On Sunday, I preached on “Have we trials and temptations? Absolutely!” and there are so many things to write about testings, trials, and temptations. I couldn’t put it into one sermon, so I am writing the rest of what the Bible speaks. (I won’t restate my sermon, but if you want to watch the sermon, go ahead!)
One of the points I made was “don't bring knives or guns to a spiritual fight.” So, what should we bring? Prayer.
Peter definitely knew about temptations, and not just when
he was tempted and succumbed to denying Christ. Even in the last stages of his
life, Peter wrote about temptations. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of
judgment and especially those who walk according to the flesh,” (2 Peter
2:9-10a).
Earlier in the chapter, we see that God rescued Noah and Lot
out of the “enticements, adversities,” which is what the word “temptations”
means. We are to pray that the heavenly Father will not lead us into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
So, in addition to what I preached, how can we be delivered?
Today, we will look at one more way and it is not profound in its statement,
but very profound in its practice. We should PRAY. Jesus told the disciples, “Watch
and pray, that you do not enter into temptation,” (Matthew 26:41, Luke 22:40). Temptations
are a spiritual battle and need to be fought spiritually in prayer.
God allows us to be tempted, otherwise, Jesus would not command
us to pray that the Father would not lead us into temptation. It is something from
which we can pray to be protected. Today’s verse says that “God knows how to
deliver us.”
Isn’t that a funny way to put it? But don’t we all sometimes
act like God doesn’t know how to deliver or that we can, by our own power and
fortitude, stop the temptations? Peter could have been writing to the churches
today that there were “false prophets, false teachers” among the people.
Underline how many times “destruction” is mentioned in the first six verses! The
first thing we should note is that temptations can destroy us, and we must pray
against them.
Also, temptations can deceive us (2 Peter 2:3, 13). That’s why their false! Eve was deceived when she was tempted to not believe God’s Word. Don’t listen to the lies of the tempter! If it’s false, if it contradicts the Bible, don’t listen, don’t try to make sense of it, and don’t try to add to or take away from God’s Word. Eve said, “don’t even touch it,” which God didn’t say and maybe Adam added that but she first touched the fruit and then when she didn’t die, she felt emboldened to eat it. Same thing is true with the slippery slope of temptation. If God said it is right or wrong, take Him, literally at His Word!”
Thirdly, look for deliverance (verse 9). Simply reject the evil and look for Jesus to provide a way out (recall also 1 Corinthians 10:13). Remember that Jesus also “has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted,” (Hebrews 2:18). Why do we have to pray that we would not be led into temptations? Because the heavenly Father wants us to draw near to Him. He wants us to seek Him first.
Temptations can destroy our witness and more, temptations can deceive us, and we must look for God’s deliverance in these inevitable attempts to draw us away from God’s best for our lives.
Pray this prayer to God: Our Father in heaven, I praise you for deliverance from the evil in this world and the temptations in my heart. I glorify you for the opportunity to pray to You for help in the future and forgiveness from the past. Through the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, I shall achieve the victory over the enemy. In the mighty power of name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
Read also Revelation 12:11
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxyLmy29J8GS0pGkNvvgmOCzifj6nmeHJk?si=EsrwNjCoEn_nd4ui
