How to Say ‘No’ to Temptation

All of us are tempted to do the wrong thing. If we desire to live like Christ, then we must follow His example and say 'no' to temptation. But how do we do that? Is there a secret formula? Well, I do not know if it is secret, but I believe that there are things that we can do if we truly want to be like Jesus.

First, know your enemy 

If you want to win at sports, it is important that you know your opponent; strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, personnel etc. In the faith journey, it is crucial that we are aware that we have an enemy that is attempting to get us off of the narrow way. We learn from Jesus that He was able to say no to temptation because He knew his enemy.  

a. Satan is a liar. John 8:44, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies." Look what he tried to do to Jesus; "if you are the Son of God..." then later, "if you are the Son of God..." He tried to create uncertainty in the truth. He did the exact same thing to Eve and it worked - "Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?" - Genesis 3:1. See the lie and the attempt to deceive. This is his strategy, and when we know the enemy, then we can be on our guard.

b. He is out to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10 - "the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy, I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." When you realize that what you are being invited to do is going to destroy you – it is the enemy.  When you realize that what you are being invited to take is going to steal your joy, your reputation, your marriage etc. it is the enemy. 
 
c. When you know your enemy, you can resist the devil, and he will run away. James 4:7 says, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will run away." Jesus did that in Luke 4 – Satan lied and said that Jesus could use His power for selfish purposes. Jesus saw through the lie and said no. Satan lied and attempted to give to Jesus what was not his to give (authority and splendor of the world). Jesus saw through this and said no. Then, Satan lied and said that Jesus could get followers by doing the spectacular. Jesus saw through this lie and knew that He could only get true followers if he went to the cross, so he said no.

Secondly, Know the Word

Please note what Jesus used as his weapon to say no to temptation. He used the Word.  Matthew verse 4, "it is written..." verse 7, "it is written...", verse 10, "it is written..." Because Jesus was well acquainted with the truth, He could spot any lie.
 
The way to expose a lie is to know the truth.  And spiritually, the truth we have is the Word.

Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

When the temptation comes to gossip or lie, the word tells us, let no unwholesome words come out of your mouth. Or you shall not bear false witness (lie). Knowing the truth short-circuits the lie, and allows us to say no to the invitation to sin.

When the temptation comes to steal, we can use the word ‘you shall not steal’ and counteract the invitation to sin.

When the temptation comes to give in to the addiction, we can use the word, "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" or "do not become drunk," and remove the stinger, and make it powerless.

So, we see so far, we can say no to temptation like Jesus when we know the enemy and know the Word.  But we also need to:

Know the way out

Cheriann and I recently attended a movie at a theatre. Part of the announcements on the screen before the film began was to take note of where the exits were located. Look behind you, in front of you etc. This way, you will be armed with knowledge that could save your life in the event the lights go out, a fire starts or worse. Knowledge of the way out allows you to be successful in case of an emergency.

Jesus succeeded against the tempter because he knew the way out. And so can you. 

1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide you a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Did you catch it? When you are tempted, He will provide you a way out. 

You can feel when temptation comes at you – to use, to view pornography, to steal, to gossip, to not put in a full-days work, that a great darkness has come over you.  This is absolutely true.  But we are provided with a way out.

What is the way out?

It is a light - Psalm 119:105 - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

2 Peter 1:19 - "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

It is a presence - Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. His very presence will guide us out of the temptation and into the safety of God's light.   

You can say 'no' to temptation if you will know your enemy, know the Word and know the way out, and then, in the end, good things will happen. James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life."

Written by Major Kevin Stoops
Montclair Citadel

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He Will Flee!

In the Battle at Marathon, the Persian horde had sent their best warriors to confront the Athenian resistance. After a fierce battle, the Athenian warriors lost 192 men in the fight. The Persian army had 6,000 of their men fall! After facing defeat, they retreated. As they retreated, their rear flank was cut down, and many of their ships were captured. This retreat was pivotal in the turning of the tide and the breaking of the army.

Retreat!

