TEMPTATIONS BANE

(A scriptural study on fighting sin)


“The greatest saint can stand only as long as he depends upon God and continues in obedience to the gospel”.
From the beginning, God has lain out the consequences for obedience and disobedience to His Word. He freely entered into a relationship with man with the stipulation that there were certain things that man could do and things he could not. The nature of the command does not appear to be as important as the strict following of that command. For there are surely things that He directs us to do that we may never understand. And as His Word indicts, He is quick and severe in His punishment.
From the time that God first breathed life into the body of man, He required obedience and gave both the rewards and penalties for that obedience. In Gen. 2:17; God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge. In Gn. 3:1-19, the serpent convinces Eve that to eat of the “tree” will give her intimate knowledge of God, her eyes will be opened and she will know all good and evil. Eve influences Adam to eat as well and their nakedness is revealed to them as a consequence of innocence lost. God seeks them out, only to find that they have disobeyed Him and are now condemned to bear the curse set on them for disobedience. The Lord also sets a curse on Satan and defines the punishment on man and woman. Man’s separation from God is complete in his disobedience to Him.
But as God is the author of all that exists, consider what His possible motives might have been in creating the tree of knowledge in the first place. Just as He knew that Satan would fall, He knew that Eve could be tempted and that Adam would follow suit. This was no surprise to God. And He had not been second guessed. In order for man to be able to make his own decision, he had to be presented with a choice. God put the tree there in order that man would be presented with that choice and He knew what that choice would be before man made it. With no possibility of battle, there can be no victory.
In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8:11-13, God admonishes His children not to allow the blessings of the past to interfere with the keeping of His commandments. His concern was that when man became prosperous, and wanted for nothing, that he would tend to forget where he came from and to whom he owed his blessings. In the following verses He again recounts the previous trials that He had led Israel out of. He reminds them of His mercies and admonishes man not to be deceived into forgetting that “for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day”
The wisdom of Proverbs invokes us that we “Do not walk with sinners, nor consent to the ways they propose, for their way is folly.” And that “When wisdom is used, the knowledge is pleasant, the soul is delivered from evil.” And to “Avoid the path of the wicked, do not emulate them or even linger to observe their ways.” And that “The path of evil is ever shifting and changing, one cannot depend on it to remain stable. Remove yourself from this path and remain steadfast in that which you know to be moral and just. Remain true in your relationship with the wife of your youth and desire not for those things that are evil. For your God above records every word and deed that you profess.” Or “Can a man court evil and not be effected? Will he not be burned by the immoral lust of his heart?”
In Proverbs 7:23, a young man, void of understanding, is passing through the streets and is beset by a harlot. This harlot has made her sacrifice to her pagan god and is in search of a victim to overwhelm with her evil wares. She entices him with her body and her bed and leads him, as an ox to slaughter, to do that which is evil and unacceptable to God. The principle here is that a person who allows one who has no scruples to entice them into that which is wrong is not being obedient to God and even though they are deceived, will still suffer the penalty of doing the wrong. For as Proverbs continues, in chapter 9:15-17; “One who submits to the whiles of a harlot lacks understanding, and the foolish woman preaches that unlawful pleasures are sweeter than lawful ones.” And in allowing himself to be deceived, the man indulges in sin two-fold. Once for the ignorance of the deception and once for the sin itself. Each of us has a mind to turn to God and ask for direction. A failure to do so insights no mercy from He that gave us the power to make rational decisions. Proverbs continues to say that “The just man guides his friend in righteousness, but a wicked neighbor leads him astray.” It is the duty of each of us to provide direction for our brothers. It is not enough to simply continue on the correct path if we do not attempt to adjust the direction of others who may be traveling in the wrong direction. To turn away from the brother or sister in need is to turn away from the desire of God in that; “we love each other as He loves us.”
Proverbs 14:27 indicates that “To depart from fear through the fear of God is to obtain eternal life.” This is to say that if we pursue the righteousness of God through a desire to be obedient to Him, He will provide for us eternal life. And the life we lead will be free from the fear that dwells within the heart of man, the fear of death.
To do this Proverbs 19:27 says that we should “Hear nothing that is not truth.” We are all given the ability to reason. Each of us has been given the power to contemplate what we hear. And if we draw on the wisdom of God, we are able to distinguish between right and wrong.
