Understanding Temptation Better Part 4: The Promise of Power

1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Mark 14:38
38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is 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.

The 3 P’s of Temptation
#1 Pleasure
#2 Popularity
#3 Power

Matthew 4:8-11
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Main Point: The 3 P’s of Temptation (Pleasure, Popularity, & Power) are all Rooted in Pride

James 4:6
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Three ways that Pride pulls at us: 1: By NOT Giving God the Glory

James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

1 Corinthians 15:10
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Three ways that Pride pulls at us: #2 By NOT Rejecting the Glory of Men

Three ways that Pride pulls at us: #3 By NOT Speaking Humbly

Daniel 4:29-33
29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by MY mighty power and for the honor of MY majesty?” 31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” 33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar

Matthew 12:34
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

Three ways Pride pulls at us:
#1 By Not Giving God the Glory
#2 By Not Rejecting the Glory of men
#3 By Not Speaking Humbly

The 3 P’s of Temptation: Pleasure, Popularity, and Power are all rooted in Pride

Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Luke 4:13
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season…