Dealing with Temptations

August 14, 2020

DAILY READING

Luke 4:13 – “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.”

FIELD NOTES

To avoid temptation, a seventeen-year-old girl went to jail. What was her temptation? Her getting married to an older man! While she knew she should not marry him, she couldn’t resist him when in his presence. So, she asked the juvenile court judge to lock her up, rescuing her from this man until after the wedding date.

While prudent to remove ourselves from tempting situations, the devil will provide even more opportunities for temptation. The saying is true, “While an opportunity may knock only once, temptations will bang at your door for years.”

While we will never stop temptations entering our lives, Christ gives us a means of handling them. So, the issue is not avoiding temptation as much as it is how we let Christ help us with our temptations.

1. Acknowledge the temptation to Jesus, naming it for what it is, “a temptation.”
2. Admit to Jesus that we are powerless over some temptations, and you need Christ’s help.
3. Turn the temptation over to Jesus, letting him help you with it.
4. Do what you know Jesus wants you to do with the temptation, and walk forward, following Jesus.
5. Seek someone who might help you deal with this temptation.
6. Be aware that you’ll need to start this process again when the devil finds a more opportune time to tempt you.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD

• What temptations are you facing today?
• Prayerfully go through each of the above six steps with each temptation.

FAMILY FIELD TALK

• What temptations are you facing today?
• Prayerfully go through each of the above six steps with each temptation.

PRAYER GUIDE

Lord Jesus, thank you for leading me to this time with you. Again, I lift up the blessings you provide me today. (List three or more.) Holy God, please help me with these concerns. (List those concerns on your heart that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.) While I do not know how you will answer my requests, I know you will. Now, Lord, I confess these temptations to you. (List them, going through the above six steps). May your Holy Spirit surround me such that your love and grace flow in and through me. In your gracious name, I pray. Amen.