“He who tempts a brother to go astray will himself fall into the pit of evil despair and destruction; and the upright shall continue to be helped and blessed of God.” This in itself is the description of an evil heart. For God will surely judge harshly the man who would go out of his way to bring about the downfall of another. A contrast to this is found in Isa. 33:15-16; “He that despises deceit and abhors all ill-gotten gain, he that does not oppress the poor or take advantage of anyone for gain, or cruelly extort payment from anyone, or does not make any deal or mete out justice with a view of receiving a reward, or listen to any proposal that condones bloodshed, violence, murder or other hurtful things, who does not even desire to look upon any evil, or be found in places where sin is committed, will not witness or hear any brawl or contention, or take part in them, will dwell in high places and be blessed by Jehovah.
So what is seen in these contrasts between an evil heart and that of a just and righteous man is the razors edge between good and evil. The evil heart seeks to hurt and destroy the good in others. It serves its own purpose with no thought as to what that purpose may do to another. From the beginning of man’s existence on earth there has been a distinct difference between these two types of character. If man is to fall within the grace of God and dwell with Him forever, he must look into his own heart and determine whether the seed that has been planted is that of a life saving God or that of the deceiver.
The books of Matthew and Luke tell the parable of the sower of seeds. And in the telling of this parable we see the characteristics of the four sorts of ground that seeds may be sown into:
The highway ground; is referenced to the pathways that led through the corn fields, the ground was hard packed and refused entry of the seed into the soil. Birds could pick the seed up before it could take root. What kind of hearers are likened to seeds sown on the ‘highway ground’?. Those that hear the Word and do not understand it. And it is their own fault that they do not, for they actually do hear it, they just choose not to heed it. Or they come to hear the word but have no intention of using it for good. They come before God as His people come, and sit before Him as His people sit; but it is merely for appearances, to see and be seen, but they mind not what is said. It goes in one ear and comes out the other and makes no impression in between. Such mindless, uncaring hearers are easy prey to Satan. For as he is the great murderer of souls, so also is he the stealer of sermons. He robs these individuals of the content of the word if they are not mindful to prevent it from happening. The word is lost to those as is the seed that is lost to birds who pick it up from ground that is fallow and not plowed or prepared to receive the seed.
The stony ground; here seed is dropped in coarse soil or stones. It may partially grab hold, and may appear to germinate, but has no foundation or healthy root and is easily plucked out by birds or withers and dies from the elements. This represents the case of those that tend to hear the word, and who receive some good impressions of the word, but they are not lasting. These folks are better than the former, yet not as good as they could be and so come short of their heavenly reward. They go so far as to hear the Word, do not turn their backs on it, yet they rest on it. They give it no action. They may be pleased with the word and yet do not profit by it, they are not changed or ruled by it. Many taste the word of God and say they find sweetness in it, but some beloved lust is rolled under the tongue, which it would not agree with, and so they spit it out again. Many endure for a while, yet do not endure until the race is won, and so come short of the happiness that the word promises.
The thorny ground; thorns which are a good guard to the corn when in the hedge, but are a bad inmate when in the field. This intimates that the corn was strewn within a briar or thorn patch that may not have been noticeable at first but began to choke out the corn after a period of time. The corn takes root, but presently is choked out by the lingering remnants of the past thorny occupants. Such is like the individual who hears the word, yet does not let it take hold of him and allows issues from the past to overcome the newfound resolve. These thorns may be the ‘cares of this world’ or the ‘deceitfulness of riches’. The every day issues of the world may close in and prevent the person from focusing on the word and the reward promised. Or riches and the belief in our own ability to persevere without God’s assistance may choke out our resolve to follow the less traveled path and to seek to follow the path of less resistance.
The good ground; this ground is distinguished from the others by the evidence of the fruitfulness of the seed. It is sown in ground that has been tilled and has been prepared to receive the seed. The soil is fertile and the seed protected by a depth established by the sower of that seed. By this true Christians are distinguished from hypocrites, in that they bring forth the fruits of righteousness. As intelligent hearers they hear the word and understand it. They understand not only the sense and meaning of the words, but their own concern in them, they understand it as a man of business understands his business. God in His word deals with men as men, in a rational way, and gains possession of the will and affections by opening the understanding, whereas Satan, who is a thief and a robber, comes not in by that door, but climbeth up another way. The enemy seeks to reduce the soil to an unusable texture. He strips the soil of nutrients and necessary ingredients for life. Fruitful hearers, which is in evidence by the fruit they bear, produce a substantial product in the heart and life, agreeable and likened to the seed of the word received. They then bear fruit, when they practice according to the word, when the temper of their minds and the tenor of their lives are conformable to the gospel they have received, and they do as they are taught. But like different types of seeds of the same variety, and different sorts of soils, some Christians are more fruitful than others. Where there is true grace, yet there are degrees of it; some are able to achieve greater levels of knowledge and holiness than others; all Christ’s scholars are not in the same form. We should aim at the highest degree, to bring forth an hundred-fold, as did Isaac’s ground, abounding in the work of the Lord. But if the ground be good, and the fruit right, the heart honest, and the life in tune with the Spirit, those who bring forth but thirty-fold shall be graciously accepted of God, and it will be fruit abounding to their account, for we are under grace, and not under the law.
