God is the Only Solution to Temptation

I rarely write a blog post based upon a sermon, but something that we studied together yesterday morning at Lebanon Road has really been meaningful to me recently. It’s one of those things that we know, but sometimes we don’t let it truly sink in.

My sermon yesterday morning (audio here) dealt with Jesus’ parable in Matthew 12:43-45 about an evil spirit that goes out into waterless places seeking rest. When it doesn’t find the rest it is looking for, it returns to the “house” and finds it put in order. So, finding the place better suited for habitation, the spirit gets seven more spirits–even more evil–and they all move in.

If you listen to the sermon, you will notice that we spent most of our time with the parable and noticing the original context. It was a very helpful study for me, because this parable has caused me confusion in the past.

After looking at the original point, however, we made a modern application. While we do not live in times of demon possession, there is still a takeaway from this parable that we all need to keep in mind.

I am not the solution to my temptations.

God is.

Far too often, Christians realize they are struggling with some temptation and they come up with their own solution to overcoming that struggle. Maybe they won’t go to “that” place or be around “those” people. Maybe I just won’t touch that bottle for a few days or I won’t view pornography this week.

Those are great helps, and they surely are a very important step in overcoming temptation. But our problem is often that we make these types of things the whole solution. To use the words of Jesus’ parable, we have “swept the house” and “put it in order.” But we are still missing something.

You see, in Jesus’ parable, the man did those types of things, too, when the evil spirit left. He cleaned his house. What he failed to do, however, was fill the void with good.

And there, too often, is where we fail, as well.

Often, I decide on this “list” of how I am going to fight this temptation my own way. I decide how I am going to sweep my house clean, but I leave the most important step off that list: Let God take over the house!

Yes, I need to avoid places, people, and situations that are going to tempt me. Of course, we need to do that. But that alone will never be enough. We will fall more times than we care to consider. What will help us overcome temptation is to (1) avoid the temptation, and (2) spend more time letting God lead.

• When I’m tempted to go back to the bottle, spend that time opening God’s Word instead of trying to fight temptation alone.
• When “that” person walks by and envy starts to build in my soul, instead of trying to fight off those feelings on my own, why not focus the mind is specific prayer?
• When I am alone and the pull of lust begins to tempt me, knowing and quoting Scripture allows God’s powerful Word to help fight off those lustful thoughts.

If we are not careful, though, we make some list of lines we will not cross, and allow that list to be our standard. Instead, we need to remove the temptation as far away from us as we can, then allow the Lord to come and take up residence in our hearts and minds.

Because He is the only real solution to temptation.

QUESTION: Why do we often leave off this most important step to overcoming temptation?

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Photo credit: Brett and Sue Coulstock on Creative Commons

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