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We are continuing our teaching on overcoming temptations. It is important subject for us Christians. God wants us to be overcomers. We discuss God's involvement in our struggle. God is involve in
healing you, God is involve also in your daily activities.
God is also involve in your ups and downs, in your problems, in your difficulty.
I CORINTHIANS 10: 13 declares: "No such temptation has overtaken you except such as in common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
We talked about messenger of temptation, his involvement in temptation and his misrepresentation of temptation. Today we will discuss
God's involvement in temptation.
Don’t depend on your strength as in verse 12: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed less he fall."
Don't be dependent on you, be dependent on God. It's not such independence in the Christian life. When you under pressure, when the problems comes don’t be dependent on yourself. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to stand. And with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Opportunity rings once but temptation leads on the bell. We all tempted, temptation comes to all of us.
1. God set a limit on intensity of temptation which comes against you. Let you break it.
He knows the point that you can not pass, the line of the breaking point.
2. God is involve in your straggle against temptation, making sure that temptation doesn’t
break you. He is always guarding you. He is always watching you.
3. God is faithful in giving us the way to escape temptation.
God know your weakest moments and makes a way so you can escape, for God is faithful.
How many times in your Christian life God gave you the way to escape?
I would like to show you that Jesus Christ is also involve in keeping you strong.
He prays in JOHN 17 very powerful prayer for you that God is answering now.
He promised that he is not taking you out of the world, but that He should keep you from the evil one. To keep you from harm from the enemy. JOHN 17: 14, 15 declares:
"I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you
should keep them from the evil one."
God is clearly promised here that He is not taking us from the world of temptation, he promised to keep us safe under His arm. And the Word of God is going to say in LUKE 22: 31, 32 when Lord declares:
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as a wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me,
strengthen your brothers." Lord is still praying for you.
The moment that you think it will break, it will be all over - something happens.
You escape the temptation and its sting because somebody is praying for you.
He know exactly how to feel like to be tempted because He was in points tempted.
He is our great mediator today, so when you are tempted, He says: Father help them.
He knows how to be like that because He have been there through the pain of temptation.
HEBREWS 4: 15 declares: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points
tempted as we are, without sin"
You should learn the greater is he who is in us that he that is in the world, and that in the Name of Jesus is more power that all the power of the enemy.The weakest believer in the Name of Jesus is
mightier than Satan and his demons. You should also learn that all it is not by might nor by power but by the spirit, says the Lord. As long as you depend on the Holy Ghost - no demon can touch you. As
long as anointing is there will be no demons.
What you should do is only to protect your anointing. The anointing keeps demons away.
Where the Spirit of God is there is the liberty, so keep your anointing on your life and you will not fall. Where the anointing is gone - you will sank. You should learn one more lesson - to pray on the
morning for your needs, just wake up early and pray to God.
Get up early, sit in your favour place and just talk to the Lord. Just say now:
When I begin my day with prayer I end my day with praise.
So now Jesus is praying for us in Heaven HEBREWS 4: 15 says that. So when you pray and you have Jesus on your side, you are strong. Jesus was tempted beyond imagination.
Perfect holiness resisted perfect sin, pure holiness resisted pure sin, Jesus resisted Satan.
Sometimes our resistance as believers is not so strong and why we are fighting sin.
Jesus resisted and never give in what means that sin fought with all its power what enemy had against Christ, yet he was winner and what He is today our Mediator.
The High Pries as an example for He gave us the same power of the Holy Ghost.
The Bible said He was in all points tempted as we are. HEBREWS 7: 24, 25 says:
"But He, because He continues forever, has unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make
intercession for them."
Jesus saves from the guttermost to the utter-most. He saves us from the guttermost, from the lower pit, he saves us. He is involved in our daily life. He ever lives to make intercession for them.
We are looking now in God's involvement in our resistance to temptation every day. Everybody is tempted, but you don't have to entertain
it, you have a power to say NO! Unbeliever has no power to say NO to temptation, but believer has power to say NO! Sin has dominion over the unbeliever but not over the believer. The power of sin
has access to my mind but no authority over my will. You can say NO! Why some has say YES, it is because they haven't take hold on God's power, so they can't say NO!
EPHESIAS 6: 10,11 declares: "Finally, my brothers, be strong in the LORD and in power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil." Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
In the power of His might you can say NO. Put the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of devil. The word wiles means strategy of the devil.
In verse 13 Word of God declares: "Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Having the power of God won't help you unless you use it. It is like having the brand new car and leave it in garage. You have to put it to be used. We put God's power to use in prayer. God's power is
mine but when I pray, I begin to use it. When you become born again God's power came to reside in you. But when you pray God's power comes alive.
When you become bold in prayer, you often feel boldness coming on you. You than command devil to leave your home, to leave your children,
to leave your body.
You couldn't do it until you pray. It is all when you pray. The reason we are not using God's power because we are prayless. We want someone to pray for us yet we are not.
Prayer is not saying a prayer, prayer is calling upon the Lord! I know times when the power of God comes on me in my prayer closet that I am filling like a giant. And I begin to command the devils of hell
to go in Jesus' Name! You fell so strong than that no devil can stand against you. The power of God begins to stir in you when you pray. God's power is in me now but when I pray, its stir up, build up
and flow out to manifest.
When you pray, God's power within you is stir up and takes off like a rocket.
EPHESIANS 6: 10 says: "Finally, be strong in the LORD and in power of His might."
"Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rules of the darkness of the age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. Stand therefore:
1. Having your waist girded with truth. ( It is mean to put your mind with full of truth )
2. Having put on the breastplate of righteousness. (To put your heart on righteousness)
3. Put your feet with preparation of the gospel of peace.(Be ready to preach the gospel)
4. Taking the shield of faith. ( Make sure faith is alive in you, that faith is in your heart)
5. Taking the helmet of salvation. ( It is the right doctrine of God's Word in your faith)
6. Taking the sword of the Spirit. ( The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God in you)
7. Praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Praying always with all kinds of prayer and there are in the Bible 7 kinds of prayer:
1. Confession of who God is. 2. Supplication to God is prayer. 3. Intercession is prayer. 4. Adoration of God is part of prayer. 5. Communion with God is part of prayer.
6. Thanksgiving to God is part of prayer. 7. Praise and worship is part of prayer.
When you pray all prayer and you say all prayer as above - you are strong.
People who pray are using God's power. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. How? Put on the whole armour of God: the truth of your mind, the righteousness of your heart, be ready for
witnessing, take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer.
We have the power to say NO! The Bible says in ROMANS 8: 12 -
"Therefore, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh."
Another word is to say NO to fleshly desires. We are not in debt to the flesh to serve the flesh, to all its lusts and all its desires. God Almighty gives us daily His Power and it is our responsibility
to pray so we can be stirred and be used by God. We can master sin.
Sin can be mastered by us, believers. Dead to sin and Alive to God. ROMANS 6: 1 - 11
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you know that as many of us were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death?
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives,
He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our LORD."
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