I imagine what it would have taken to make the bravest soldiers in a mega army run away from battle. This was perhaps the first time these elite fighters ever had to. It wasn't in their nature.

Neither should it be in ours!

I was reading over two passages. The first being:

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." - James 4:7

The second:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:10-17

It was after re-reading the first that the second had added meaning. I can remember attending a women’s self defense class (I was the punching bag), and the instructor told the women that best defense is not getting into a dangerous situation in the first place. However, if you do find yourself there, take no shame in running away from the situation if it preserves your safety. Flee from the danger. In this instance, the scripture reminds us that our best defense is submitting to one whose power can truly defend us, and it will be the ENEMY WHO HAS TO FLEE! In this case running isn't a great exercise to practice.

Now we can reread the Ephesians passage with a bolder eye. Equipment check: Belt (check), breastplate (check), foot wear (check), shield (check), weapon (check), helmet (check), and back protector…ehhh. Strangely, Paul, this Roman citizen who would have seen full officer attire, left out the back piece. The main source of torso protection was the breastplate and a second connecting piece to protect the back. Oddly enough, this complete version of the armor was mostly worn by officers - those not in the battle or on the front lines.

There is protection for us in the battle but none to cover our retreat. Perhaps we aren't a people called to retreat. Perhaps we are to resist the devil so vigorously that he flees the battle like those mighty Athenians who stood firm against the largest fighting force they had ever seen. Proverbs 28:1 says this, "The wicked run away...but the godly are as bold as lions."

Brothers and sisters, let's be as bold as lions. Stand your ground. Defend your faith. Never retreat. The battle is already won!

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps

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Can We All Get Along?

These famous words were spoken by Rodney King following his public beating by police officers and a week of rioting in Los Angeles. Many times, I ask it myself in relation to our society and the church. It appears that the early church also asked itself this question. In James 3:13-18 (MSG), the writer of this books states it this way:

"Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor."

Three things jump out at me and challenge me in this scripture. "It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts." The old adage of actions speak louder than words echoes in this verse. I often think more highly of myself in my head than how I live. The reminder here is to guard against that type of thinking. What does a holy life look like? It is "characterized by getting along with others." It can be difficult at times because other people can be difficult, and so can I. Finally, we are reminded that healthy community is a result occurs "...only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other..."

We need to treat others with respect and common decency. It is hard work, but it is how we are told we should act. Let's reflect God’s wisdom and not our own, and I think we can answer the Mr. King's question with, "It is possible."

Written by Chip Kelly
Territorial Lay Leader
Development Bureau Director

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Put Down Your Stones

Believe it or not (and you should believe it), I struggle. I used to struggle with a great variety of issues - some spiritual and some social. Then, I realized just how linked they were. One of the most difficult issues I encountered was judging people. My problem with judging others wasn't that I did it too often, rather that I didn't understand what it was.

John 8:3-7 says:

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

This is where I was tripped up!

You see, the way I understood judging meant that since I wasn't perfect, I had no right to bring up ANYTHING wrong with anyone else. My imperfections should not only limit but stifle my attempts to speak out about the behavior of others. I really missed the mark on this one! I was right in the sense that judgment was a task that I was not qualified for. Like the Pharisees in this passage, when we cast a net of judgment, we often become ensnared by it ourselves.

I was wrong because like them, my heart sat on a throne of hypocrisy as I cast down my judgments. Worse even still, I was dreadfully confused. In my lack of understanding, I had swapped a divine role with my earthly responsibility. Judging was not my job, but correction in the appropriate manner was!

James 5:19-20 says this:

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

My place is not to judge, but I do have a responsibility to correct. How can I say I love my brother if I leave him in his sin (2 Tim. 3:16-17)?  How can I say to my daughter that I love her, yet neglect to correct her (Proverbs 13:24)? I couldn't. It wouldn't be possible. As I continue to understand these truths, I would ask that you journey with me. While you do, remember that the key to this equation isn't the correction. The key to this equation is the love.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps

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