Where, when, what, how, who?

Let's talk about something that everyone has in common. All of us face temptations. Some every day (most) and some more than others but even still... it is an issue that faces each of us on a regular basis.

Let's seriously discuss this and how it comes about... how we handle it or even it isn't handled so well.

I will start with this. Temptation is not always of the devil. Man can tempt us... that includes the "wo" variety of man as well! ;)

Another thing often looked over... we set our own selves up for failure often enough thus tempting ourselves in a sense. Going to a website you know you ought not go... having the movie channels in our homes with more raunchy stuff on it than you can justify any good reason for having it... going to a movie that you know is going to push the line if not flat trample over it... hanging with buds at a bar or even just hanging with our heathen buddies.

We need to constantly be aware of things like this and understand... temptation comes enough without our helping it along.

My flesh is programmed to respond to all sorts of stimuli, must of which, if followed, will lead me into the valley of sin.

The devil doesn't have to tempt me much; my flesh is usually more than I can handle with ol' ClovenFoot wasting his time.

My flesh is programmed to respond to all sorts of stimuli, must of which, if followed, will lead me into the valley of sin.

The devil doesn't have to tempt me much; my flesh is usually more than I can handle with ol' ClovenFoot wasting his time.

Yep... the devil "makes us do" very little if anything at all (It's a play on a pun guys so don't run with it!) A very important truth.

I cannot resist the temptation to reply to this thread. I can resist anything except temptation. unfortuneately temptation never takes a vacation.

James says that God never tempts us. James 1:13-16 When we are tempted God gives a way for us to bear it, not allowing us to be tempted above that which we are able.

I am afraid I yield to temptation because I want to not counting the cost. I prove my unworthiness to name the name of Christ everyday. Jesus' love for me never waivers.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

I cannot resist the temptation to reply to this thread. I can resist anything except temptation. unfortuneately temptation never takes a vacation.

James says that God never tempts us. James 1:13-16 When we are tempted God gives a way for us to bear it, not allowing us to be tempted above that which we are able.

I am afraid I yield to temptation because I want to not counting the cost. I prove my unworthiness to name the name of Christ everyday. Jesus' love for me never waivers.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Help me out with the "can't resist temptation" thing?

“I deal with temptation by yielding to it” Mark Twain :rolleyes:

Food is my weakness.
I can start the day off saying "I will not give into the temptation to overeat today!" and one commercial can set me off. So the media can be used to tempt us.

I can go shopping and if I haven't eaten before I go, I will buy all kinds of junk that are appealing to the eye. There is a reason why cheese puffs are "bright orange!":eek:
So food companies know how to tempt us. (Have you ever driven by restaurants and you can smell the food from outside? That's done to lure us in!)

If I am visiting someone and they offer me a homemade cookie or a piece of pie and I say no, they might say, "Just have one cookie or one piece of pie..." Before you know it, I've had two cookies and a piece of pie with ice cream on it!
So people can be used to tempt us.

Hmmmm....1 Corinthians 10:13-"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
The thing is I can tell when the Lord is giving me the opportunity to escape the temptation, but I will be honest in telling you that more often than not, I find myself confessing with crumbs dripping down my chin than I have walking away....
Why is that?:cry:

I think we are our own worst enemies when it come to temptation. Our brains work counter to what our hearts tell us to do. Personally I find that when I am feeling down I tend to start thinking back onto the things I did before I turned my life over to Jesus. The doubts start to creep in and I long for all the good times I had as a heathen. Back when I could party all night, drink till I got sick or passed out, talk in a way that would make a sailor blush and fight anyone who would get my goat up. The mind has a way of remembering the nights that were pleasure to the body, but oh to often forgot about all the agony the next morning always was.

All to often temptation by our own minds can be the hardest to over come because we first have to realize it. Most times for me it comes down to my wife telling me that I am acting funny like something is bothering me. She is my accountability partner and I think is also one of the ways God uses for me to be able to find a way out of the funk of doubt. The problem is that my flesh is always looking for the easy way out and things that please it. Everyday we have to make the conscious decision to be holy. The day we do not make the decision is the day temptation comes a knocking.

A thread on temptation needs to have the Marker Scripture as it's focus posted... so Here's my contribution...

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Temptation comes from within a man, and not that it comes from any outside source as the fault.

