Overcoming Temptation

I Cor. 10:11-13 and I Peter 5:8. Temptation is anything that lures you away from God, and sin is when you agree with the temptation and act on it. Satan cannot “mess” with you, unless you’ve opened the door to him. Demons have the right to be on the earth, but they shouldn’t be at work in you. Learn from your past and be reconciled by the truth- how does that experience in the past relate to the truth? Judge yourself in light of the Word and the truth. The devil will tempt you relative to your need, but there is always a victory over the temptation. Call sin what it is- sin, realize and accept that Jesus is the only answer, and accept responsibility for your sin. Do not reconcile doctrine according to experience, but according to the truth. In Luke 4 Jesus was tempted by Satan, but He overcame. Deal with temptation wholeheartedly. Satan brings doubt and a temptation relative to a need that you have, but if you are looking to God for every need and speaking the Word and have no open doors to the devil, you can have victory. What are the principles for keeping the door shut? 1) Live by the Word and ask yourself what does God say? 2) Worship and serve the Lord only. You’ll be a servant of whomever is your source. 3) Do NOT tempt God by doing something to try to get God to respond to you. That’s pride. God does something first, and then we respond to Him. Our lives must be submitted to God. Do not try to prove yourself. Pastor Bill shared about dealing with a man with a demon and how the victory came to the man, because Pastor Bill spoke the Word of God in love.