Sunday night Recap - Temptation Battles

This time of year is an exciting time as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with our family and friends. However, it can also be a stressful time in many people's lives.

We can get tired, stressed out, lonely, and succumb to all the pressure.

That is why we talked about the powers of temptation last night.

We took a look at the Temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1-13.














Satan tried to tempt Jesus (who had fasted for 40 days) to turn a rock into bread, to worship Satan, and to jump off a cliff and have the angels catch him.

These were honest temptations to Jesus as a man (remember: Jesus was fully human and fully God) and Satan tempted him at his most desperate time...JESUS was STARVING AND TIRED!!!

Guess what???? SATAN tempts us when we are alone, tired, starving, and desiring something too!

So, we looked at
Four Ways Jesus responded to temptation:
1. He Quoted Scripture....He knew what he believed and could back it up!
2. He realized where the temptation was coming from (the enemy: Satan)
3. He kept perspective of the big picture (the temporary pleasure of bread or ruling the earth paled in comparison to giving into the Devil)
4. Jesus stopped listening to Satan's ramblings. He told Satan to get away!

When we face temptation from classmates, the media, or the little devil on our shoulder we can respond in the same ways:
1. By quoting scripture and knowing what the Bible says.
2. By realizing who is trying to tempt us and if they're not worth trusting.
3. By keeping the big picture in mind and not giving in to something that will have damaging long-term affects.
4. By getting away from the situation!!! Sometimes, we just need to run and get away from temptations if we know we can't handle them.

Check out these verses for more encouragement in the fight against temptation.
Hebrews 2:18 - Jesus was tempted and he was a man...so he showed humans can resist temptation.
James 1:13-14 - God doesn't tempt us...so when we are tempted it is an evil desire.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle...and he will show a way out of it if you seek one!
James 4:7 - Follow God's will by listening to his will for you....he has your best intentions in mind!