A Daily Walk

Announcer: Glad to have you with us today for A Daily Walk, where you never have to walk alone. Pastor John Randall will be turning to a practical portion of James chapter 1, verses 9 through 15. The topic for the day is temptation and how to avoid it. Since this is a battle we all face, I hope your ears perk up. We're about to discover some keys in overcoming it, which is to flee and resist. Joseph is a great example of how to do that. We'll hear his story in just a moment, but first, Pastor John has this to say.

John Randall: Any fishermen or women in here? Fishermen? Women? That is two of you. That's great. We should do a trip. But seriously, you know if you are avid fishermen that this term "entice" actually means to bait, to bait a hook, to lure this fish in so you can kill it and eat it.

Now, the fisherman is wise. He has got all these crazy lures and things, shiny things, fake worms. It is all fake, but it looks real. When I lived in the southeast of Florida, my friends tried really hard to get me into fishing. They would say, "Come on, Pastor John, let's go fishing." I would say, "Okay. How long are we going to sit here? Can we paddle and catch it with our hands?" They would say, "No, just relax."

I was terrible at fishing, but I did learn something from the fishermen that I spent time with. They had these tackle boxes, and some people are seriously into it. They have all these different shiny things. This one is for that, this one is for this, and this is for that. Then they had this other thing. I can't remember the exact term, but it is like stink. It smells like bait, stinky stuff that you put on the thing to get the fish to smell it and then to take the bait.

So, what is the whole point? You just throw it out there and it looks tantalizing. You are just going to shake this and shimmer this. You have hooked him, and now he is dinner. That's what the devil does. He knows the desires. He knows what the flesh is about. He has been tempting people in the flesh since the beginning. He knows exactly what incites you and what will tempt you.

He says, "Check this out." You respond, "I'm checking that out." He says, "No, check it out. This will satisfy you." You think, "Maybe you're right." It is shiny and shimmering. Do not do it. There is a hook under there. I have never seen a fish swallow an unbaited hook unless it is just a really dumb fish. No fish does that. It has got to have bait on it.

The temptation draws you in. Here is how it works. Through persuasion of curiosity mixed with a big dose of rationalization and justification, we find ourselves drawn toward the lure, motivated by our own desire to have it. James says the essential ingredients for temptation are an alluring outward bait plus an inward desire. When those two are combined, it yields to temptation and the results can be disastrous.

James tells us here in verse 15 that when the desire has conceived—an interesting word—it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. The word conceived is the same word used in the conception of a child. When desire and opportunity meet, James says they come together as one. They have a relationship, as it were, and a seed is planted. That seed eventually will grow and give birth to something, and what it gives birth to is death.

It brings death to your spiritual walk with the Lord, death to your marriage, death to relationships, and death to honesty and transparency. It is death to all of these things that we would consider valuable. Something is set in motion and when it runs its course, it brings devastation. It is so subtle if it goes unchecked. It can start with just an incited thought. That thought can then be entertained and eventually it becomes an action. Then it is carried out and consequences follow.

It is like planting a seed. You do not see it right away. It goes into the ground and you just forget about it. You think it is not a big deal, and then it begins to grow. Something comes forth and it is rotten fruit. I think of the example in the book of Joshua when the nation of Israel had come into the Promised Land. The Lord had warned them that after they went into Jericho, they were not to take any of the accursed things. All of the spoils initially were to be dedicated to God.

Everybody knew that. Everybody was on the same page. However, there was a man by the name of Achan who decided to disobey God. The next battle they went to face, they were defeated. Joshua then fell down before the Lord and said, "What has happened? Why were we defeated?" The Lord said, "Joshua, get up off the ground. There is sin in the camp."

Joshua just started going through all of the tribes. He whittled it down to one tribe, to one family, and finally to one man. God has ways of exposing and bringing things that are hidden to light. Lord, do it. You know exactly what we are talking about. He has ways. When Joshua confronted Achan, he said, "Tell me what you've done."

Achan's response in Joshua 7:21 was, "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, and I saw 200 shekels of silver, and I saw a wedge of gold..." The first moment he saw the garment, he should have just said, "No, I am not going to." But he kept looking at it. Then he saw other things too, which made it even more desirable.

After he saw it and he looked at it, he said, "I coveted them. I wanted them. And then I took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent with the silver under it." Just think about Achan for a second. He saw it, he coveted it, he took it, and he hid it. Now he had to carry it around with him everywhere he went. When it was time to break camp and move on to the next battle, what was he going to do? He had to bring his trash with him.

Of course, Achan, along with his family, were burned. Everything was destined for the fire and was consumed. For what? A wedge of gold and a garment? That is what he wanted. It is amazing what people will sell out for in comparison to what they are willing to throw overboard and give up. They give up something so valuable and precious that it cannot be replaced. People will walk out on their kids, their wives, their church, and their ministry for things that will kill them.

That is how clever the devil is with temptation. I think of the tragic fall of King David. Oh, how I love David, the man after God's own heart. But there is that one moment in 2nd Samuel 11 when he was supposed to be out at war with everybody else. He decided to stay home, which was a bad decision. In staying home, he ended up in a relationship with Bathsheba. It brought destruction. He lived in hiding and tried to cover it, and then he ended up murdering her husband.

