Tag: Temptation

Avoid Temptation with God’s Word on Your Heart

In my last couple of writings God’s Word on your heart is important to staying straight and keeping from sin. This morning that theme is reiterated and God’s Word on your heart is where we focus to avoid temptation.

“25Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths,

26for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are a mighty throng.

27Her house is the way to Sheol,

going down to the chambers of death.”

— Proverbs 7:25-27 (ESV)

In the world there are a lot of things that will tempt us. These things are not of God or His Word. These are from the evil one and will do nothing but destroy us. She, the temptation, will tear us down and turn us from the LORD and His Word and plan for our lives.

“1My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

2keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

3bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

and call insight your intimate friend,

5to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

— Proverbs 7:1-5 (ESV)

But, we have the way to avoid temptation and that is with God’s Word on our heart. Notice in verse five above that the Word of God will, “keep you from” temptation.

I know that I need all the help I can get when it comes to temptation. I am a sinner and therefor am prone to sin at every turn. But, when I am focused on the Word of God, I am not thinking of sinning. I am able to stay on the straight path. I am able to avoid temptation. All because I am driven by the Word of the LORD and what He has in store for me.

The evil one is cunning and will use any and everything to draw us away from the LORD. He will lie to us, lavish us with power and authority, and provide riches all in the interest of turning us away from God. He will temp you with that which he knows will entice you to turn from God. And he will not quit until He has accomplished his goal of doing so.

It is up to us and our relationship with God to avoid the temptations of the evil one. We have to write the Word of God on our heart. We have to keep His Word and know that the LORD will protect us and provide for us and keep us moving to glory. In this the LORD wants us to use Him and His Word on our heart to avoid temptation.

What is your approach to temptation? Are you even aware of the temptations of the evil one? What if you focused on the Word of the LORD to stay on the straight path, keep from sin, and avoid temptation?

Own Desire Leads to Death

Wow Trevor, no holding back this morning are you. Well, it is the truth that hurts the most once it is realized.

“14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” – James 1:14-15 (ESV)

And there you have it, no, I am not holding back, only presenting the truth as found in God’s Word. James is writing in this passage of the “Testing of Your Faith” (according to my English Standard Version). But, notice that here he is not speaking of testing, but tempting and when reading the full passage we find that indeed God does not tempt us, but our faith will be tested.

Back to the verses above, James tells us that we will be tempted, but that temptation comes from our own desires. When we are presented with the what the world offers, we are tempted to accept which takes our eyes off of Jesus. And when our eyes are off of Jesus, our hearts will eventually follow and we are led to sin. I ask the LORD daily to keep my hands and heart active with His work to avoid the wandering eyes that will see the temptations of the world and lead to sin.

As we see in verse 15 above, that sin that comes from the temptation of the world ultimately leads in our death. We will find ourselves focused on our own desire in the world and will lose ourselves to it.

“24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” – Luke 9:24 (ESV)

Jesus said that when we are in the business of our own lives, we are actually out of business. But as we give ourselves to Him fully we will be in business forever. I have to remember to desire the LORD and not the world as presented. I have to stay vigilant in my looking to Jesus or I risk giving into the temptation of the world which will lead to sin and will ultimately end in death.

What is it that you desire? Are you finding yourself tempted by the things of this world? What if you were to focus your desire on the LORD and His work to avoid the temptation of sin which will lead to death?