Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: temptations

You Can Win

Faith

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12

Do you feel like you can’t win no matter how hard you try? You can win but you must know how to fight the battle.

We are constantly in a spiritual battle. Our nation, our churches, our families, our children, we all are under attack. Satan is fighting for the souls of men.

Satan will use whatever and whoever to divide and conquer. He will do whatever to steal, kill, and destroy. He will devour the weak.

So many Christians are not prepared for this battle. If we are going to win the battle we must be armored, strengthened, and ready to fight. Remember it’s a spiritual battle.

We must endure to the end. We must finish the race. And at the finish line is our reward, the crown of life.

Jesus gives us strength. His Word gives us wisdom. The Holy Spirit gives us courage. We have everything we need to win.

We can overcome every temptation we face. Jesus overcame the temptation of the devil with speaking the truth; the Word of God. He gives us what we need to endure and be approved.

What will you do today to prepare for the battle?

Pray

Lord, equip me and sustain me for what I will face today. Give me Your strength and courage to fight to the end. Thank You for giving me the crown of life.

Then The Devil Left Him

Trust

Then The Devil Left Him

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:11‬

Dealing With Temptations

Temptation has always been a struggle for mankind ever since Adam was tempted in the Garden.  Scripture is filled with examples of people who have struggled with Satan’s attack of temptation.  But there is good news. God has provided a wonderful plan for victory.

Matthew presented the temptations of Jesus to show that the conflict with Satan was real and to prove that temptations can be overcome by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.  If Satan could get Jesus to sin then the entire redemptive plan of God would be destroyed.

Three times Jesus was tempted by Satan. The first temptation was a temptation of the flesh.  Satan wanted Jesus to satisfy the flesh and distrust the Father’s ability to provide.  Satan’s plan of attack is always with “if” to create doubt in people’s mind.

The second temptation took trust to the next level. Satan says, “Ok, if you really trust God then jump off this cliff and see if He will save you.” Satans temptation was to make Jesus distrust and test God.

The third and final temptation was the big one. Satan tried to get Jesus to bypass all the suffering and just enjoy what was already His.  Satan was trying to keep Jesus from dying on the cross.

Jesus was tempted three times and each time Jesus used the Word of God to defeat the devil’s power. The temptation was real but the power of God gave way to victory. We have the same source and power to overcome any temptation we face.

Notice verse 11.  “Then the devil left Him.”  These are some great words. Aren’t you glad when the devil leaves you alone?

Prayer

Pray Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”