Studying About Temptation In Order To Overcome It
Shared on November 13, 2024
Another monster of a demon we face today is the temptation to sin. We must remember that sin’s desire is for you to live by its way. Watch this week’s study as Pastor McCrary teaches about what sin and temptation is, and the steps we can take to withstand sin’s temptation to get you to fall.
Introduction
In our study this week, we will continue to follow the story of Joseph. Joseph, through his fellowship with God, has experienced success in Potiphar’s house (Gen. 39:3-6). However, things take an unexpected turn as temptation comes his way. His obedience under duress is something we certainly need to study about because, once again, all believers face this same challenge.
The Longing of the Temptress
In Potiphar’s house, Joseph, potentially, had to face monsters like loneliness, confusion, frustration, and even anger after being betrayed and sold into slavery. Through his fellowship with God, Joseph found success in Potiphar’s house.
Now, we’ll see Joseph come face to face with another monster while in Potiphar’s house. This monster cast longing eyes for Joseph as he found success. We are told in Genesis 39:7 that Potiphar’s wife casted longing eyes on Joseph.
Scripture tells us that Joseph was a handsome young man in form and appearance and Potiphar’s wife wanted him. She said to Joseph, “Lie with me.” Joseph was now facing a temptress in Potiphar’s house. How would you have handled this temptation?
The Temptation of Sin
Now, when you think of temptation, what is it that you think of? Right now, our mind is likely thinking about Potiphar’s wife trying to seduce Joseph – so we’re think of infidelity.
Is sex the only temptation of sin? Let other people tell it, sex is the only temptation there is. Now, don’t me wrong on this because I am not making light of sexual immorality, however, there are more sins that we can easily be tempted to give into. If we aren’t paying attention, we can easily fall into the temptation of those sins as well.
For example, I am blown away at how quickly some of us give in to the temptation of anger and hate. I’ve been focusing a great deal on anger and hate recently because of how anger and hate is flooding our society and many of us give in to it without second thought. Here’s where I remind you that moving out of anger and hate is a sin.
Other than anger and hate, I am also amazed at how quickly many of us give in to the lying tongue. As James wrote, the lying tongue sets fire the course of nature (Jas. 1:7). The lying tongue is an unruly evil that is full of deadly poison (Jas. 1:8). Yet, many of us give in to lying like it’s nothing and we even begin to believe the lies of the lying tongue.
Let’s remember what sin actually is so that we can fully understand what the monster of temptation is trying to achieve. Sin is any thought or action that moves against God’s will and instructions. For example, we have been commanded to love the Lord and our neighbor, but when we move out of hate against those around us, we have sinned.
So, the temptress known as sin desires for you to move against God and doesn’t care what action you take to disobey Him. So, we must be on full alert for any thought or action that can lead to us being disobedient and not simply think about one particular sin. Yes, all sin is just that, sin against God.
The Temptress and the Simple
Proverbs 7 lays out a clear example of the temptress that is sin and how it seeks to seduce us.
You will see Solomon spoke of an “immoral woman” in Proverbs 7:5. To be clear, this immoral woman represents sin. Let me also be clear that Solomon was not trying to say that all women are sinners. Solomon was a man that really … admired women. In 1 Kings 11:3, we are told that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines (mistresses)!
Solomon was a wise man that struggled a great deal with falling into temptaiton as his eyes and his lust couldn’t turn away from women. I don’t think it took much for the 1,000 women in his life to seduce him and get what they wanted. So, this is likely why Solomon used woman to figuratively speak about how sin tries to lure us in.
Notice in Proverbs 7:5 that Solomon said she (sin) is a seductress who flatters with her words. Consider how the devil tempted Jesus trying to use flattering words. Sin will whisper all kinds of flattering words into your ears.
From Proverbs 7:6-20, Solomon tells a parable about a young simple man who came across the immoral woman, at night, dressed as a harlot. It’s quite possible that this story is a true story, maybe about him even! Let’s pay attention to the story because the moral of the story still holds serious weight that we must learn from.
The simple young man took a path that would take him in the direction of the house of the seductress (Prov. 7:8). As he passed by, she caught the young man and kissed him (Prov. 7:13). This kiss was not a kiss in the form of a greeting but was done to entice the young men.
How do we know this to be the case? Well, as the story goes, the woman told the young man that she came out to meet him after diligently seeking his face, and finding him (Prov. 7:15)! Don’t you ever think that temptation just randomly comes upon you – it doesn’t. Sin intentionally seeks you out to tempt your obedience.
Pay attention to how she was dressed as scripture tells us she had the attire of a harlot (Prov. 7:10). Let’s add on top that the crafty harlot invited the young man to lay with her until morning (Prov. 7:15-18)! She said to him, “Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love.” I hope you also notice that she doesn’t even mention a price but is offering herself up freely.
