There is a battle raging on the inside of every follower of Jesus

Temptation has been around for 6,000 years, give or take. Aside from a catastrophic illness, temptation is one of the biggest problems for the average person to deal with on a daily basis. There is a battle raging on the inside of every follower of Jesus. The apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians tells us, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” It is wearisome to constantly be pulled in two different directions, but Jesus shows us how to overcome the battle of temptation.

In the fourth chapter of Matthew and Luke’s Gospels, we read about Jesus being tempted by Satan. And how did Jesus win the battle? By quoting Scripture. When tempted with misusing his power by turning stones into bread, Jesus said, “It is written that man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When tempted with outright abuse of his heavenly protection by throwing himself off the temple roof, Jesus responded, “Again, it is written you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” When tempted with sensual pleasures and fame by being shown all the kingdoms of the world in a moment, if only he would switch sides and worship Satan, Jesus responded, “It is written you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” Do you notice a pattern here? Every temptation was met with, “It is written.” Jesus never mentioned which Old Testament book he was quoting from. He simply spoke the Word of God because it has authority. If Jesus did that, how much more should you and I.

The power to overcome temptation comes through the spoken Word of God. The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that in all circumstances they should take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The spoken Word of God is a spiritual weapon.

The night before Jesus’ crucifixion at Gethsemane, Jesus told the disciples to watch and pray because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. But they continued to fall asleep. It is not a stretch to conclude that the reason Peter was fearful in the face of temptation by denying that he even knew Jesus was because he slept rather than pray. The good news is that we have heavenly help in the battle of temptation. The writer of the New Testament letter of Hebrews encourages us by saying, “Because Jesus suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Do not give up. There is help from above and in His Word.

Ken Staley is pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove at 9:30 a.m. and Harrisville Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. He can be reached at PastorKenStaley@gmail.com.