The pro-active side of being a righteous man, or exhibiting the militant aspects of Christianity is being prepared for the necessary warfare that is conducted within the spiritual realm. In Ro.6:12-23 we see that by refusing the reign of sin to control our actions we permit the reign of God in the body. Our old relationship to sin is cast off and a new relationship to God is illustrated in our lives. We undergo changes in our acts of obedience which indicate a change in the master we serve. It is through the master served that proves the nature of our obedience and the fruit produced indicates our spiritual state and our destiny. This is the aspect of Christianity that requires positive action. We may be saved, and indeed make it to heaven, but it is not strictly what God has intended for us to accomplish while hear on earth. There is action required to being obedient to His word and commandments. Further reading in Romans, chapters 12&13, reveals that we should contribute to needy saints and make a practice of hospitality. This indicates that there is positive action required of us. We are invoked by this word to step forth and do something. We are to look to our left and to our right and when we see a brother in need, we are to help.
Being the sower of good seeds suggests that we should fight the good fight against evil. Romans 12:21 says “ Never let evil get the better of you; get the better of evil by doing good.” This is a simple fact of God’s principles. Two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time. Where God is, Satan cannot be. This again commits us to positive action. It is not enough to stand by and do no wrong, we must fight evil when and where we find it.
But our actions should be contemplated with prayer and thought. When we commit to a course of action we should consider the possible effects on those we come into contact with through the process. Romans 14:13-21 says “ Let not your actions be a stumbling block to others.” It is not so much what you do that is taken as a sin, but how this action may effect the walk of another. The kingdom of God does not consist of meat, drink, and outward religion, it does however consist of these three things; righteousness, peace and joy. And any man who possess these three things has three great blessings, he is a servant of Christ, he is acceptable with God and he is approved of men.
Because we are men, and each of us has a separate thought pattern and set of desires, it is only natural that differences will arise. But the Word of God gives us direction even in times of confusion. 1Cor. 7:5; “What we owe one another, do not refuse to pay, unless by mutual consent for a season agreed upon for fasting and prayer. Then, regardless of the spiritual blessing either one has received, come together again to defeat Satan.” And in chapter 8:9-13 the gist is, take heed that the action that you commit, even if you are convinced that in Gods’ eyes it means nothing, does not create a problem for your brother. This liberty may cause another to stumble who still believes that the action is a sin and very real. He does not have your knowledge so he will commit a sin if he persists and follows the example set. Here it specifically speaks of idols, but this could be translated to almost anything that might distract one from his walk with God. Fishing may be a problem for some, but not for others. Sports may distract some and create a problem where another may indulge to a lesser degree with no repercussions.
In the first book of Corinthians many of the church supposed they were secure in their salvation because they had repented, were baptized, and had partaken of Christian ordinances. According to them nothing they did could cut them off from Christ- they could partake of idolatrous feasts and still be saved. This is why Paul made the statement concerning castaways, he now shows them that Israel also had sacramental ordinances in the wilderness similar to those of Christians; and that, regardless of their typical baptism, their typical Eucharist, their eating of manna and drinking of that spiritual Rock-Christ, when they joined with idolaters and partook of idolatrous feast, going into sin, that God cut them off and destroyed them. He then warns Christians that God will also cut them off from Christ if they sin.
We should never consider that we are beyond the power of Satan to deceive us. In the second book of Corinthians we are exhorted that “The devil will take advantage of every failure of the Christian using it to get into his life and cause his downfall.” This is a clear warning that at any time, without the benefit of being thoroughly prayed up, we are subject to attack by the enemy of our souls. This preparation against attach is another aspect of being in constant warfare with the powers of darkness. For as Eve was beguiled by Satan to turn away from God, so can we be deceived into turning away from Christ if we allow it to happen.
