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~ Impartation ~
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Missionary-Evangelist Esther Thornton, Oregon
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TEMPTATION
Today, we will
examine the subject of temptation; how believers damage their soul by yielding
to those things that are forbidden by God. Our main focus will be the
rebuilding the soul that has yielded to temptation.
James 1:12-18
Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of
life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. [13] Let no man say
when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth he any man: [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. [16] Do
not err, my beloved brethren. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning. [18] Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Testings and trials
originate in the purposes of God. The purpose is to form within us the full
maturity of Christ’s character and God is always in control. The purpose is to
form and fashion in us Christ’s character that continues into full maturity;
testings and trials to know our true character, expose our weaknesses, and
strengthen us as we respond and not react.
Temptations originate
in the purposes of the Devil. He tempts by manipulating circumstances in an
attempt to discourage and confuse people, causing them to react to sin.
Temptations are meant to destroy our character, our conscience, and our
effectiveness in serving God. The Devil exploit’s the weaknesses in our carnal
nature by using sin to arouse something in us that will result in spiritual destruction.
Those weaknesses could be genetic or inherited.
We’ve come under a
frame of being raised or into this world, we have inherited certain weaknesses
concerning honesty, loyalty, integrity, and obedience. Some things we have gone
through have marred or cracked our personalities; we have been weakened by
early responses to circumstances or authority. Some things God wanted to use in
our lives, we ruined because we reacted and had a will that never responded to
what God wanted to bring into our lives. Maybe it was from a teacher; or a
coach or other authorities God placed within our lives. And, because we did not
come under those boundaries, weakness became a part of our soul. It could be
moral, financial, domestic, or attitudinal It could be a hundred things that
come into my life to weaken my character. The devil exploit’s the weaknesses in
our carnal nature to use sin to arouse something in us that will result in
spiritual destruction.
Jesus was led by God
to the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil. God doesn’t tempt us but He does
allow temptations to come. I Corinthians says that He will not allow any
temptation to overtake you or to be too much. But you must choose the way of
escape.
God uses temptation
to bring something good out of our lives and to strengthen our character. On
the other hand, the Devil uses the same principle but to destroy something good
that is within us. He uses it, not to add to our character, but to subtract
from it. He does not expose something in you to strengthen you, but to expose
it to manipulate you.
Once He finds that
you respond to certain things, he uses it to arouse you or manipulate you to
destroy and bring devastation to your character. The devil cannot read your
mind and he doesn’t know everything about you, but he can watch what you do.
The Bible uses the
expression “falling away”. This is a willful desire to turn away from God. It
is stronger than “backsliding” as it is may be from a weakness or temporary
condition.
Every person has a
natural desire to love; to be accepted; to succeed; and to want to have
friends. But, the devil can take that natural desire and manipulate it in such
a way that you will love people the wrong way and receive love the wrong way.
He will make you use that insecurity or weakness in your character to reach out
to love but in a wrong way so that God cannot bless it and it will damage your
soul.
Strong desire to
succeed, Satan takes and turns it into ungodly ambition. You then will be such
that you will not accept any godly help or counsel. You zoom in on your own
will so that you get everything that you want to have. You don’t want to chance
giving it to God in case He would take it away.
We can come into a
false liberty by rebellion against the church so that we will do something out
of a liberty that we think we have but we don’t, and Satan has brought us into
a false liberty. A false liberty is: the Word of God doesn’t apply to me on
this one; I don’t have to do that.
When temptation
comes, I have to be responsible to how I respond. Satan will come in the back
door to tempt you to arouse in you your own freedom; your own liberty; your own
right to choose; and your own right to freedom. Satan will begin to lay a snare
for you.
“Enticement” is the
best word for temptation. It means “snared by one’s own bait”. Your desires
become your bait.