Someone said, "Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny." It starts very small and subtle. In 2nd Corinthians 10:5, Paul said that we are to cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Every thought should just be brought into captivity. You have to fight it and put on the helmet of salvation. Do not incite it. Do not go to something that is going to incite it. Do not put fuel on the fire that is already there and has been suppressed. If you open yourself up to it, you are emblazed. How are you going to put that out?

The Bible asks, "Can a man take fire into his bosom and not get burned with it?" Do you really think that you could just take some fire and it is not going to burn you? No, it is going to fry you. So, what is the defense against temptation? Decide beforehand that you are not going to do that. Set the boundaries already that it is not a part of your life, your home, or your marriage.

A lot of this leadership aspect rests on us men. It is a big responsibility we have if we are husbands or fathers. We are the gatekeepers in the house. We are the ones that have to set those boundaries and be mindful of that. We are the soldiers and the sentinels. We are to stand guard for the family, not just cave in and let everything come in. If you do, then your kids will too because they follow our example.

Decide beforehand that it is not part of your life. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are great examples. Before they got to Babylon, they had already purposed in their heart that they would not defile themselves with the king's delicacies. It was a done deal. They already decided this before they were taken captive. Even when they were given the opportunity, they still did not do it.

The best defense against giving into temptation is to flee at the first suggestion of it. Think of Joseph in the Old Testament. He ended up in Potiphar's house and Potiphar had a wife who would hit on Joseph day after day. Joseph just kept resisting her. Then she set a trap, sending everyone home early. She grabbed his robe while he was working. He ran out, but she then accused him of rape.

He ended up in prison, but the Lord was with him there and raised him up. He became the second most powerful ruler in Egypt years later. When temptation came, Joseph could have given in. The amazing thing about Joseph is that he said, "How can I do this great sin against God?" He was not willing, so he ran.

In 2nd Timothy 2:22, it says, "Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Run after those things. Run away from temptation, fight against it, and take every thought captive. Decide beforehand, set the boundaries, and stay away from those things. That is what is going to give us the ability to overcome temptation.

There is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the believer to overcome temptation. It is the word of God. Jesus himself, after he was baptized and the spirit of God descended upon him, was driven out into the wilderness. After 40 days of fasting, at his weakest point, the devil showed up and tempted him. Jesus replied with, "It is written." Every single time, Jesus said, "It is written."

We overcome by the word of the Lord. 1st John 2:14 says, "I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." There are certain scriptures that you want to memorize that will come to your mind in that moment when faced with a particular temptation. Proverbs says that the man who commits adultery will be reduced to a crust of bread. Just think about that. These are serious things.

Truth has to hit you in the face and wake you up to reality. Do you want to lose everything? Do you want to get addicted? No. Then run from that. Sometimes we just have to reason with ourselves about the seriousness of it because it is that devastating. Jesus has made for us the way of escape. There is always an exit.

It is not a sin to be tempted. We all are. It is a sin to give into it. That is when it becomes a sin. If you are waiting until you get in a situation thinking you will be strong, you are setting yourself up for a fall. If you have a drinking problem, do not go to a bar. We have to run from that and flee from that.

Pornography is a silent killer that is unraveling the minds of young and old people alike. It is a very dark and insidious killer. It is a real challenge as parents to hold ourselves and our children accountable. Jesus makes the way of escape. Will we take it? Will we do whatever is necessary?

Hebrews 2:17-18 says, "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in all things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are being tempted." He knows what it is to be tempted. He overcame the devil, so he can help us overcome our temptation.

It is not a matter of if we are going to face temptation, but when. We must prepare beforehand and arm ourselves with the armor of God. We must hide God's word in our heart. Blessed is the person who endures temptation. The person who gives in suffers the consequences, but the person who chooses to take the way of escape is happy.

Announcer: We will pick up where we left off in our through the Bible study tomorrow on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. Would you like to hear this message again? Just go to adailywalk.org or listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. We would also like to offer you a daily devotional by Amir Tsarfati and Barry Stagner titled *Until He Comes*.

When we abide in the word, we are reminded of God's faithfulness that never changes. Receive biblical inspiration for each day of the coming year. It is available for the cost of just $12. As the Lord leads, we would also appreciate your financial and prayerful support. To make a year-end donation today, visit adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. Finishing things up with a word of prayer, here again is Pastor John.

John Randall: Father, how grateful we are that you have made the way of escape. Lord, you know exactly what it is to go through temptation. You know what it is to endure and to overcome, and therefore you have provided for us the same means whereby we can overcome and be victorious.

I pray for us this evening. Temptations come in all forms, Lord. The temptation is to hate people who are on the opposite side of us in our world at the present time. Lord, help us to take the way of escape tonight. For those that are here tonight, your spirit is speaking directly to them. He is saying, "Listen, this is for you. You need to turn and live."

God is warning you tonight because he loves you. I encourage you to listen to the voice of the Lord. Do not wait another day. Get rid of it, move out, or change direction, whatever it takes. You will experience the blessing of the Lord upon your life. In Jesus' name, amen.

Announcer: We will pick up where we left off in our study tomorrow on A Daily Walk. Blessings to you. This program is brought to you by Calvary South OC and made possible through your generous support.