A perfect example of spiritual warfare is found in Gal.5:16-26, the best antidote against the poison of sin, is, to walk in the Spirit; to be much in conversing with spiritual things; to mind the things of the soul, which is the spiritual part of man, more than those of the body, which is his carnal part; to commit ourselves to the guidance of the word wherein the Holy Spirit makes known the will of God concerning us, and in the way of our duty to act in dependence on his aids and influences. And as this would be the best means of preserving them from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, so it would be a good evidence that they were Christians indeed; for, says the apostle, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law; nor under the condemning, though you are still under the commanding power of it: for there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; and as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
Eph. 4:27; says give no place to the devil. Followed by 6:10-18, wherein we find that our religion is a warfare, for we struggle with the opposition of the powers of darkness, and with many enemies who would keep us from God and heaven. We have enemies to fight against, a Captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves. It is a requisite that a soldier have a good heart, and that he be well armed. If Christians be soldiers of Jesus Christ, they must see that they have a good heart for it, they must be well armed, they must know what the danger is, they must know whom they fight against, and they must know the capabilities of the enemy. They must also know what their duty is, how to wear their armor, how to stand their ground and most importantly what they are fighting for.
1Tim. 5:15 and 6:9-17 admonishes that ministers are men of God, and ought to conduct themselves accordingly in every thing; they are men employed for God, devoted to His honor more immediately. It is ill becoming any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. They should arm themselves against the love of the world, follow that which is good, conduct righteousness in their conversation towards men, godliness toward God, faith and love as living principles, to support themselves and carry themselves on in the practice both of righteousness and godliness. They that follow after righteousness and godliness, from a principle of faith and love, must put on the robe of patience and meekness: patience to bear both the rebukes of Providence, and the reproaches of men, and meekness wherewith to instruct those that would contradict the word or pass by the persecutions and injuries that are done to them.
In Heb. 3:6; Each of us personally, are called temples of the Holy Ghost, and Christ dwells in us by faith; all of us jointly, as we are united by the bonds of graces, truths, ordinances, gospel-discipline, and devotions. And in verses 12-14 we are told that by sin and unbelief we can fall short of the promised blessings, fall in the wilderness, and be cut off from God. The born again or saved can also return to an evil heart of unbelief, depart from the living God, be hardened by deceitfulness of sin, and be cut off by God and finally be lost..
Two outstanding facts are presented to us by the word of the gospel:
Christians can backslide, tear down the foundation of repentance that is already laid. Should they ever again be admitted into the church, they will have to build again the foundation of repentance and do their first works again.
Christians can fully apostatize from Christ, completely reject Him and His atoning work, so that it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.
Hebrews 10:26-38 explains that apostasy is the sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth; sinning willfully against that truth we have had convincing evidence of. The sin here is a total and final apostasy, when men with a full and fixed will and resolution despise and reject Christ the only Savior; despise and resist the Spirit,, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life; and all this, after they have known, owned, and professed, the Christian religion, and continue to do so obstinately and maliciously. There remains no more sacrifice for such sins; no other Christ to come to save them; they sin against the last resort and remedy. There remains only for them a certain fearful looking for of judgment. And a terrible judgment it will be. An eternity without Christ!
As explained in the book of James, the suffering state of Christians in this world may be that troubles and afflictions are to be the lot of the best Christians, even of those who have the most reason to think and hope well of themselves. They must not think it strange if they meet with troubles. These outward afflictions and troubles are temptations to them. The devil endeavors by sufferings and crosses to draw men to sin, and to deter them from duty, or unfit them for it: but as our afflictions are in God’s hand, they are intended for the trial and improvement of our graces. The gold is put into the furnace, that it may be purified. These may be numerous and various or “divers” temptations. Our trials may be of many and different kinds, and therefore we must put on the whole armor of God. We must be armed on every side, because temptations lie on all sides. The trials of a good man are not ones he creates for himself, or sinfully pulls upon himself; but they are such as he is said to fall into. And for this reason they are the better born by him. The graces and duties of a state of trial and affliction are given to us through these temptations. Could we stand strong each time and endure these things, and grow in them as we should do, how good would it be for us to be afflicted, what practice we would gain for our future battles, what grace we would achieve from our affliction.
One Christian grace to be exercised is joy. We must not sink into a sad and disconsolate frame of mind, that would make us faint under our trials; but must endeavor to keep our spirits dilated and enlarged, the better to take in a true sense of our situation, and with a greater advantage to set ourselves to make the best of it. The world may teach man to remain calm under troubles, but Christianity teaches men to be joyful; because such exercises proceed from love, and not fury, in God. By remaining joyful during these times of trouble we show our conformity to Christ and His principles. “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth. “ There is more reason for joy in afflictions, if we consider the other graces that are promoted by them. It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.
