind. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom.12:2. Write down key MP3 verses on your 3x5 to help you in your specific temptations and review them frequently. Let the temptation again trigger you to pray, to move away and to review transforming truths. Let old weaknesses prompt you to become strong in God’s word.

Tomorrow, we will look at more practical points from God's word on dealing with temptation.

1. Several passages have been quoted or referred to. Pick one and share your thoughts on it.

2. Write a key portion of the passage on your 3x5 for later mediation, prayer, praise and passing on. After you've written it out, do the Did it.

3. Anybody got an R to post since New Year's Eve? One will suffice for even a few wrongs you sought to make right. Way to go!

Online pornography has become a huge source of temptation and destruction in millions of men's lives. Chris White is a Bible teacher who earlier in his Christian life struggled and eventually gained freedom over such. He tells his story on a YouTube video he posted. http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-archive/?tubepress_page=2  Check it out if you wish. It could be a helpful resource to proteges and others who may need your help in this area. He doesn't mention installing online filters, but that can be a big help. Of course if a guy installs such himself, he could easily uninstall it. I had a techy friend come over and put such on all the data coming into our home. Peace of mind.

You did great on the Review Test. I knew you would! I didn't want to overload you while you were doing the 2 day test last Thursday and Friday, so there were other MP3s or such to do. Thus, there is no Great Scoreboard to update and post today or tomorrow. 

Announcements
Some of you already know that Daniel's father-in-law passed away this past weekend. I know he appreciates the texts and calls of love and support you've given him and his wife Martha. They spent a lot of time in the hospital since New Year's Eve. We love you Daniel!