Love Has a Name

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, you will understand fully as we talk about the elephant in the room.

Temptations.

Temptation is defined as “a desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.” Every person in the world has experienced temptation. It is part of the human condition and we are not able to get away from it.

To say we can live a life without temptation in my opinion is quite haughty. We would have to be able to control the other nearly 8 billion people on the planet in order to live a life free of temptation. Perhaps some people have greater self-control than others, yet that does not mean they are without temptation it simply means they are well able to say no and make wiser decisions.

Jesus tells us the fruit of the Holy Spirit and in them includes self-control. Many emperors, politicians, pastors, leaders, have been brought down by unwise actions which started as “simple” temptations. I would argue that those brought down by such actions may say things such as, “I didn’t think it was such a bad idea at the time,” or “I just didn’t feel like I could say no.”

I’ve experienced strong temptations in my life and at times it feels as if the entire world it against me. I suppose this is the way the enemy, the devil, Satan, likes it. Unsurprisingly then how the Bible describes Satan:

* Adversary
* Deceiver
* Father of Lies
* Tempter

Not hard to see then that Satan is in fact the one behind evil and temptations for evil given these apt descriptions.

Temptations may be strong, however, Jesus overcame each and every temptation thrown at Him. The Gospel of Luke tells us Jesus “was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Jesus faced every temptation and He overcame and did not submit to those temptations. When was the last time you said no to a temptation for 40 days? I know how hard it is and I certainly am not perfect in this area, but it is possible.

In this then Jesus proves that only He is perfect and can overcome anything that may come our way.

Now, with this somewhat less than brief introduction, I hope that we can agree that temptation is going to be with us, and, through Jesus alone can we experience true freedom and the ability to say no, even when the world is collapsing in around us.

For those who struggle with temptation you can probably relate to it being like an elephant in the room. You are coming home from a long day when seemingly out of nowhere you have a desire to go online and search for pornography. You have a challenging conversation with a friend, or family member, and become instantly fixated on eating a ton of unhealthy food. Maybe you are stressed and have a big project due and the thought of drinking excessively cannot be shaken.

While experiencing this you walk into your house, apartment, room and are gripped between two choices. You want to say no, but the elephant is standing in the room and it isn’t going anywhere no matter what you do, say or pray. How many times have I prayed and nothing has happened? A question I have asked many times.

Dearest brother, sister, I have experienced this. And please trust me, no matter how hard you fight, punch, kick, and push that elephant it will not move if you do it alone. While it may be possible to put a lampshade on it and make it look like a hipster light fixture it is still an elephant and you know it.

So what then? Shall we continue to be tempted and fail until we die? Certainly not. There are plenty of people who have been brought down by actions resulting from temptation, however, there are plenty more examples of people who have overcome.

The overcoming and subsequent defeat of temptation, though, is not easy nor is the pathway pretty. I will share a few methods from my personal journey, which, have since been used by the Lord to help others on their journey with sin and temptation.

1. Humility – Admitting you cannot move the elephant alone and inviting people to help. Friends, a trusted pastor, your community. Slowly and surely letting people you trust in to these times of temptations takes a lot of “fun” away from the idea of following through on temptation.
2. Community – Similar to point 1. Community is essential. There’s a reason the Lord tells us to not forsake gathering and encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:25-26. We are built for community, primarily with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but likewise with one another. We are a body of Christ, says Jesus, and as such must support, encourage, and edify one another. In meeting with many people who have struggles with temptation, I have seen how many of them are lacking or even void of relationship with others, this is where the deceiver, tempter, and evil one likes to wreak havoc on our minds and lie to us.
3. Prayer & Abiding – This can be the hardest, or the easiest thing to do, however it also is often the first thing to be thrown to the side when experiencing temptations. Jesus encourages us to abide in Him, as He abides in us. In this uniquely Christian relationship (only Christianity allows for a personal, free, relationship between God and His people) we can let Jesus push the elephant for us. There is power in prayer. The power of heaven, of God, of Jesus. He can do it and He will, as we abide in Jesus. Be patient in prayer, and persevere. Temptation will never leave you but the ability to exercise self-control will undoubtedly arise from a long suffering, patient lifestyle of prayer and abiding in Jesus Christ.

These 3 points may be broad, and certainly each person may experience them in a unique way, as the Lord leads them. The idea behind this though is that you cannot simply push the elephant into a corner and expect it to go away. If you feed it, disguise it, or just ignore it you will inevitably do the unwise thing which you so fervently don’t want to do.

Please know that it is possible to overcome, even after many failures. The Father in Heaven is slow to anger and full of mercy and grace. He is on your side, He is for you and not against you.

Satan, evil temptations, and sin are against you and Satan passionately desires to see you wallow in the mire and mud of sin, hoping that you shall be convinced of the sweet taste of his soul destroying poison.

For anyone in a tough place with sin and temptation today I pray you are encouraged and prompted to reach for the extended hand of Christ which is, and has been, patiently waiting for you. He is never far and shall never leave or forsake you.

God bless you.