The farmers used to
make these little “sweet pots” that were just so big with any kind of sweet
things in them, such as honey or sugar water. During the springtime or
summertime they would hang them all over the barn because the wasps would come
in. The wasp, different than the bee, would smell that sweet water and they
would go through that enticement to drink that. All they had to do was to buzz
over to the water and drink some of it - either it was laced with poison or
they do it with honey so that when he came to get it, he would be stuck. The
funny thing about a wasp is that they will let off some kind of a communication
and another wasp will come to help it. But, then they also get caught.
The devil has a
“sweet pot”. He baits people with things that look like they will be enjoyable.
What does the devil entice you with that will not strengthen but will ruin your
character - but it looks so innocent and sweet. Like a fish looking at the bait,
he finally not only nibbles at it, but he takes it and is caught!
James 1:13-14
Let no man say when
he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth he any man: [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of his own lust, and enticed.
James talks about
being “double minded” which means that you become a two-souled person. You have
the soul - mind, will, and emotions where the Holy Spirit dwells and
You are committed to
Christ and under the government of God. The other soul is birthing sin in your
mind, will, and emotions. When that desire conceives it gives birth to sin
which brings forth death. Satan will try to arouse something in you to persuade
you to do something - through the eye gate, ear gate, or emotion gate. It can
be through people persuading you with words; through magazines and books;
through videos; or whatever avenue the enemy can use to persuade you to
compromise and move away from God and righteousness; or away from counsel and
spiritual help.
Lust can come from
things that are everywhere. Satan sees when you are feasting on anger or lust
and he will draw you out and baiting you with little compromises. He starts by
causing you to have a little attitude of criticism; anger or resentment and he
draws you out to entice you and hook you where you are caught up in the thing.
You then have to go for help or go his way. That can then cause embarrassment
so he uses that against you. So you hide it and he causes you to get in deeper
than before. You start being critical of people in your church and so, you stop
coming very often. Such things cause you to be in a snare and in bondage.
“Enticement means to
snare by one’s own bait. When the fish starts to nibble, you don’t jerk the
hook. You wait until the fish takes it and runs with it. Satan hooks you on
things that you don’t want to be hooked on. Maybe it is pornography or
something else but you don’t say that you want to be destroying your life, you
just take an action here or an attitude there, and you think you’re in control
of this; but all of a sudden you are hooked. You say “I’m going to quit this“,
but you can’t. This thing has grown in you to where you can’t just make one
trip to the altar. Now you’re in a war for the health of your soul
You can kill that
things and be free if you will stop being enticed by the devil and close the
door on him so that he knows that you are finished with it and the only thing
that you are hooked on is Jesus, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit. If it
takes honesty and confession you decide that you are going to take this hook
out of your mouth in the name of Jesus. When you do that, the devil loses all
of his pulling power. For greater is He who is in you than he who is in the
world.
Lusts, plus desires,
plus, will comes as an embryonic point. You have to seize it as it will grow.
Sin harms the consciousness of the soul. It causes a stronghold to develop that
we can’t handle or get rid of. If you take the bait, the devil will start
reeling you in - death to your life, your soul, death to the will of God. But,
tonight I speak life to you in the name of Jesus and deliverance in the name of
Jesus. And, you don’t have to take the bait. And, you don’t have to believe the
lies of the devil - you can’t come back and you’ve gone too far. You can’t be
the same again as you were.
We serve a God who
creates new life and a new heart; a God who has mercy. His mercies are new
every morning.
I challenge you to
restore your soul. Receive a vision of hope for restoring your soul. I
challenge you to restoring and repairing of your soul; to godly sorrow that
works repentance. You start by prayer for cleansing and forgiveness and asking
God how to rebuild and repair.
I challenge you to
read the Bible and memorize scripture. The Word of God is alive and if you
memorize it, it becomes as medicine to your soul. Get into counseling, where
you are free to pour out your soul. Allow the Holy Spirit to take that hook out
of your mouth and start today rebuilding your soul in Jesus’ name.
Esther Thornton
