VICTORY OVER SIN AND TEMPTATION

I. What is the Difference Between Testing and Temptation?

A. God tests you to strengthen your relationship and to build in you a deeper faith in Him (Gen. 22:1) (Heb. 11:17-19) (John 6:6, 26-29).  God will never tempt you to sin (James 1:13).

B. Satan tempts you in order to cause you to disobey and compromise God's Word. The Devil wants to weaken or destroy your faith and relationship with God 
(Gen. 3:1-19) (John 13:2) (John 10:10).

II. Where Does Temptation Come From?

A. From Satan (Gen. 3:1-19) (Matt. 4:1-11) (1 Cor. 7:5).

B. From others (Prov. 1:10) (Prov. 6:24-25) (Prov. 7:21).

C. From your own lusts (James 1:14-15).

III. How Can You Overcome Temptation?

A. Be clear about the facts.
1. Temptation is not sin (Heb. 4:15) (James 1:14-15).
2. There is always a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).
3. Your temptations are not unique.(1 Cor. 10:13).

B. Resist the temptation in faith using the Word of God. (James 4:7) (Eph. 6:17)    (1 Pet. 5:8) (Eph. 4:27).

C. Resist ungodly relationships (Prov. 13:20) (Prov. 2:20) (2 Thess. 3:14)     (Psalms 119:63) (John 18:18,25).

D. Resist your own lusts (Titus 2:11-12) (2 Tim. 2:22) (Gal. 5:16).

IV. Is Victory Over Your Sinful Desires Really Possible?

A. Yes.  This is the promise of God's Word.
1. In Romans 6:14, Paul declares, "For sin shall not have dominion over you."  The word dominion means to be ruled over or mastered by..  Paul explains that because of the grace of God that has been given to each of us, you can live free from sin's dominion. 
2. In Luke 4:18, we see that this is the purpose for which Christ came to the earth, "to set the captives free, and "to set at liberty those who are bound."
3. In John 8:32-36, Jesus promises that if you will obey the truth, you will be set free. Sin brings bondage but Jesus brings freedom.
4. However, this doesn't mean you will be free from the presence of sin in your life.  The Bible doesn't promise that you will become perfect or sinless in this life.  God only promises that sin doesn't have the right to master or dominate you (1 John 1:8-9) (1 John 2:1) (Phil. 3:12-14).

V. How Can You be Free from the Sin that Seeks to Dominate You?

A. First, you must recognize what Jesus has done.
1. In Romans 6:6 Paul says; "knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him".  You must first know that the old you, and the sinful nature you possess, were nailed to the cross with Jesus Christ.  He not only died for your sins, but He became sin    (2 Cor. 5:21). 
He took upon Himself all that causes us to commit acts of sin.  The penalty was paid, and the power of sin was destroyed, or rendered inoperative, for those in Christ. The power of sin doesn't have the right to dominate your life anymore, because you are a purchased possession of Christ, and in Christ.  As sin and death cannot dominate Him anymore, neither can it dominate you because you are in Him (Col. 3:3) (Rom. 6:9-10).

B. Second, you must reckon or consider yourself dead to sin.
1. How do you do this?
a. Believe the testimony of God's Word (Rom. 6:6)  (Col. 3:3).
b. Believe even though your feelings or experience seem to say otherwise.  Even as Abraham considered not his own weak body when God made a promise to give him a son.  He became convinced that God was able to do what he had promised  (Rom. 4:17-21).  Even so you must trust His promise, not your feelings.
c. This will be a fight of faith.  Don't be surprised if you struggle here.  This is where the battle is won or lost      (1 Tim. 6:12).
d. To reckon yourself dead to sin is a choice.  A choice to trust.  A choice not to yield to sinful thoughts, desires, or actions.  A choice to allow  God to dominate you instead of sin (Rom. 6:12,13) (Rom. 8:13).
C. Finally you must reckon yourself alive unto God!
1. How do you do this?
a. Believe the testimony of God's Word (Eph. 2:1) (Gal. 2:20) (Rom. 6:13).
b. To reckon yourself alive to God is a choice.  In prayer you must yield yourself to God.  You acknowledge His right to reign over you, because He bought you by His blood 
(1 Cor. 6:19-20).
c. You acknowledge to Him, that just as you have refused and put off the old man, you now want Him to produce the new man in you by the power of the Holy Spirit.  You want to see the fruit of holiness come forth in your life 
(Rom. 6:19,22).

VI. But, how Does a Person's Sinful Nature Still Seem to Get the Advantage Over Them?

A. It all comes down to not making good choices. 
1. People always choose the path of self-effort.  This is a path that always ends in failure, because you are rejecting God's Word and God's method.  Sin is stronger than your will to resist, and any code you try to follow (1 Cor. 15:56) (Rom. 7:18-20).
2. The choice to stagnate or backslide in your spiritual life. You must walk in the Spirit if you don't want to be overcome by your fleshly nature (Gal. 5:16)         (2 Pet. 3:17-18).

3. The choice to put yourself in tempting situations with people who will tempt you.  Many don't realize how strong their sinful nature is, and how powerful peer pressure is (Prov. 4:14) (1 Cor. 15:33) (Prov. 7:21).
4. The choice to entertain lustful thoughts or fantasy.  Paul says, "make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts". The Greek word for provision means; to have forethought or to consider in advance (Rom. 13:14)(2 Cor. 10:5).
5. The choice to just give in to sin.  Your sinful nature gains advantage over you when you let your desires dominate. It all comes down to a choice.  Who will you give in to?
(Rom. 6:12) (Gen. 39:1-12) (Dan. 1:8)