Help me out with the "can't resist temptation" thing?
I am my own worst enemy when it comes to resisting temptation. I can rationalize like a triple Phd. My flesh is weak. Apart from my Lord I am certain to yield to my flesh. His Spirit alone grants me the strength to stand fast and claim the victory.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

I learned long ago about how valuable avoidance can be. The bible says James 4:7
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When I lived in the world as a teenager, young adult, I listened to worldly music that promoted sex. I watched shows that promoted it, etc, etc. The whole sex equals love thing. Now I know that is a lie and avoid listening to that kind of music or watching shows with sexual scenes in them. Once in awhile I hear an older song that I know well and listen to the word with a totally different viewpoint now and can barely stand them anymore. :cool:

I have been very successful (by the grace of God) in this area because I simply avoid. Food and drink have never been an issue for me (hopefully never will!). Nor is buying things for the sake of 'buying things' been an issue for years either. So in many ways I am very lucky and rarely do I deal with any kind of temptations. But knowing this! I stay on my guard because its when we least expect it that temptation will knock us over...:rolleyes:

Good topic. (and yes P.S. don't ever go shopping when you are hungry!) my mom taught me that years ago...:lol: And don't EVER take a teenager boy to the grocery store when he is hungry! :rofl:

God bless

Where, when, what, how, who?

Let's talk about something that everyone has in common. All of us face temptations. Some every day (most) and some more than others but even still... it is an issue that faces each of us on a regular basis.

Let's seriously discuss this and how it comes about... how we handle it or even it isn't handled so well.

I will start with this. Temptation is not always of the devil. Man can tempt us... that includes the "wo" variety of man as well! ;)

Another thing often looked over... we set our own selves up for failure often enough thus tempting ourselves in a sense. Going to a website you know you ought not go... having the movie channels in our homes with more raunchy stuff on it than you can justify any good reason for having it... going to a movie that you know is going to push the line if not flat trample over it... hanging with buds at a bar or even just hanging with our heathen buddies.

We need to constantly be aware of things like this and understand... temptation comes enough without our helping it along.
I think you hit the nail on the head! It all depends on who or what is doing the tempting and what the consequences are in yielding to the temptation. You need to ask yourself what the end result would be; after all, we may need to resist it, or it may be what we need!

A born again christian, is like an alpinist, who is striving to reach, to the top of the mountain of perfection, even if he falls down, some times. A person who is not born again, does not even try to go up to the top of the mountain of perfection, and he does not even care to.

A born again person is like a man, walking on a rope, whom the gravitation, and people around him, try to push down, by throwing object to him, and he, by the balancing stick in his hands, trying to stay on the rope.

A born again person, is like a man, who is surfing in the sea, whom the waves try to push down, but the wind helps him to stay on course and surf, in order to reach the destination or goal.

The anointing which every born again christian has from the Holy Spirit, is not only for performing miracles like healing for example, but to help us to keep the commandments of God. The power of God is helping every christian to keep the commands of God, and so become like in the image of his Creator, God.

Everybody can witness about Jesus, but it is another thing, to be a witness by our lives, to live as a Christian, and that is where the power of the Holy Spirit helps us.

Acts 1:8, Romans 7:14-23, 8:13

Would we fall into temptation as much if we as Christians, really understood who we are in Christ. In Ephesians 2:10 it says we are God's workmanship---in the Greek it's a word that means masterpiece, His work of art so so speak. We are created in order to do good works because God prepared those works for us in advance. If we woke up with the attitude, "What good work does God have for me today?" Would we then be looking at God and focusing on Him thus taking the focus off of our flesh, mind and Satan?

Where, when, what, how, who?

Let's talk about something that everyone has in common. All of us face temptations. Some every day (most) and some more than others but even still... it is an issue that faces each of us on a regular basis.

Let's seriously discuss this and how we handle itGood idea....
but I have to say the answers are few and undefined. Which is sad, seeing this is high in priority.


Apart from my Lord I am certain to yield to my flesh. His Spirit alone grants me the strength to stand fast and claim the victory.how does this work?



The anointing which every born again christian has from the Holy Spirit, is not only for performing miracles like healing for example, but to help us to keep the commandments of God. The power of God is helping every christian to keep the commands of God, and so become like in the image of his Creator, God. how does this work?

Where, when, what, how, who?

Let's talk about something that everyone has in common. All of us face temptations. Some every day (most) and some more than others but even still... it is an issue that faces each of us on a regular basis.

Let's seriously discuss this and how it comes about... how we handle it or even it isn't handled so well.

I will start with this. Temptation is not always of the devil. Man can tempt us... that includes the "wo" variety of man as well! ;)

Another thing often looked over... we set our own selves up for failure often enough thus tempting ourselves in a sense. Going to a website you know you ought not go... having the movie channels in our homes with more raunchy stuff on it than you can justify any good reason for having it... going to a movie that you know is going to push the line if not flat trample over it... hanging with buds at a bar or even just hanging with our heathen buddies.

We need to constantly be aware of things like this and understand... temptation comes enough without our helping it along.

PP I cannot think of one thing I could add to what you expressed in those brief descriptions.
You summed it up well, I want to contribute but the only thing I can contribute is a big fat AMEN !