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May I ask you a question: Would you think about number one temptation in your life?
The temptation that you fighting most, praying most and it coming back again to you.
Think about it a minute. When temptation comes. What is my response to temptation.
Father, I pray that your Word become light to us and I pray that every person receive.
You all know that temptation comes in different forms and different intensities.
We all face them, we face them every day. I want you show you about your enemy.
Knowing our weaknesses, he know what gets us and he will come on us in this area.
Ask yourself again, what is the area, he is coming into me and he is fighting with me.
And you must say to yourself: It is area I must develop, this is area I must pray about.
I must focus my strength there that he will no longer attacks my weakness. He is not attaching strong areas of your life, he attacks weak areas of your life. When you know your weakness then you can do
something about it. What is the weakest point in you?
And the question should be: What is the area of your life that enemy attack all the time
He attacks you all the time in this area because he know your weak points in you.
We start this teaching right from beginning of the temptation. GENESIS 3: 1- 7 says:
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God made. And he said to the woman. 'Has God indeed said: You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the
woman said to the serpent: We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden; but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden
God has said, 'You shall not eat it, not shall you touch it, lest you die.'
And the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. The
eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked and they make covering."
We see here the messenger of temptation, the method of temptation and we see here misrepresentation of temptation. The enemy will use
three things when he comes:
He will use the message as the messenger, the method and he misrepresent something.
And it is how he attacks, and people, he has not changed from the beginning.
Remember this: The enemy has not changed and we should know his devices, we should know how he works against you. What he did in Genesis 3, he still does today.
We should learn about it so when temptation comes we will know exactly what to do.
And is why so many failed it is that they are do not know about his devices, they are ignorant of his methods of temptation. You remember what Paul said: Who is ignorant let him be ignorant. Ignorance is
a choice. The enemy success is dependent on your side
of ignorance. The Bible says: My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge.
Now lets talk quickly about the tempter. One who tempts us is our enemy- Satan.
He is very experienced with it. He have done enough that he knows how to catch you.
II CORINTHIANS 2: 11 declares: "...lest Satan should take advantage of us;
for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Notice that number one are his devices, so he is planning attacks on us, he plan what to do, how to do and when to do his temptations. He
is organised with his plans.
He runs very organised army and he know whom, when, how and what to do with you.
He is planning temptations, he plans what, in which time and by whom he will attack.
You must know that every temptation is planned and is executed through plans. EPHESIANS 6: 11 declares: "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the strategy of
the devil." It is highly organised army, planning exactly how, when and whom to be attacked with temptation. So two things we are coming with
Number one, he is highly organised, number two, he plans how to tempt you.
Look now for the characteristics of this tempter, who he is and for his role.
ISAIAH 14: 12 describes the fall of Lucifer. He who fight us all day, one time was light
holder. The word Lucifer means 'the light holder'. He knew how to proclaim the light.
One time he was a light holder, the proclaimer of truth. One day he proclaimed the truth.
He knows gospel better than you, he knew everything about the truth. He was Archangel.
And he uses what he knew against us today. ISAIAH 14: 12 declares about him:
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation,
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."
Number one: he had been in heaven, he knew God, but we see he fall from heaven.
And we see him called Lucifer, son of the morning, holder of light. We see him with power over nations here. And we see him as a king, because he had a throne.
Lucifer who is today Satan ruled our planet. He ruled over demons .
Demons are not fallen angels, because Jesus never said: angel come out of him!
Angels do not enter the body for they have their own. Demons are disbodied spirits.
Once they enter the body, they posses dog, or cat or body of mankind. They prefer man.
And they possessed many, for many walking around this globe are totally possessed.
One day the Lucifer ruled the planet earth, and he ruled one third of the fallen angels.
You can image the power he had to influence all his followers, millions of angels.
So what chance we have? It is why we need of the Holy Ghost relationship everyday.
"It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit - says the LORD."
Today we can fight him because the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. And the weapons of our fight are not carnal but are mighty in Spirit of God. So know how to use and you will win. And one day our enemy
will be thrown down to the Pit. We know now that the tempter is very wise, very educated, and very trained angel from high position in heaven.
When you go to EZEKIEL 28 he is like a cherub. Cherub is archangel who serve God.
Remember there are five different kinds of angels: cherubs, seraphines, archangels, living creatures and angels. We all see them in heaven, never on earth except the angels.