So, sin will dress itself up to look enticing. Sin will offer its riches without even naming a price! Sin wants you to lay with it with the idea of making “love”. Look, let’s keep it real – we would call this a quick hookup. Many have made such a hookup without realizing the consequences of such a hookup until later.
Now, some of us might just say that she was just doing her job. However, if we take a look at Proverbs 15:19-20, we will see that she said her husband (the man of the house) was away and had taken the money bag with him on a journey and wouldn’t return until an appointed time. There is more than what meets the eyes with this statement but the obvious is that she is tempting this young man to sin.
So, we’re told that the young simple man gave in to the seductress (Prov. 7:21). He may have been looking for a quick and fun hookup, but what happened next wasn’t good. The young man was struck in his liver by an arrow and it cost him his life (Prov. 7:23).
Here’s where I want to remind you again that the temptation to sin isn’t just through sex. Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread rather than trusting in God’s providence (Matt. 4:4). Jesus was tempted to cast Himself off the pinnacle of the temple, playing with fate (Matt. 4:5-7). Jesus was tempted with the riches of the world rather than looking forward to the riches that are everlasting (Matt. 4:8-10).
How to Fight the Temptress
In Joseph’s story, he refused Potiphar’s wife because he didn’t want to betray Potiphar after Potiphar had given him great responsibility (Gen. 39:8). Joseph also didn’t want to sin against and betray God (Gen. 39:9). So, Joseph was fighting against temptation the right way by faith.
However, lets pay greater attention to the fact that Potiphar’s wife didn’t simply give up with Joseph saying no to her. Genesis 39:10 shows us that she tempted Joseph day by day with him repeatedly rejecting her. Sin and its temptation, we must understand, is relentless. Sin has a great desire for you to give and obey it. So, how do we fight agaisnt such an relentless opponent?
Fight temptation with discipline
Let’s notice that there really was no trick to what Joseph was doing to withstand the enticing of Potiphar’s wife. All he did was to continually reject her every advance. This makes it actually seem really easy to fight temptation but we all know that it’s much harder than this.
Between the simple young man and Joseph, we do have an idea for the starting point of withstanding temptation. The starting place to fighting temptation is to fight with disciplined faith. Again, for many of us that deal with sinful addictions, fighting with discipline is easier said than done. If anyone ever tells you that they have some simple steps to take in overcoming temptation, just know they’re not being honest!
Discipline is defined as: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. Discipline is self-control which is one of the fruits of the spirit (Ga. 5:22-23). We build up our discipline by repeating an action over and over again.
For Joseph, it was him simply saying no and refusing Potiphar’s wife. In our spiritual battles, we build up discipline by choosing to lean on God in all we go through. The more and more we choose to lean on God in all we go through – our trials, tribulations, afflictions, and temptations – it becomes easier to lean on Him.
Fight with God in your corner
Something else we must also remember is that Joseph dwelt in fellowship with the Lord. Let’s remember that Joseph was successful in Potiphar’s house because God was with him and he was with the Lord. Is God with you and are you with Him? Are you living in fellowship with the Lord?
In John 15:13-14, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” To be in fellowship with the Lord means you’re in a personal relationship with the Lord. It means that you’re not alone in your battles with the Lord – this includes your battles with temptation.
Potiphar’s wife made one last effort at Joseph where scripture tells us that she caught him by his garment telling him to lie with her (Gen. 39:12). She literally sounds like the seductress in Solomon’s parable with this move. Joseph ran from her, leaving his garment in her hand, to escape her. Afterwards, she went and lied on Joseph to Potiphar who then had Joseph thrown in prison (Gen. 39:16-20).
Joseph never gave into temptation yet he found himself in trouble. Though he was in trouble, let’s pay attention to the fact that God was with him and showed him mercy (Gen. 39:21). This is very important for us to make note of.
When we fight temptation (sin), we are going to have times when we get ourselves in trouble. There are times when we won’t give in to temptation, just like Joseph. However, because we are flesh, there are times when the flesh will win and we give in to temptation (Rom. 7:15-20).
It is in those moments when the flesh wins and we give in to temptation, that we cannot let sin have rule over us. Yes, we will have our missteps, but Jesus has promised that those who walk in the light will not stumble (John 11:9-10). We are taught in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 that two are better than one because if one falls, one will lift up his companion.
When we fight sin and temptation, we should always fight with the Lord being with us. God understands that we aren’t perfect and that we will have moments of falling into temptation. Yet, God is merciful and will show us mercy when we enter that place of regret in our soul for having sinned. God will lift us up from that place.
So, we withstand temptation through disciplined faith and fellowship with God. Temptation and sin doesn’t have to have rule over you as you should keep the faith and hope that you can rule over it. Joseph was able to withstand temptation because of his disciplined faith and fellowship with the Lord. In our study next week, we are going to pick up with Joseph in prison, and once again, we will see that there is still hope to come out.