Faith is another grace increased by the trials that we endure. There must be a sound believing of the great truths of Christianity, and a resolute cleaving to them, in times of trial. That faith which is spoken of here as tried by afflictions, consists in a belief of the power and promise of God, and in fidelity and constancy to the Lord Jesus. There must be patience; the trial of faith worketh patience. Trying of one grace produces another; and the more the suffering graces of a Christian are exercised, the stronger they grow. Tribulation worketh patience, Rom 5:3. To exercise Christian patience right, we must let it work. It is not a stupid, but an active thing. All men praise patience, but few enough can practice it; it is a medicine which is good for all diseases, and therefore every old woman recommends it; but it is not every garden that grows the herbs to make it with. When one’s flesh and bones are full of aches and pains, it is as natural for us to murmur as for a horse to shake his head when the flies tease him, or a wheel to rattle when a spoke is loose; but nature should not be the rule with Christians, or what is their religion worth? If a soldier fights no better than a plough-boy, off with his red coat. We expect more fruit from an apple-tree than from a thorn, and we have a right to do so. The disciples of a patient Savior should be patient themselves. We ought not to be afraid of going down into Egypt, when we know we shall come out of it with jewels of silver and gold. However, stoical apathy and Christian patience are two very different things; by the one men become, in some measure, insensible of their afflictions and adopt a “it doesn’t mean a thing” attitude; but in the other they become triumphant in and over the battle. We must take care, that in times of trial, that patience, and not passion be set at work in us. Whatever is said or done, let patience have the saying and doing of it. Let us not allow the indulging of our passions to hinder the operation and noble effects of patience; let us give it leave to work, and it will work wonders in time of trouble. When we bear all that God appoints, and as long as he appoints, and with a humble obedient eye to Him, and when we not only bear troubles, but rejoice in them, then patience hath its perfect work. When the work of patience is complete, then the Christian is entire, and nothing will be wanting; it will furnish us with all that is necessary for our Christian race and warfare, and will enable us to persevere to the end, and then its work will be ended, and crowned with glory.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 2 Pet. 2:9 says; “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.” 1Jn. 2:15-17 says “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; be crucified to the world, be mortified to the things, to the enticements and affairs of it. ...If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The heart of man is narrow, and cannot contain both loves; the world draws down the heart from God; and so the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God dwindles and decays. The world, physically considered, is good, and is to be admired as the work of God, and a glass in which His perfection’s shine; but it is to be considered in its relation to us now in our corrupted state, and as it works upon our weakness, and instigates and inflames our vile affections; there is great affinity and alliance between this world and the flesh, and this world intrudes and encroaches upon the flesh, and thereby makes a party against God. According to the three predominant inclinations of our depraved nature, the things of the world are distinguished into three classes: There is the lust of the flesh, which is the inclination to indulge in the appetite of fleshly pleasures and all those things that excite and inflame the pleasures of the flesh. There is the lust of the eyes; the eyes are delighted with treasures; riches and rich possessions are craved by an extravagant eye; this is the lust of covetousness. And there is the pride of life; a vain man craves all the grandeur, equipage, and pomp of a vain-glorious life, this is ambition, and thirst after honor and applause; this is, in part, the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise.
So the temptations of the heart, the desires of our fleshly nature, are the greatest enemies that we battle. Because it is within us to be deceived by these desires and we have a strong opponent to support them, we must turn to the righteous nature of God to provide us strength to battle these forces. And though we carry these characteristics of sin within us, we are equipped, if we so chose, to battle this nature. God has given us the power, through prayer, to draw on His Spirit. He enables us through His word and the armaments of His gifts to meet these forces head on. But as Christians we must understand that without Him, we do not have the will, or the means to confront this inclination towards evil. It is through Gods saving grace, His everlasting mercy, and His undying love for us that we are victorious. Without these gifts we are as sheep before the slaughter. The downfall of the strongest of saints is the temptation of his own heart. Yet these same temptations are controllable through constant prayer and supplication to our Lord God. “Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find.” “I can do all things, through Christ Jesus, which strengthen me.”
The evidence of your warfare will be the intensity of the pressure the enemy exerts against you. The battle wages on, but the saint is fortified and strengthened daily. “The prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” By these scriptures we are guaranteed that God will sustain us in times of trial, and that through His sustaining grace we will be strengthened in character by each new onslaught. “Have courage O ye saints, for temptation has been met on the battlefield of our hearts and is defeated, therefore we remain victorious in Christ Jesus.”


Keith Markham
Aspiring Christian
February 18, 2001


(Note: various excerpts and quotations have been taken from the Dakes’ annotated version of the King James Bible, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Holy Bible and the Works of the Rev. C.H. Spurgeon)