He was the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect and beauty, he was anointed cherub who was on the holy mountain of God, he was perfect in his ways from creation.
Recognise this that one who tempt you, knows exactly what he is doing. It is why you need the Holy Ghost, the One who is stronger from Satan.
"The greater is He who is in us, that he who is in the world."
He still has access to the throne of God as in JOB 1 says: He accuses us day and night.
Lets look into his method as we go back to GENESIS 3 : 1 declares: "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made."
And he said to the woman: "Has God indeed said: 'You shall not eat of every tree in the garden?" Now we can look on three very important things when it comes into this:
1. What was his aim here, what he was challenging? His aim is always to take our attention away from what God said. He wants alienate us from God, away from His Word and authority of His Word. What did he
question - the authority of God. He still does. 2. He was questioning the accuracy what God says. So you must know the Word.
"And the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die." GENESIS 3: 4.
First thing when temptation comes, he question God’s authority then His accuracy.
The devil just throw these things on you so that you can stay in sin.
"For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." GENESIS 3: 5. He calls here our God - liar.
Because he is questioning the Truth of God's Word. He question the authority of Word, the accuracy of the Word and the Truth of the Word of God. Temptation comes with the three basic questions. The
Authority, the Accuracy and the Truth. If you go with - you will sank. Now notice something very interesting in this verse. Every temptation is followed by the promise that you will be like God, knowing
good and evil. No temptation comes without promise from the devil. He said to Jesus: Bow before me and I will give you. Every temptation comes with the promise. When you are taking drugs devil give you
promise: you will escape, you will go on high.Temptation comes with one very important
promise. He want meet your needs, he does know your needs. But remember-he is a liar.
Because the need will be met temporarily to destroy you after with more temptations.
The devil does needs many needs for his own purposes. But I have no interest in him.
He always comes with the promise. He said to the woman: When you will do it, you will be like God, I promise you. And see here are methods of temptations as he is using our:
1. Outward attraction, he appeals to our physical needs, mental needs, and to emotional.
He never temps your spirit, as a Christian he can not touch it. But all temptations comes through these three avenues. All temptations come through the avenue of physical, mental and emotional. So what
part of you he is tempted? Physical, mental or emotional?
In I John 2: 16 Bible declares that the lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of life are three avenues Satan is using towards humanity always. I call them outside attractions.
We have two strikes against us. When he comes to woman he come to lady without sin.
He tempted a lady who was living in pure, moral innocence. He tempted the lady who has no sin nature. He tempted the lady who did not live in sin. She was innocent lady.
She was living holy, pure, innocent, godly life.Walking with God, talking with God, no sin around her. Now strike number one against us is that we were all born in sin.
She was tempted but she had no idea what sin was. When he is tempting us we knew all about sinful life. She was so pure, such new with the body which was not decaying in her
1. We all born in sin 2. After we are Born Again we are still fighting our flesh!
We all need the Holy Ghost to fight and to win all temptations.
If you watch on advertisements on television, you can see from whom they learn.
You see how they appeal to you: physical, mental, emotional-that is how they present.
They spent a lot of money because they know exactly how to touch the batons.
And they offer shortcuts for everything. Take it easy attitude. Play lotto and you will be millionaire tomorrow, just get those products and you will be slim. All shortcuts.
So he offers shortcuts, he misrepresents what God says. So we see the messenger who is very wise and with knowledge and experience who is questioning God's authority, God's accuracy, God's truth and he
misrepresents everything what God says.
When the strongest temptation comes, you ask yourself three questions:
1. If I yield to this temptation, do I fully understand its consequences?
Do I know what punishment God will send my way?
2. If I yield and I am willing to pay the price, I am willing to pay the price?
Do you know the price which is for this temptation?
3. If I yield and I am ready to loose all for this thing, because man lost all for only one temptation and sin of disobedience.
Three question you should be asking yourself before you ever yield to temptation.
Can you understand the consequences? Are you willing to pay the price and are you ready to loose all for this temptation fulfilled. It is carrier to sin and sin to death.
AS A CHRISTIAN I HAVE A POWER TO SAY NO . But most people did not say NO before see what consequences they will pay, what price is set up and to loose all.
Are you willing to loose everything just for this one thing like Adam and Eve in Eden?
The LORD says in I PETER 5: 8, 9
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are
experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
Resist in Faith. It is time to Resist in Faith. Humility cures worldliness. JAMES 4: 7,8, 10
"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."
"Humble yourself in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up."
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